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Amiable proposals to ‘grow the game’, but…….
I am sure that most Scottish rugby enthusiasts would whole-heartedly agree with the SRU Strategic Plan to ‘grow the game’ and get significantly more people participating in the sport by the year 2012. However, to increase, develop and expand the game of rugby football in Scotland will require resources; be they additional voluntary time, already generously given by a handful of stalwarts, or the extra facilities and finance that such expansion will inevitably require.
At Malleny Park we are rightly proud of the improvements this Club has made to our facilities and also how we have encouraged numerous youngsters to play rugby. From humble beginnings our 37 year history is second to none. With copious improvements, gone are the days when part of the main pitch became a quagmire following persistent autumn rain; or if you were not quickly into the showers after the match the hot water supply was somewhat dubious.
To accommodate the needs of a thriving Club, our social and changing facilities were extended and a splendid stand added for the comfort of the Malleny spectator. It is true to say that almost all of these improvements were provided by Club members; they gave their time and effort to enhance the Club facilities or helped to raise money to finance a particular enterprise.
At present the Club’s two pitches and the floodlit training area are used to such an extent, during the season almost every day of the week for training, matches and by Balerno High School for team sports, that all of these grassed areas are in need of the constant attention of a fulltime groundsman, which we do not have! The two week Christmas break is the only period when these inadequate playing surfaces have not been used since mid August. Unfortunately it is not only Currie RFC and Balerno High School that have to cope with these over-used, deteriorating playing surfaces; it is most of the grassed sports areas under the management and control of our politicians and the Local Authority.
Millions are being spent to bring the Commonwealth games to Scotland but try to get any money for your local sports club and you may as well “shout” into a wind that blows the message away! ‘Once upon a time’ the SRU had money to disburse to the clubs but we all know of their financial plight and this much needed cash to help clubs develop the sport has disappeared. Incidentally you don’t hear of much money being funnelled from the millions of professional soccer into local football clubs; some of these small clubs are feeling the economic pinch as much as rugby clubs.
The Scottish Executive is concerned about increasing obesity in youngsters and wants more of them to ‘activate’. Every week at Currie we have over three hundred local boys and girls from Primary school age, through Secondary school age to ‘Colts’ level, all using the Club’s stretched and pressurised facilities. I would argue that we, and many other sports clubs in the City are providing a social service, helping to keep youngsters off the streets and giving them a recreational interest; but what financial assistance do we get from the politicians; few words of encouragement perhaps?
The upkeep of many of the City’s sports parks is a joke compared to the grounds care and facilities provided by the private Edinburgh schools and for the City’s ‘professional’ teams; the sports academies etc. Have you seen the ‘new’ Meggetland pitch? It has more bare ground than grass – another Local Authority maintained! They spend thousands on buildings but forget about the grassed playing area. Edinburgh Rugby would definitely notice a difference in the playing surface if they were to move home; unless, that is, the City spend a lot of money on the ground; Murrayfield have an army of ground staff!
Many of our local sports parks are free access where people exercise their dogs, have picnics and leave cans and bottles lying around; this litter is then cut up by the contractor who mows the grass; are the sharp pieces that remain picked up?
Unless clubs and schools are given some financial encouragement from our local politicians so that facilities, both playing and changing can be improved and maintained, they will not attract additional numbers into any sport. If it were not for the support and enthusiasm of dedicated parents many children would not bother with sport as there are so many other attractions for them today. Binge drinking for one!
A Santer Scoop. 1st January 2008
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