THERE are times when Murdo John Graham wishes he had the budget of team managers at the World Cup.
While their multi-million pound players strut their stuff in Qatar, his small Glasgow team struggles with the reality of laundry bills, £96 pitch fees, £50 for the referee, and £56 for a midweek training facility.
The cost of living crisis is hitting grassroots football across Scotland, yet it is arguable that these small teams provide far more value for money than any team in the World Cup.
For them, football is not a luxury but an activity that contributes to community identity, health and well-being. However rising costs and the slump in the economy are proving prohibitive for many.
“It’s getting more expensive to play and teams are folding at a rate never seen before,” said Graham.
“At the newest pitch in Glasgow you have to pay for a janitor on duty as well, so you are looking at £166 for a hire.
“Facilities are not cheap and you have league fees, plus public liability insurance to the tune of £300 a year. You might get the odd bit of sponsorship but in the current climate that is drying up. Businesses are less willing to shell out for that. It worries me because we still don’t know if we are going to receive any sponsorship this season. The Snaffle Bit bar has been good enough to give us money since the 90s but businesses are cutting back.”
Graham manages Glasgow Island AFC, which has been on the go in one shape or another since the 1960s, with the purpose of helping people from Scotland’s islands settle into life in the city.
Many of the players are Gaelic speakers and the team not only helps keep up the connection to the islands but also supports the players’ physical and mental health.
“It’s hugely important and a massive part of the lives of a lot of these young guys,” said Graham. “If you think about it, it’s quite worrying to come to a big city when you are from an island, so to have that kind of thing to link into straight away, often with people you already know, is really good, both pastorally and socially.
“It also gives them a platform to keep playing football because it’s quite hard to establish yourself in a team with guys you don’t know. This gives them a springboard and they make friends quickly.”
Graham became manager in 2008 after joining the team to play when he began studying at Glasgow University in 1997.
There are 29 players currently in the squad, most of whom are from the islands but with some players from Glasgow to make up the numbers, as changing demographics means there are fewer young people growing up on the islands, then moving to the city.
It’s a successful team, winning the Glasgow Colleges League Cup this year as well as the Mod Cup against a Perthshire select.
Yet along with rising costs, there are fewer facilities the team can access easily for games and training.
That’s a problem across Scotland with more than 100 pitches sold off by councils since 2010.
“There’s a long term issue of pitches being sold off and also, for very good reason, school grounds are less accessible than they were to previous generations – that was a green space that was free to access but now schools tend to be closed off after school hours and you can’t get access,” said Professor John McKendrick of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Costs and access to facilities varies across the country and McKendrick said a conversation was needed on why this is the case.
“If it is low cost in some areas then does is it really need to be so expensive in others? I think this is a question that needs to be asked. Too much money is required by these small organisations to keep themselves ticking over,” McKendrick said.
Across Scotland investment has been made in synthetic surfaces but McKendrick argued that better quality pitches should not become a barrier to playing football.
“In too many cases they are far too expensive to hire,” he said. “We need to remember that clubs also need money for the referee and there are hidden costs for parents such as buying football boots and travel costs. These things add up.
“We delude ourselves that everyone is able to take part in our national sport. We need to acknowledge some of the problems that kids and adults have in accessing it. There is a lot of money in the football industry, but it is a daily struggle at the grassroots.”
McKendrick said community clubs like Glasgow Island were “vitally important”.
“Everybody needs a bit of light in their life and football is very good for providing pleasure and opportunity for a whole range of people,” he said. “I’m not talking about winning the World Cup (although I live in hope), I’m just talking about kids and adults going out and enjoying it.”
Many clubs do much more than offer competitive football. They offer walking football, raise money for good causes, and bring together people whose lives are enriched by talking about football memories.
“Football is just one of the ways in which we can add a bit of colour to people’s lives and we need to recognise that clubs are vitally important and have been for a long time,” said McKendrick.
He added: “It is going to be tougher for clubs, ironically at a time when they are even more important, so we should find a way of sustaining them and ensuring the good work they are doing continues.”
The Scottish Football Association recently launched a four-year grassroots football strategy which includes the aim of improving access to quality community football spaces.
A spokesperson said: “It is important to note that the Scottish FA do not have control of these facilities, which are largely owned by local authorities, but the strategy commits to working with these and other stakeholders to improve access and affordability.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “Prices for football pitch hire for two hours have remained unchanged since the start of 2020 and are the equivalent of £3 per adult player for a full match on a synthetic pitch. For juniors, this cost is £2 per player per match. Over the last seven years Glasgow Life has invested significantly (over £2 million) improving pitches in the city.”
