Sports facilities in Pollok and Shettleston could be leased out as the council looks to offer control of more venues to community organisations.
Talks over leases for Nethercraigs Sports Complex on Corkerhill Road and Greenfield Football Centre on Duror Street will begin if the proposals get council approval on Thursday.
Pollok United Nethercraigs Community Interest Company and Shettleston Community Sports Trust are the two organisations planning to take over the facilities.
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The deals are being considered under the council’s People Make Glasgow Communities programme, which gives third-sector groups and community organisations the opportunity to have a greater say in the management of venues.
At Nethercraigs Sports Complex, there is an outdoor floodlit 11 a side 3G pitch, three grass football pitches and a grass rugby pitch. There are also four five a side courts, an athletics track, a multi-use games area, gym and dance studios and changing facilities.
The indoor facilities are currently owned by the council and managed by Glasgow Life while the outdoor pitches are run by Pollok United Nethercraigs CIC as part of a community activation pilot. A nearby skate park would continue to be managed by the council.
The pilot began in October 2020 and was set up to allow clubs to use the facility during the pandemic, with Pollok managing bookings, maintenance, communications and marketing. The company has also managed and maintained the pitch at the Dennis Donnelly Centre since 2013, and at the Corkerhill Community Centre, including café, office and community space, since 2019.
A council report stated: “Pollok has been delivering football, aerobic exercise, cycling and educational and charitable activities since 2006. Since inception, they have evolved to take a more community-centric approach to their programming and activities, developing from a football club into a sports charity organisation.”
The report added: “It is envisaged that the club will provide a base for Pollok to expand their services and support to the local community. They also intend to maintain access to other groups and schools.
“Pollok intends to secure any capital costs required through grant funding and are currently working with advisors in terms of their business planning and funding strategies.”
The Greenfield Football Centre includes an outdoor floodlit 11 a side 3G pitch and seven nine a side grass football pitches as well as a pavilion, which has changing facilities. It is owned by the council and leased to Glasgow Life.
Like at Nethercraigs, the trust has been operating the football centre under a community activation pilot, allowing access for groups who used the facilities prior to the covid pandemic.
Glasgow Utd, formerly Shettleston Juniors, falls under the trust’s umbrella and plays in the West of Scotland Football League Conference B. The council report stated the club has ambitions “to scale the Scottish FA pyramid system”.
It added: “In addition to the first team, Glasgow Utd have a thriving Kids Academy, now registered as a charity. They are firmly established in the community and have worked in a partnership in the development and delivery of various community initiatives including: a community food bank; community shop; learning programmes for local youths who are not in education, training, or employment; day activities for local elderly groups; walking football project for local males in the age range 50 years plus, and soccer camps for local primary school children.”
The trust also manages and maintains its stadium on Old Shettleston Road and a social club. Both organisations intend to secure any capital costs required through grant funding and are currently “working with advisors in terms of their business planning and funding strategies”.
