Club reveals challenges and struggles

UPPER Annandale football club ‘might not’ make it to their 61st anniversary amid struggles to develop the Annanside pitches, according to club officials.

The club have shared their ongoing struggles since moving to the former school playing fields, from the required fencing, to awaiting council decisions relating to a community asset transfer of the site so they can start developing the area.

Giving more detail about their situation, a spokesperson for the club said: “Sadly and disappointingly, since moving to this location the club has encountered numerous challenges and difficulties - from challenges to the required fencing, to waiting tirelessly on council decisions to start developing the area. Just some of the factors that hold up any progression of the club.

“As we are not able to develop Annanside, we have no storage facilities on site and consequently pay hundreds of pounds monthly to have a portable toilet on site.

“Our players walk from our old changing facility at Hope Johnstone Park to the pitch, and back again at the end of matches.

“These are not the aspired for standards we have for our team. We still have dog excrement within the fenced off area and regular sightings of person/s still allowing their dogs within the pitch. Only last week we had to lift dog excrement of the pitch to keep it safe for the children using it weekly.”

The lack of facilities is also putting a strain on Uppers’ finances as they have to hire pitches from Mid Annandale Football Club for home games and training sessions, as well as facilities within Moffat Academy for their junior teams.

“This costs our club thousands of pounds per year. With no decent training facilities, senior players have to train in Lockerbie also in the winter,” they added. “Whilst we continue to be very grateful to Mid Annandale, we would obviously rather be in Moffat.

“As a club we are mostly self sufficient. For our youths, parents pay costs which we are proud that we try our best to keep the cheapest in Dumfries and Galloway and be as inclusive as we can for everyone.

“Our club is 60 years old next year. It breaks us to say that with an on-going barrage of obstacles in our way, we might not make 61. So we urge parents and townsfolk to remember this when our children and adults have no football to play.

“All we wish for is a home for our children and adults to play the game that our members all love and have a club as part of our local community we can all be proud of.

“Added to this, the business generated for the towns shops, cafes and restaurants in being able to host matches and invite teams to our beautiful town.”