Exclusive:'Huge moment': Vital Edinburgh community football club wins pitch promise after seven-year battle
Over a thousand players, local schools and community groups to benefit as campaign pays off
One of the most under-served areas of the capital is to benefit from the construction of a new community-use sports facility. And Edinburgh South Community Football Club, celebrating a victory in their seven-year battle for a proper home ground, have hailed a decision to green light their proposed new pitch at Inch Park as a vital step for the local community.
The City of Edinburgh Council has agreed, in principle, to let South build a low-profile all-weather pitch, with a small one-storey changing block, at a site currently being used for equipment storage by the local authority.
South chief executive Joe Sneddon said: "This is a huge moment for our club and for the south Edinburgh community.
“We’ve created more than a football club. We’ve built a community. But we’re still turning children away because of a lack of all-weather facilities in south east Edinburgh and across the city.
“At a time when the focus is on international football and the excitement building towards major tournaments, this is the reality on the ground in our communities. The demand is there, the appetite is there, but the facilities simply don’t match it.
“Inch Park is our home, but we outgrew it years ago. This project is a major step towards finally creating a true home for our full pathway, from young children right through to adults across boys, girls, men and women. It’s a win for everyone.
“There are still steps to go through, including committee approval, but this is a major milestone. Every week we deliver for our community. Now we need to build something that matches that.”
The development, surrounded by mature trees and just a short walk from the Inch Park Community Sports Club shared by South with local cricket and rugby clubs, will provide a proper home for more than 1,000 footballers proud to wear the badge of the biggest grassroots football club in the east of Scotland.
Victory in the Field of Dreams campaign, as confirmed after a recent meeting with council officers, comes as enormous relief to an organisation described as “Edinburgh’s most important community club” by constituency MP Ian Murray.
The women’s first team, currently flying high in the SWFL East, and the East of Scotland First Division men’s side will both make use of the city’s latest senior ground, which will meet all SFA requirements. And it removes the constant threat of league expulsion for Ainslie Hunter’s men, who currently have to seek annual dispensation to continue ground sharing with Edinburgh United at Paties Road.
As well as providing a training base and game-day home for teams of all ages, the pitch will be opened up to local school and community use.
‘Still work to do’ - Murray
Former Secretary of State for Scotland Murray, whose support for the project has been instrumental in persuading the council to change tack, welcomed the news. He said: “This is a hugely positive step forward for the club and the wider community. The agreement in principle to accommodate a new pitch at Inch Park is a huge milestone after years of hard work from volunteers, players, parents and local partners.
“A permanent facility would not just benefit the club, but provide a real community asset for an area that has long been underserved in terms of local sports provision.
“I've supported this campaign from the beginning, so I'm so glad that the Council have finally recognised the huge value this club brings to the community. Thank you to Gavin Brown and the whole team for making this happen.
“I also welcome the strong support shown by the Scottish FA throughout this process. Their backing, alongside the leadership shown by Mike Mulraney and the club's team, has helped bring us to this point and demonstrates the wider confidence in what ESCFC can deliver for the community.
“There is still work to do to move from agreement in principle to delivery, and to make sure the plans are workable for the club. But this is a very encouraging step that brings us closer to securing a permanent home for Edinburgh’s most important community club, allowing them to continue the amazing work they do across South Edinburgh."
Local MSP Daniel Johnson, who has also supported the project, added: “We have been campaigning for years to secure high quality pitches that will allow these clubs to keep operating in the way that they do for many years to come. This decision secures exactly that.
"Ensuring that publicly owned land is used for the maximum possible benefit to the community is always the right thing to do. This project will take land that has been of minimal use to the Council and turn it into top class sports facilities for people across south Edinburgh to enjoy and we need more of this type of decision."