‘We want to lead from the front’ - Giffnock Soccer Centre secures funding to open major new community hub

Giffnock Soccer Centre has secured vital funding to enable the club to work towards the construction of two new 3G pitches at its recently opened GSC Auldhouse facility in Glasgow’s Southside.

Offering clubs and classes for all generations and all abilities, the club currently supports over 1,300 local people who get involved with football on a weekly basis.

Together with the help of various funders including Foundation Scotland, Social Enterprise Scotland, Sportscotland, The Scottish Football Partnership and a series of landfill funds, the full development of the site is on course to be completed by April 2023.

The state-of-the-art facilities will cost in excess of £1million and the club expects their members reach to increase with the opening of the pitches to complement the five existing grass parks and clubhouse.

Established by a small group of parents over 27 years ago thanks to the founders’ passion, determination and continued desire to give back to the area, Giffnock Soccer Centre has grown to become Scotland’s largest grassroots football club.

Previously crowned Scottish Football Association’s ‘Best Community Football Club’ the club has gone from strength to strength and the same families remain heavily involved and are now supported by a dedicated group of volunteers and freelance coaching staff.

Established as a registered charity, the team offer fully inclusive and accessible classes and groups for everyone in the area. All activities are specifically designed to support the physical and mental health needs for all local people.

This includes mini-kickers for age 3 upwards, a girls’ team, a boys team, women’s football, over 35s, an Additional Support Needs team and the recently added walking football for older adults.

The club has experienced a significant increase in demand for its activities post-Covid and have been on the lookout for opportunities to expand.

Committee member Fergus Reid said: “The pandemic was hugely challenging for us on a number of levels. The kids were obviously unable to play, so we were flexibile in terms of the subscriptions we would receive from members, which put a financial pressure on the club.

“But through prudent management and the continued support of our membership we were able to keep our plans on track.

“We have secured a 60-year lease and we want there to be a legacy for the community through football with this new initiative. We’re all very excited about it.

“The ethos of the club is ‘Football for all’. We live and breathe that and it’s about delivering the same level of experience for everyone irrespective of their background or ability level.

“Some community football clubs are only interested in the best or the most able kids, but we have an opposite view to that.

“I think grassroots frankly has been the poor relation of Scottish football for many years. If you look at participation levels, it should be the most influential part of the game.

“We’re lucky in that we’ve had the committee and volunteer support to get us to this stage and GSC Auldhouse is about taking the next step.

“It’s about community football leading from the front and not waiting to be helped by the senior game. The site we’re developing is terrific and we’re hugely appreciatve to all the funders for the support they’re giving us.

“We’re hoping to re-structure the whole club and will aim to have a football division and also establish a charitable foundation called the GSC Foundation.

“The driving force behind that will be to fill the facility with social inclusion work at all times in the pavilion and where required on the pitches, in a model similar to the one that Spartans use in Edinburgh.”

An investment of £250,000 from Foundation Scotland has enabled the organisation to extend its existing facilities into the nearby site at GSC Auldhouse - previously operated by Hutcheson’s Grammar School on Thornliebank Road.

Part of the funding is through a non-repayable grant, with the remainder through a loan.

Chris Holloway, Head of Social Investment at Foundation Scotland, said: “We’ve been working closely with the team at Giffnock Soccer Centre since 2019 and we’re thrilled that they have reached this exciting stage in their development.

“There is strong and growing demand for well-managed grassroots football activities in Glasgow and surrounding areas. The £250,000 investment from Foundation Scotland will enable GSC to increase its reach to many more local people of all ages and all abilities, supporting the physical and mental health need of the whole community at a time when it’s never been needed more.

“We will continue to support the team at Giffnock throughout the development of these important new facilities and can’t wait to come along to the first matches on the new pitches next year.”

Jim Docherty, chairman of Giffnock Soccer Centre, said: “The contribution of Foundation Scotland and our other funders will allow us to unlock the potential of our facility at GSC Auldhouse.

“The creation of a new charity the GSC Foundation will be the centrepiece of the site to deliver social inclusion support alongside the local area. We have exciting plans to make GSC Auldhouse a ‘home for all’ and this financial support makes all the difference.”

As part of the club’s fundraising efforts, a charity dinner will take place at Hampden Park on October 29, with former Scotland boss Craig Brown joining ex Old Firm stars Barry Ferguson and Simon Donnelly as guest speakers.

BBC Scotland presenter Rob MacLean will host the event alongside Vivienne MacLaren, chairman of the Scottish Women’s Football Association.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Details on how to purchase tickets can be found on the Giffnock Soccer Centre website HERE: http://giffnocksoccercentre.com/gsc-auldhouse-fundraising-dinner-2022/.