Linton Hotspur
opportunities for others in their community. And it’s not
just players, coaches and committee members – many
other ‘volunteers’, often family members or significant
others, are roped in to help with the myriad tasks that
often go unseen but are absolutely essential. Strips have
to be washed, refreshments supplied, the pitch and
dressing-rooms have to be maintained – it’s a 7-days a
week commitment that demonstrates how people see
these clubs as a vital hub in the community.
One of the specific, and genuine, problems for Linton
Hotspur in recent years has been brought about by the
difficulties of playing in the Borders League. Midweek
games with 6.30pm kick-offs in Kelso or Galashiels, or
wherever, means that players who work in Edinburgh,
for instance, simply cannot get there in time. Having
endured a disappointing 2017/18 season, winning
only four games and finishing second bottom of Border
Amateur Football League B, the club reluctantly resigned
from the Borders League and joined the Lothian and
Edinburgh Amateur Football Association for 2018/19.
This change will cut down significantly on travel times,
make life easier for the existing players and also help
widen the net in attracting players to the club.
Changing leagues in no way diminishes the club’s
commitment to its West Linton community, as evidenced
by their ambitious plans to upgrade their New Moor
Road facilities. The club has stated its vision as being
“to create a permanent base for football in West Linton,
whilst providing a facility suitable for use by a variety
of other local organisations for sport and recreational
purposes that the club and community can be proud of”.
Four years ago, the club was presented with the
opportunity to buy the land previously leased from Mr
& Mrs Clark. At this point, whilst endeavouring to raise
the funding, an extremely generous local businessman
stepped in to assist the club, buying the land and
immediately leasing it back to the club for a period of
99 years. This was the first time in the club’s short recent
history that they had the benefit of security of tenure,
opening up opportunities to develop their facilities
futher.
Club Chairman Campbell Forsyth explains, “the club
has been presented with an opportunity to put down
permanent roots and improve the sporting provisions
in West Linton. The committee and club members are
driven, enthusiastic and excited about what the future
may bring for the club and are eager for others to buy
into our ambition. We would like to place on record our
thanks for all the assistance we have had in our journey
to date, and hope that the village will share in our
ambition for the future”.
On securing their future at the New Moor Road site,
the committee immediately set about improving the
facilities. A surplus modular building was secured from
Scottish Borders Council, and alongside donations in
kind which were estimated to be in the region of £70,000
through labour and material, the club raised £30,000 to
fit out the facility with changing, shower, kitchen and
communal facilities in addition to a designated road
access and car parking.
The club realised at the outset that these plans will
require serious money and embarked on their most
ambitious fundraising project to date. A crowdfunding
campaign raised around £11,000 over 2016 and more
traditional methods, like dinners and a 24-hour cycling
event, provided the club with the confidence and
resources to press on with their plans and achieve
the ultimate objective of creating a facility the whole
community can enjoy and be proud of.
Ivan adds, “we also received some grants, but a
lot of support came through the kindness of the local
community, which we greatly appreciated”. The
new facility, named the ‘Hotspur Sports Pavilion’,
was formally opened on 22nd July 2017, marked by a
children’s fun day, sponsors day and a glamour friendly
with Berwick Rangers FC.
However, the club will not rest on their laurels. Vice-
Chairman Ivan Mackenzie is eagerly looking forward to
the 2018/19 season, saying “we have a new manager in
place and he has already brought in some new players.
Everyone associated with the club is excited about the
new season ahead – it’s a new chapter in our long and
proud history. Off the pitch we are continuing to review
our plans and early discussions have taken place to
explore ideas like building indoor training facilities at
our ground, floodlighting and maybe also a 4G pitch.
We have benefitted significantly from our connections
into the local community and hope that the community
will continue to support us in achieving our ambitions”.
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