|
|
I want to draw your attention to the serious issue at schools in Scotland where kids have to pay money to take part in Sport. This issue was first raised by parents of pupils at Portobello High School, but it has now spread to other schools in the Lothian Regions, according to the following replies. Your comments will be welcomes, too! From Ian Mackay.
I was told by parents of the current situation at high schools in Edinburgh where pupils have to actually pay to be able to take part in football! This quite incredible news centres around Portobello High School, where the second year team has been withdrawn from the Edinburgh Secondary Schools League and the Scottish Shield this season because the players have not paid the requested sum of £45 each to represent the school. According to the information I was given by a group of parents, they (parents) offered to organise fund-raisers to pay the money requested at a state run school in east Edinburgh!!! But that was turned down, apparently! Last season, the Portobello first-year team won the league and their only defeat was in the Scottish Shield. This team were never presented with the League Shield by officials in Edinburgh Secondary Schools FA. It gets worse, however! The two sixth year pupils who ran the team for Portobello High School actually paid for medals for the players in the league winning squad - out of their own pockets! Another parent told me he has paid £30 for his son to play for Craigmount High School. The leader of Edinburgh City Council and the Lord Provost want ermine robes to wear to separate themselves from the common people. The Lord Provost and his wife are going to India on a trip that is costing more than £6000. And our young people are having to pay to represent their schools at football. Our politicians give out millions of pounds of public money to the worst football association in the world - the aptly named SFA - and none of that cash is given to schools or community-based clubs. The SFA took over the under-16 schools squad from the Scottish Schools FA to play in the Victory Shield each year and the players in this squad do not play in schools football. These elite players are nominated by professional club coaches. These players do not pay to represent their schools as they are among the so-called elite in this third world football country of Scotland. I have never heard of school pupils having to pay to represent schools at football in my entire life. What for? Where does the money go? Who gets it? What an appalling, bloody country this is? Is it not? I was in Bathgate for a tremendous under-14 youth cup tie and also one of the best local derby amateur games I could ever wish for when Balbairdie Vale lost 4-2 on penatlies to Armadale in a Logan Cup tie. Leith Athletic under-14s beat Bathgate Rose at Meadow Park and the pitch was, to put it mildy, very poorly maintained, if at all. The pitch used by the amateurs at Bathgate Sports Centre was even worse. Where is all the money going that policians and paid officials give away to their cronies in the SFA and their favoured, elitist rugby/football clubs in Edinburgh and other places? In the name of God, why are school pupils having to fork out money to take part in football at schools. Are we all going mad? Is football all about money, money, money. Taking money off bairns is the most repulsive form of exploitation I know of and it is happening here in the Capital city of Scotland. Trams, ermine robes, visits to India for whom and for what? When I listened to these parents tell me about this scandalous state of affairs, I almost puked when I thought about the endless spouting from politicians and their lackies about obesity and other problems relating to young people. Stick your ermine robes, I say. Stay in India if they will have you! End the expenditure on the tram system no one wants, other than the lunatics who thought it up and the destruction of this lovely city of Edinburgh. Spend the money on young people for a change. Our future! Scotland's future! Our young people are now being shamed by teachers, politicians, paid officials, the SFA and the professional football clubs.
Replies:
I would like to highlight one part which is not quite correct, yes, we as a group of parents where talking amongst ourselves regarding fundraising, but we never approached the school as the team was disbanded before we had the chance. I have contacted councillor Mareen Child who suggests I have no complaint and should just be happy with the school overall, no surprise there! A Portobello father.
I can confirm as true the withdrawal of the 2nd year team as my son attends Portobello High School. A Portobello mother.
A teacher commented: "In all my years as a teacher, I have never heard of anything like this!"
I totally agree with your website comments about paying for school football teams. My son is at Portobello HS and they have to pay £45 per session, supposedly for referees, kit (which is about 3 or 4 years old anyway!), transport to away games (which is done in parents own vehicles!) and the training sessions which don't actually exist anyway because most of the team train during the week with their club sides. Portobello u16s have now disbanded after it was claimed Duddingston playing fields was not a safe environment to play in! I just hope everyone who paid the £45 gets it refunded! A Portobello parent!
I agree this is totally deplorable and, thankfully, there is someone like you to take up the cause of school football. Many years ago school teams had several squads at each age group, now that has dwindled to one if you are lucky. School football teaches team spirit, playing with friends from school and reaches into the very heart of the school community. And now we see schools attempting to extort (cause I can’t think of a better word) money out of hard-pressed families to play football. It is diabolical. We are becoming a generation of couch potatoes and our children need exercise – football provides this. A parent from another school.
Thank you for highlighting the situation at Portobello High School. This team is one the school should be proud of, not told they cannot represent the school unless they pay £45. I would also like to thank the two pupils who gave up their time and effort not only to be there on Saturdays but also to take training on a Tuesday lunch-time! Well done, and thank you! I will finish with the School sentiment that this team was a victim of its own success in that, because they were so successful last season, the school could not continue to subsidise them. Portobello father!
The situation you describe at Portobello HS where second year pupils are obligated to pay money before they can represent their school is replicated at St Thomas' and has been recurring for several years. It would not surprise me to learn the practice is widespread throughout Edinburgh. I was given to understand our comprehensive education system was founded on the principles of inclusion and opportunity for all. Am I to understand that children from poorer backgrounds are to be excluded because they can't pay? Is it right that the opportunity for boys to play football is to be denied on the grounds of budgeting? I was incredulous when I first heard of a sports levy at St Thomas', however, having since experienced something more of how sport is organised there - and I use the term loosely - nothing would now surprise me. If it were not for the parents and sixth year pupils' giving up of their time voluntarily, there would be next to no school football there at all. Trust me, the sports levy is among the least of the issues. A St Thomas' Dad |
|
|
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Older>> |
The Draw for the 5th Round of the Colville Park Country Club West of Scotland Amateur Cup was made at the West District Executive Committee on Monday 5th January. The ties were due to be playe...
|
CHALLENGE MATCH QUEENS PARK F.C. v AYRSHIRE A.F.A. SELECT LESSER HAMPDEN PARK MONDAY 22ND DECEMBER 2008 &...
|
The 5th round draws for the Foster's Scottish Amateur Cup and the Foster's Scottish Amateur Sunday Trophy will be made on Wednesday, 17 December at 6.45 pm in the Alona Hotel, Strathclyde Park, Mother...
|
As you may be aware the Grassroots Awards will take place on Thursday 12th February 2009. Please find below a link to the Scottish FA Grassroots Awards page at Football Central were you...
|
Challenge Match. Queens Park FC 1. SAFA Select 3. Monday 1st December, 2008 @ Lesser Hampden , Glasgow. Goals :- Kevin McGurk [41st, pen]. Craig Johnston [43rd...
|
John Smiths Brewers Inter-League Trophy : Ayrshire A.F.A. v Fosters Central Scottish A.F.L. The Ayrshire A.F.A. and the Fosters Central Scottish A.F.L. will be playing in the John Smiths Brewe...
|
SAFA POOL For get together at Colville Park On Sunday 30th November, 2008 at 11.00 am AIan Brown Kennoway AFC James Mulv...
|
The 4th Round Draw for the Foster’s Scottish Amateur Sunday Trophy will take place on Wednesday 26th November at 7pm in the Press Room of Motherwell FC, Fir Park Stadium. The draw will be mad...
|
The Council of the SAFA at their meeting on Friday 14th November 2008 having fully considered various postings recently submitted to the forum decided that the forum be suspended as the content of t...
|
As the SAFA has received a substantial amount of emails from users protesting over the closure of the SAFA Amateur Football Forum, a request has been made to the SAFA Executive for a temporary stay...
|
| | Top | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
![[Valid RSS]](/safa/ad-graphics/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
