Child injured at repair row 3G football pitch in Penicuik

A young boy from Penicuik has been injured at the Penicuik 3G pitches, as Midlothian Council continue to delay on agreed improvements.

Kai Zurbriggen had to be given nine staples in his head to close the wound.

Eleven-year-old Kai Zurbriggen was playing with friends around the pitches last week when he ran through a gap at the side of the pitch and caught his head on loose metal wire on the fencing there. This resulted in a trip to hospital where he had to be given nine staples in his head to close the wound.

Local MSP Christine Grahame(SNP) had previously criticised Midlothian Council for its failure to proceed with agreed improvements to the council-owned pitch. The council agreed to upgrade the pitch, which is rented by Penicuik Athletic Youth Football Club (PAYFC) and also used by Penicuik High School, in March 2019 following a petition by the local community after a pitch report commissioned by the Scottish Football Association in January 2019 found it to be ‘poor’ and ‘extensive repair and replacement required’ with the capital funding budget agreed in August 2019.

Subsequently however, no progress has been made and Ms Grahame, along with the local MP and local Cllr, have had no substantive responses to their queries on this, with Ms Grahame going as far as to lodge an official complaint over failure to answer correspondence.

Kai had to be given nine staples in his head to close the wound.

Kai’s family are now hoping repairs can be done as soon as possible to prevent any other children being injured.

She said: “I’ve been to see these pitches myself and they really are in shoddy condition, as shown by the SFA’s report in January 2019 – they’ve only deteriorated since.

“Penicuik Athletic Youth Football Club (PAYFC) pays rent for these facilities and I share members’ frustrations at the absence of anything to show for this and the council’s inaction.

“Poor Kai was just doing what most kids will do – playing about with friends on a pitch that should at the very least not be actively dangerous.

“I’m glad he’s now on the mend, however I hope this will open the council’s eyes to just how bad conditions have got and I again implore them to listen to the club, listen to the communities and their elected representatives and bring works forward.

“Penicuik was promised this work well over a year ago, it’s time to end the delays and agree to an actual timeline with all parties before anyone else is hurt.”

A Midlothian Council spokesman said: “Work to replace the pitch hasn’t been carried out sooner because of the Covid pandemic restrictions preventing any construction or organised sports for the major part of this year. Many thanks to local people for their patience.

“We are very sorry to hear of the young boy’s head injury and we’d like to reassure local people we took action as soon as the vandalised fence was brought to our attention.

“We’ve made it safe with a repair in the meantime prior to renewing the fence.

“We’re dealing with vandalism at the park on an almost daily basis, which is a huge drain on our resources not to mention a danger to people using the facilities, like the boy who was injured. We ask anyone to report vandalism in the park to the police as soon as possible.”