Warning grassroots football teams across Glasgow are disappearing

Grassroots teams across Glasgow are folding at an alarming rate because of the soaring cost attached to hiring out pitches, according to players and coaches.

It's being blamed on the rising cost of hiring somewhere to train, buying new strips, buying footballs and finding a sponsor.

Former manager and head coach of Parkhall Amateurs in Clydebank, Scott Craig, told Clyde 1: "We trained one night a week and we were paying £1,200 for a 20 week let.

"If we were playing at home on a 4G pitch then that would be about £120 for the let and that is before the cost of a referee, hospitality fees and washing strips.

"It was tough without the local sponsorships - that's a good way of raising funds."

Last year, Glasgow Deaf Athletics Club took the decision to stop playing 11 aside games because too few players were turning up for training.

It resulted in the club struggling to pay for pitches to train on.

Steven Cafferty said: "We had to have a minimum of 15 players turning up for training or matchdays to breakeven or cover the costs.

"Often some of the committee members had to pay the deficit out of their own pocket.

"The younger boys maybe weren't aware of the bus passes or the rail discount to allow them to travel across the city.

"But it could just have been laziness."

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