Celtic shirt boost for Kinlochleven
Celtic captain Scott Brown has put his shirt, name and those of the 2019/20 team up for auction to help a group in Kinlochleven restore the village football pitch and recreation field, writes Iain Ferguson.
Island Park Community Field Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) was recently formed in the village to co-ordinate fundraising to revitalise the large grassy area next to the Bowling Green which for decades had hosted numerous outdoor activities.
Despite the fact new goalposts had been installed recently, the field has largely lain unused and the grass has reached knee height, although some of this may be the result of Covid-19 restrictions.
Working with landowners Jahama Estates, the group has arranged for the grass to be cut to a manageable level so it can look at keeping it short, allowing it to be used for outdoor activities including coaching in different sports while encouraging events such as gala days which were held there in the past.
Chairman of Island Park Community Field SCIO Matthew Prosser said: ‘The park has been the venue for village events for several decades and we would like to see it being used for these again. It is a tremendous outdoor space, with great views and the potential for being a real community resource. Many thanks to Scott Brown for donating his shirt and getting the whole team to sign it. We have only just started the auction and already have several bids. This will be a real boost to our fundraising.’
Bidding forms will be distributed around shops and email pledges are also being taken at islandparkscio@ outlook.com. There is no closing date yet as it is hoped to announce the winner at a Celtic v Rangers supporters football match which, as a result of Covid-19 restrictions, has yet to be arranged.