THE SCOTSMAN REVEALS

SRU signals end of the road for Murrayfield back-pitch picnics


By DAVID FERGUSON
THE annual ritual of car-boot picnics on the Murrayfield back pitches at home internationals are set to become a relic of days gone by at the national stadium, with the Scottish Rugby Union confirming that it is "very unlikely" parking will be allowed on the new training grounds currently being constructed behind the main stand.

The back pitches were ripped up last month to make way for a new tram line and create a flood prevention barrier for the Water of Leith. Though the recent wet weather has caused delays, the SRU stated that the project was still on track and new pitches would be in place by the end of the year, which should see leading players benefit from state-of-the-art training facilities courtesy of government funding.

As a result, there will be no parking on the back pitches during the forthcoming autumn internationals, and it appears that the international day tradition had its final curtain at this year's Calcutta Cup match.

Gordon McKie, the SRU chief executive, explained: "We are ten days behind schedule because of bad weather, but the ground has been excavated and contractors are now laying the infrastructure for three top-quality grass pitches and one 4G all-weather pitch.

"The latter will be ready, we hope, at the end of November, and the others will be turfed and semi-seeded by the end of November, after which we'll be able to use them for four to six hours a week for six months.

"The pitches will not be suitable for car parking during the RBS Six Nations Championship, and we'll be embarking on a communication plan to all our supporters, sponsors and others advising them as to alternative arrangements on match day. It's fair to say it's very unlikely that we'll allow car parking on the back pitches again, but discussions are underway with the local authority and licensing board to ensure local residents are not significantly upset.

"We have a coach park and we're in discussion with the police, relevant traffic authorities and the ice rink – all relevant stakeholders – to ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements."

The back pitches, which could hold 2,000 cars at capacity, have long been a key part of Murrayfield's attraction on match days, serving as a social meeting point and lunch venue with picnics served out of vehicle boots, and this change will disappoint supporters.

Murrayfield Stadium is surrounded by housing, narrow streets, a main road and railway line, and a public park of football pitches, which is not likely to be commandeered for new parking facilities on international match day. The adjacent coach park and ice rink car park may be used in future, but they can house only a fraction of the 2,000 figure.

The SRU has stressed that whatever alternative provision can be made, priority will go to the disabled.

Supporters – particularly those who live in Edinburgh – will be encouraged to make more use of public transport and that will be a central plank of the message in coming months. Reaching the ground should become easier when the new Edinburgh tramway opens in 2011, with a station sited at Murrayfield.

The SRU says there was little option but to accept the change as the alternative was for the back pitches and land around the stadium to be recognised as a flood plain, which would rule out any future development for rugby or commercial expansion.

From a playing perspective the SRU believe they have landed a 'win-win' scenario, with the current turmoil destined to provide greater benefits in the long-term. Training for a large number of national squads – from Under-17s to sevens, women's to Under-20s and the full international squad, as well as Edinburgh's squads and Murrayfield Wanderers teams – have been severely affected and will continue to be disrupted with the maximum six-hour weekly limit placed on each pitch until next summer.

Edinburgh have shifted their training to Merchiston Castle School's playing fields, and other venues around Edinburgh and the Borders, while Murrayfield Wanderers use Inverleith. Heriot-Watt's indoor facility is also likely to be requested more often, especially by the Scotland squad, in the future.

However, once complete, the new pitches will provide state-of-the-art surfaces, replacing the bumpy, rutted pitches of recent years that have often lain useless for months after being used as car parks. The advent of a 4G (fourth generation) pitch will also be a boon, as this surface allows full rugby training all-year-round.

The added bonus for the SRU is that the cost of the new pitches is being picked up by the City of Edinburgh Council in return for taking over a significant area of land.

McKie added: "There is obviously a lot of work needed for the schemes that are now underway, and we are coping with that, but we are confident that there will be significant benefits not only for rugby but for Edinburgh as a whole when these are completed."

This article was posted on 18-Sep-2008, 07:15 by Hugh Barrow.