Rob roy boss eyes stadium opening date

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy gaffer Stewart Maxwell has revealed that exciting news could soon be afoot regarding the club’s new stadium.
Rob Roy manager Stewart MaxwellRob Roy manager Stewart Maxwell
Rob Roy manager Stewart Maxwell

Rob Roy, who currently ground share at Cumbernauld, could within six months prepare to move into a floodlit arena, featuring astroturf park and 350-seater stand, on land behind the town’s Lairdsland Primary School.

“There could be big announcements to come in the next month or two,” Maxwell said. “That’s all I can say just now.

“They have tested the land and nothing has come up.

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“But that’s not to say when you dig in, you don’t find any contamination.

“Once they go under the ground and they start digging, if that goes OK, that might take four to six months.”

Stewart, who hopes Rob Roy will leave the junior ranks for a new tier six SPFL league within the pyramid structure next season, revealed the club’s stadium plan has been boosted by a significant investment by East Dunbartonshire Council.

“The council stood up and delivered by helping Rob Roy get over the line with this project,” Maxwell said.

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“They have made a massive contribution to the community as well.

“The council have taken a bit of criticism but I would like to publicly praise them.

“Thomas Glen and his team have been magnificent the last couple of months.

“From a land sale, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy are putting over a £1 million investment into this and basically becoming a community club.

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“Between Rob Roy and the council, we are making a massive investment into the community.

“I will look to drive this forward, bringing the youth football through, bringing the boys’ clubs through and, hopefully, we can become an epicentre for local talent again and drive the local talent through our club.”

With junior football being hit by another huge raft of postponements last weekend, many analysts have again been championing a switch to summer football for the clubs.

“First and foremost, I think there needs to be a change of strategy from the top,” Maxwell said. “A lot of teams are investing money into synthetic parks.

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“The winters now, with global warming, I think, are getting wetter and milder.

“I don’t think we’re getting adverse winters, as in a lot of sub-zero temperatures.

“I think we’re getting a lot of wet weather, so that’s probably the biggest issue now.

“We’ve probably seen the wettest February on record.

“It needs to be readdressed in some format but the issue of switching to summer football is difficult, because I’ve seen flash floods in summer as well.

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“I do think synthetic parks will make a difference to coverage over the season for consistency.

“I think we need to invest more money into the teams as well. I think the SFA needs to have a strategy to invest money into the pyramid system and how to finance the clubs a bit better.

“Maybe a ground care package? Or get into partnership with a turf care business and get them to go round, drain all the grass parks and try and help them, while giving the teams a discount.”

Rob Roy are away to Cumnock in the league this Saturday. Rivals Rossvale – whose scheduled trip to Rutherglen Glencairn last Saturday was postponed – are at home to Clydebank, KOs 2pm.