Concerns over all-weather facilities in Borders re-emerge

Ally McGilvray 1606 - 1606 • Published 23 Sep 2008 12:30 0 Comments

FEARS are growing a lack of all-weather training facilities in the Borders could sink the development of sport in the region at its grassroots.

With our summer weather becoming increasingly wet, concerns over the state of the all-weather pitches at Tweedbank - the only synthetic surface in the central Borders - have re-emerged.

They were left unplayable after being drowned in a sea of puddles following the torrential rain earlier this month.

However, the Astroturf was only designed to last eight years and is now more than a decade old.

And, despite all the hype surrounding investment in sport with the Olympic Games, plans for installing a new 3G pitch - the latest in synthetic surfaces - at the back sports pitches at Netherdale in Galashiels seem further away than ever.

The Scottish Football Association"s Senior Football Development Officer for the Borders, Dougie Anderson, said: 'The weather is going to have a greater impact on sport in the region in the future.

'I have noticed that there are more games being cancelled earlier in the seasons than I can remember.

'We are desperate to build a 3G pitch in the Borders - it is in the sports development strategy - but that is a long way off happening.'

Meanwhile, local football team Gala United, who train at Tweedbank, could be forced to make round-trips of up to 30 miles twice a week to train on the sports pitches in Earlston over the winter because of the lack of suitable floodlit facilities in the area.

It is hoped, however, that the all-weather pitch being installed at the new high School in Earlston will be open early in the New Year.

Meanwhile, long-awaited work is also due to start on the flood-lit multi-courts in Galashiels.

The project is being funded by Scottish Borders Council and the Borders Sports and Leisure Trust and is scheduled for completion next summer - albeit several years behind schedule.

However, it is unclear how much it will cost and whether it will include new changing facilities.

Councillor Fiona Lackenby, Galashiels and District, said: 'Funding has been approved and the project is going ahead. We would want it to be up and running by the summer.'

But she added: 'Because of the type of surfacing we are having to wait until spring for it to be laid.'

amcgilvray@bordertelegraph.com

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This article appeared in Border Telegraph 23 Sep 08

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