Fans are encouraged to get on their bikes

Motherwell FC Community Trust is using grant money it received from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund to construct a cycle park.

The park will be located next to the reading garden, behind the disabled supporters’ section of the Phil O’Donnell stand, with space for 30 bikes and be secured and guarded during games.

Trust business manager Alison Wallace said: “As part of the charity’s work we want to engage our community to think about health and wellbeing.

“As part of that we do out to talk to school children, but health is important for all ages so we would like to encourage fans to start cycling to games at Fir Park and to that end we believe we are constructing the first cycle park at a football ground in the country.

“Some of the newer build stadiums may have a rack to chain your bike to, but we believe we are the first to have a dedicated and secure facility, we don’t want people to come out of the ground at 4.45pm and find their bikes are missing.”

The cycle park will contain three ports designed to look like cars to show how ten bikes can fit into the space of one car.

Cycling and walking account for 47 per cent of all trips in The Netherlands and football fans often cycle to games.

Thijs Slegers of PSV Eindhoven said: “We have an secured bike parking for many years and it’s well used with tens of bikes every game.”

The bike park is currently under construction and is due to be open in time for the visit of Hearts this weekend.

Alison said: “We don’t expect dozens of people to arrive on their bikes right away, but hopefully over time usage will increase.

“We all know how difficult it is to get parked around Fir Park on match days so for some fans perhaps cycling will be an option to enable them to avoid the issue of trying to find somewhere to leave the car by just leaving it at home.”