Scottish News
North Stand
ceived an offer for Brockville from a supermarket group and it is hoped that a deal can be struck
within the next few weeks. Planning permission for the 10,000 seater stadium at Westfield has been
granted and there is a shortlist of two contractors to carry out the construction work. There is work
that needs to be carried out at Falkirk's expense, including landscaping, the construction of car
parks and road (and other infrastructure) upgrades and this form of 'planning gain' (you scratch my
back, I'll scratch yours) is perhaps one way that the proposal got past the application approval
stage. The club are currently addressing ways of bridging the shortfall between the money obtained
from selling Brockville and the cost of building a new ground, and these include working closely with
the council. The leisure development granted for Westfield will in fact incorporate the football
ground, but grievances raised by Bairns fans centre solely on the fact that so many previous applications were rejected, risking the future of Falkirk FC, and the chance of senior football at the highest level in the town.
Falkirk currently has
two league teams
within it ( with
Camelon playing
junior football), but for
how much longer?
East Stirlingshire,
who play at archaic
Firs Park in the town,
are reportedly considering moving on. Two Firs Park - East Stirlingshire
years ago, a deal was
struck with Stenhousemuir for an even groundshare at Ochilview, with East Stirling building a
stand as part of the deal of buying into Ochilview, but this idea was shelved soon afterwards. Now
seemingly the club is currently looking at the costs of upgrading Grangemouth Stadium, previously home to a few junior football teams, to the level required by the Scottish League.
Grangemouth Stadium, which has an athletics track, has a fairly large bench seated stand and three
other terraced sides. In fact, it is not unlike the Warout Stadium in Glenrothes. Grangemouth Stadium is generally used for athletics meetings and was constructed by BP as a means of giving
something back to the town. Hopefully there'll be more news on this breaking story by the next issue. (Photo by Colin Peel)
Clyde announced plans on the 9th of November to add a £4.2 million fourth stand to Broadwood,
bringing it up to a capacity of 10,000. This new fourth stand will also come with an indoor facility
with a six lane seventy metre track and a half size indoor football pitch. Clyde chairman Ronnie
MacDonald revealed that the plans were based upon ideas utilised by the football academies at
Blackburn, Middlesbrough and Gateshead. Speaking of the development he said, "This will be for
the community of Cumbernauld and will make Broadwood busy every day of the week."
Work is also progressing healthily on Hamilton Academicals new stadium, with work on the
stands well under way.
Groundtastic
page 49
Issue 23