And he has been supported by members of the town’s football club.

Kenneth Gunn has urged Scottish Borders Council to look again at plans to provide an all-weather synthetic pitch at the Selkirk High School playing fields.

He told us: “A 2G playing surface is yesterday’s technology and comes at a time when every other Borders Burgh is looking at installing a 3G pitch, or has already installed one. Why is Selkirk being offered a sub-standard playing surface which at best will only be suitable for junior hockey? “Selkirk, with between 60 and 75 youngsters turning up at Yarrow Park weekly for football training, is crying out for today’s standards, not something inferior from about a decade and a half ago.” As reported in last week’s Border Telegraph, the planning application for the new synthetic pitch has been submitted with Scottish Borders Council.

And it has already attracted opposition from community councillors over the need for an access road to be built through the neighbouring Pringle Park.

But Mr Gunn believes an access road should be built - to a 3G pitch.

He added: “We need to have state-of-the art materials at the High School pitches in Goslawdales, and our three local councillors and the Selkirk Community Council should be speaking with one voice and demanding the best.

“As far as the Selkirk Community Council views on access is concerned I believe they are wrong to dismiss the Education department’s plans to build an access road through the Pringle Park, both for construction of and to service the new all-weather pitch. The Pringle Park was gifted to the town as a recreational area and in its heyday had Victorian-type shelters, full-sized children’s play equipment and latterly a paddling pool along with a toilet block. None of the 1960s additions, such as the toilets, were envisaged by those who donated the park. George Scott was my grandmother’s uncle and it was his family who bought the land and handed it over to the Selkirk Town Council for use as a park and was named after his wife whose maiden name was Pringle. “I am sure that these earlier generations would have been all for extending the leisure and recreational activities from Pringle Park into what is now the Selkirk High School playing fields and up-grading these to fit in with modern requirements. It would be very unfortunate indeed if any decision were to be taken today by a Community Council at less than half strength, that would influence planning decisions about an access road.” The £1 million project for Selkirk High was announced at the same time as 3G pitches for Peebles and Jedburgh.

Ross Anderson from Selkirk Football Club believes Selkirk is being short-changed. He told us: “We are getting a 2G pitch when everyone else in Scotland is ripping them up to make way for a 3G. It doesn’t make any sense.”