All-weather pitch closures condemned

Ally McGilvray 1606 - 1606 • Last updated 15 Jan 2009 14:40 0 Comments

Share this

SCORES of footballers across the Borders have been left homeless following the closures of the much-maligned all-weather pitch in Tweedbank.

Borders Sports and Leisure Trust, which manages the sports complex on behalf of owners Scottish Borders Council, have locked the gates to the ageing astroturf amid concerns over flooded and frozen pitches most weeks over the past month.

And now SoccerSixes organisers have announced they have been forced to move their popular Sunday night league to Stow.

However, some teams are unable to make the 15-mile round trip from Galashiels and now organisers are appealing for new players to join. Anyone interested in filling the vacancies should contact Steve on 0870 3300 888.

Last month we revealed council chiefs have unveiled plans to build a new all-weather pitch at Tweedbank after Gala United stalwart Graham Wilson broke his leg after slipping on the dodgy surface during a training session with the Border amateur league club.

A decision on whether the cash-strapped local authority can afford to go ahead with the £200,000 project is due to be announced next month.

This week, Hearts legend Walter Kidd added his support to shouts from the stands for a replacement pitch after coaching schoolchildren at the CocaCola Sevens tournament at Tweedbank on Monday. He said: "It could probably do with being replaced - it is quite old. Most clubs have a different surface, which is a better quality, nowadays." But he added: "It's just a question of financing."

This article appeared in Border Telegraph 15 Jan 09

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Sport archives.

Border Telegraph Poll

Do you prefer the new road layout in Galashiels to the old system?

Follow @bordertelegraph