Blantyre Victoria Youth Football Club has submitted a new Community Asset Transfer (CAT) application to South Lanarkshire Council, seeking a 20-year lease of the two grass football pitches and nearby changing pavilion at Stonefield Public Park for a proposed rent of £1 per year.
The club says it currently provides football opportunities for more than 200 young people and wants to create a permanent community football hub. Its long-term vision includes improving the existing pitches and pavilion, tackling issues such as dog fouling and anti-social use, before eventually securing funding for an all-weather synthetic pitch, floodlighting and a new community hub building.
The site in question are the 2 grass pitches (former gala site) next to John Street.
A previous application was submitted in 2024 but withdrawn after a number of issues were identified by the Council. Now being addressed in this new application. Notices have gone up in the park, though the posters incorrectly reference another club.
Blantyre Vics Youth FC also hopes to expand into girls’ football, walking football and wider community activities, with the aim of increasing participation in sport, improving health and wellbeing, and creating more volunteering opportunities for local people.
The application states the club has the volunteer experience and expertise to manage and maintain the facilities, with any future surplus income being reinvested into the pitches, changing facilities and additional community programmes.
The proposal will now be considered by South Lanarkshire Council as part of the Community Asset Transfer process.
What are your thoughts? Would you support Blantyre Vics Youth FC taking on the management of the Stonefield pitches? ⚽
