A councillor in Inverness has called on the local authority to grant a reprieve to the city’s closure-threatened junior football club as it desperately hunts for a new pitch.
Donnie Kerr said that the North Superleague team should be given an extension to its five-year lease of a pitch at the Bught playing fields, instead of being evicted next year.
The Inverness Central councillor also called for the council to draw up a regional sports strategy – and criticised the proposed velodrome project in Inverness as only benefiting “middle-aged men in Lycra”.
Mr Kerr was speaking after councillors were given a briefing yesterday on the plight of Inverness City FC.
The Press and Journal revealed in February that the team could be forced to disband next year because they will have nowhere to host their home games after its lease with the council comes to an end.
Mr Kerr was disappointed with yesterday’s discussion, and said: “Personally I think Inverness City should remain where they are. They pay their rent, I don’t see what the problem is.
“I asked if we cancelled the lease because someone else needed the pitch, but they said ‘no’.
“I can see no problem with giving a continuation of the lease until they find somewhere else.
“I feel sorry for the club, they are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. I think it’s fantastic what they have done as a club.
“I did suggest a working group be set up for this, but they didn’t seem keen on that. Of course it should be discussed at committee, there was hardly anyone at the briefing.”
Highland Council has previously proposed building a world-leading sports facility at Bught Park, including a velodrome and space for athletics, gymnastics, tennis and judo.
But Mr Kerr accused the authority of raising people’s hopes over the scheme, and called for an over-arching strategy to be produced.
He added: “Rather than ploughing millions on a thing for middle-aged men in Lycra, we could be spending the money on something better.”