Clubs pitch in with support
BROCH football clubs have cheered on moves by Aberdeenshire Council to try and improve faciilities for the sport in Fraserburgh.
Norman Reid, who has been involved in the discussions between clubs from the Welfare League and juvenile sides, said that the feeling was "very positive" and that they would be pressing ahead with implementing the agreed changes.
Talking to the Herald Mr Reid said: "The group is delighted with the response and support from Councillor Tait and the council officers involved. Their hard work is often forgotten or never mentioned."
Giving the background to a recent series of meetings between football coaches, Aberdeenshire councillors and officials, Mr Reid added: "We have been trying to increase training facilities for footballers here in the Broch. Our options at this time are very limited, with ourselves - Faithlie United - currently training in the games hall at Banff and Buchan College.
"This is not ideal at all as well as being very expensive, during the last October holidays when the college was closed we had to train in the academy school car park on the gravel.
"I went around the Broch looking for a grass area with some lighting in order for us to train, I found nowhere suitable at all," he said.
At that point, Mr Reid and fellow Faithlie United coach Martin Buchan, felt that something had to be done so after initial discussions at Faithlie United the club requested a meeting with council officers and Councillor Tait.
"We invited all Fraserburgh-based football groups and teams as well as inviting the teams outwith Fraserburgh playing in the amateur league, the meeting was very positive indeed," explained Mr Reid.
The group comprised Martin Buchan and Norman Reid from Faithlie United, David Whyte of Bellslea FC, Billy Park of Elizabethan Link Up, Donna Falconer and Elizabeth Dunbar from Link Up, Charles West from Fraserburgh Boys Club and Zac Whyte.
"Our objective is to have facilities available in the Broch to anyone that wishes to have a kick about," he said.
"The days of playing on the streets are gone, unless you are part of an organised team then there is very little chance you will be playing football at all," Mr Reid pointed out.
Describing the subsequent meetings as wide-ranging, Mr Reid said they were realistic in understanding that the council does not have a magic wand or the funds required for any new developments.
"The survey carried out on the James Ramsay Park provided useful information, as the playing surface condition there has never been good, while the Links pitches are perfectly situated and are mostly always playable.
"But the uneven surfaces are not accepted nowadays as far as meeting standards for safety or quality," he said.
Turning his attention to the Links pitches in the first instance, the local coach explained: "We have requested that the council make one pitch out of the two at the Links moving the south pitch north. This will provide one decent pitch as well as providing a decent sized area next to the all-weather facility for training, small goalposts could be installed across this area."
The council plans to have a survey carried out on the Links with view to having both the football pitches levelled, he said.
"Our objective is to provide somewhere for anyone to play football safely.
"Our football in Scotland from grass roots to our national team is in as bad a state as it has ever been. Our climate does not help, but providing facilities with lights to train on in dark nights can only help," he said.
Mr Reid also praised the efforts of his colleague Martin Buchan and Cllr Tait:, saying: "Councillor Tait and Martin Buchan have been the driving force, without them we would not have had any discussions."Our football in Scotland from grass roots to our national team is in as bad a state as it has ever been. Our climate does not help, but providing facilities with lights to train on in dark nights can only help,
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Weather for Fraserburgh
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
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