ANGRY parents in Drumchapel have blasted council bosses for “unacceptable delays” in replacing a school football pitch.

Joanne Gallacher, vice-chairperson of the parent council at St Clare’s Primary, said: “We are in desperate need of a new pitch.

“It’s not all-weather, so any rain makes it unusable, and it floods easily.

“Last year, our sports day was cancelled on the morning of the event, because it had rained. Everyone was so disappointed, especially the kids who had practised so hard.”

Glasgow Times: Ruby Rose Conway, 7, and Connor Lawlor, 11 are among the pupils disappointed by the state of the pitchRuby Rose Conway, 7, and Connor Lawlor, 11 are among the pupils disappointed by the state of the pitch (Image: Mark Gibson/Newsquest)

She adds: “It is muddy in places, it’s bald in others, it has patched-up holes on it.

“We’ve been asking about this since I joined the school three years ago, and even long before that, as far back as 2017. The delays are unacceptable."

Joanne, whose eight-year-old son Jake is at the school, says the parents are “frustrated and fed up waiting.”

“We all understand budgets are tight, but there seems to be money for other things, and this should surely be a priority,” she added.

Glasgow Times: Joanne, right, and chairperson Nadine BoyleJoanne, right, and chairperson Nadine Boyle (Image: Mark Gibson/Newsquest)

“The council has a big focus on outdoor learning, and everyone knows it is good for kids to have fresh air and physical activity.

“Given that Drumchapel is an area of high deprivation, we need to be able to have use of the pitch to maximise the opportunities our young people have to access outdoor sports and football.

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“We have been told by the council they agree that the pitch isn’t fit for purpose and they have agreed that it needs replaced.

“We keep getting told ‘there’s no money’ but we’ve heard other schools with pitches not nearly as bad as ours have had theirs done.

"It’s not fair and the longer we wait, the worse it gets. We hope by highlighting our plight, someone somewhere will agree the children have waited long enough.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “A maintenance contract for school pitches is out for tender at the moment and we can reassure the parents that no pitch receives priority over others in the city.

“General maintenance is being carried out where necessary but with the current budget constraints, it is not possible to predict or give timescales on replacement pitches at this time.”