Threave Rovers Community Football Club has now officially opened its new playing facility at Birkland Road which they recently acquired as part of an “Asset Transfer” with Dumfries and Galloway Council. The new complex will provide both the club and the wider community with a first class arena for grassroots football to continue to grow and develop in the area. The club first approached The Scottish Football Partnership (SFP) in February 2017 to discuss this project, who were immediately impressed with the commitment and ambitions shown by Threave Rovers Community F.C. in creating better opportunities for youngsters to participate in football on a local level. A successful funding bid for modular changing facilities was then submitted to the SFP – an organisation with a long track record of supporting similar community clubs across Scotland with this type of facility project.
Stuart McCaffrey, Chief Operating Officer at The Scottish Football Partnership said, “It is fantastic to see the transformation of Birkland Park into an excellent footballing facility for Threave Rovers Community F.C. The coaches and volunteers who have worked tirelessly over many months deserve an enormous amount of credit for making this project a reality. From the outset we were determined to play our part in improving the facilities available to the club and more specifically the 180 young players it has across 9 different age-groups including 2 girls’ teams. We hope our investment in this new football hub will allow the club to continue to develop and grow its playing membership and to increase participation in football locally.”
David McMath, Secretary of Threave Rovers said, “The club identified this facility as a must-have if it was to continue to provide excellent opportunities for individual players and teams to grow and develop. We have worked collaboratively with Dumfries and Galloway Council, the SFP and SP Energy Networks in particular in firstly securing and then the construction phase of this project. The rewards are now there to be seen in that we have created a safe and secure changing and playing environment which will bring long-term benefits to our club. On behalf of everyone at Threave Rovers Community F.C. and the local community, I would like to thank the following organisations; Dumfries and Galloway Council, The Scottish Football Partnership, SP Energy Networks, Roadbridge, John Jardine Plant, Maxwell Construction, Allan Smith Fencing, James Smith Fencing, SWEAT and The Holywood Trust for their support in making this project a reality as without such partnerships, it would not have been possible. This new facility is an excellent example of what can be achieved with community engagement. We hope this project can inspire other communities to also see the benefits of such a facility which can only enhance the future of football in Scotland.”
Iain Steele, Dumfries and Galloway District General Manager at SP Energy Networks said, “SP Energy Networks is proud to support Threave Rovers and support the construction of the club’s new facilities. They will create a huge number of new opportunities for the club, the local community in Castle Douglas and visitors from further afield. As the owner and operator of power lines in the area, we are completely committed to supporting communities across Dumfries and Galloway. We’re looking forward to seeing the club and players thrive as a result of the new football facilities.”
