High Life Highland takes flak over football fiasco

High Life Highland (HLH) this week stands accused of being more concerned with paperwork and profit than keeping people fit and active.

The hard-hitting condemnation came from South Lochaber Thistle (SLT) Football Club president Peter Newman, following a wrangle over the charges he claims HLH is trying to impose on the Kinlochleven-based amateur club for the use of pitches and changing rooms.

HLH was also the target of anger when this week’s popular Fort William Hotshots initiative, which has run school holiday football camps for the past 12 years, came close to being cancelled at the last minute following a ‘venue issue’. Luckily, further discussions saw the sessions going ahead as usual, much to the delight of youngsters and their parents.

Asked to comment, a High Life Highland spokesperson apologised for any inconvenience. But the situations with SLT and the Hotshots event have seen HLH harshly criticised.

HLH is said to have wanted to charge SLT the full, fourhour block rate for the use of the pitch and changing rooms, which would have meant the club paying an impossible £340 a week for training sessions plus a home game.

Instead of being allowed use of Kinlochleven High School, games were switched to the Leven Centre, which Mr Newman says lacks adequate showers for 30 players.

However, an intervention from councillor Andrew Baxter has resulted in a reprieve, with use of the school allowed and two-hour bookings permitted for now. HLH has also offered to meet club officials.

Mr Newman said: ‘It has been a very difficult time for us. Despite being a successful amateur club, bringing success to community football for the whole of Lochaber, every dealing we have had with High Life recently has been demoralising. We are very grateful to them for agreeing to meet us to find a resolution but they are seriously letting people down if they feel this is how to “develop and promote opportunities in sport” as per their remit as a charity.

‘How on earth a Saturday afternoon can be considered “out of hours” for a leisure facility, especially when none of their staff receives that additional money, is beyond me.

‘Few of our Glasgow opponents can believe the prices we are being charged and this points to a wider issue around how fit-for-purpose this organisation is. It appears HLH is more concerned with paperwork and profit than keeping people fit and active.’

But an HLH spokesperson told the Lochaber Times: ‘The pricing applied to SLT is charged at our standard community rate which is consistent across the Highlands.

‘We have offered the football club an opportunity to discuss their bookings in more detail and look forward to meeting with them.’