HibeeJibee Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 I see there is a feature article on the Scottish Football Partnership website about New Hawthorn Park, Duns - which will be opening in 10 days time (Monday 28th July) with a friendly against a Manchester City XI. http://www.thescottishfootballpartnership.com/duns-f-c-award/ Interesting stuff. There are few clubs who ever set about building a new stadium from scratch, so huge credit must go to the club for what they have achieved. It's even more impressive when you consider that only 3 years ago they were still in the Border Amateurs using a playing field in the village of Gavinton. There's a load of content in their website - I'll put a few of the photos below - and it seems an impressive facility. Spectators are accomodated on the north side (2 levels of terracing) and east end, the two sections being linked by a small elevated boardwalk on the north-east corner. It seems to be hardstanding throughout, and wheelchair accessible. Space and a foundation pad has been left in the middle chunk of the north side to accomodate a covered terrace or stand. Behind the east end are portacabins presumably to accomodate facilities for spectators - and south of this sits the old high school games hall which the club has acquired and which contains the changing rooms. In the south-east corner is a dedicated wheelchair area. Behind the southern side of the football ground is the old gym hall (now home to Duns Rfc, whose new floodlit pitch is behind the west end) and swimming pool. All together a very impressive facility that will no doubt become more impressive in time. Hopefully the locals turnout in numbers to welcome it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 West goal and north side - from behind the east goal: West goal and south side - from the north-east corner (boardwalk): South side, pre-fence: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 West goal from the north side: North side: North side, looking towards the north-east corner (boardwalk) - note space for stand: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 East goal: Changing room: How it looked when work began: Photos found at - http://www.dunsfc.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandleaguer Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Wow looks superb huge well done to the Duns guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surely not! Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Looks a great facility and credit to the club. As a matter of interest, and I suppose as a way of showing others how it could be done, anyone got any idea of the cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 According to the local paper they got the 40yr lease on the land - which was the site of the old high school hockey field and tennis courts - for "a nominal sum". No doubt that was a big help. Old games hall and cabins will become their own property under a Community Asset Transfer. Going by their website they got various grants. Some examples: from the Scottish Borders Council Community Fund and the Scottish Football Partnership towards the permiter fence; from the Lammermuir Community Fund, which is windfarm money?, also toward that; from the People Postcode Lottery for ground fittings (goalposts); £1000 from local organisation BAVS towards the ground works; £2000 grant from "Sport Ed", also toward that. They even received something from a legacy in a local man's will. According to the local paper if I'm reading it right, they got £15,000 from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund (edit: according to BWCF's website 2 grants of £5,000 + £15,000). They were also drumming-up support for an RBS CommunityForce award. Maybe some the aforementioned's double-counted but you get the idea. It's the old example, try hard enough and there's always help available somewhere. However, don't be under any impression that it was all grants and so on. They'll have put a lot of their own resources into it, the time (and toil) of their committee and friends, and got favours from local businesses. Seems like they have a lot of sponsorboards in the new park too. They also run a weekly lottery - and have done a couple of big fundraising evenings in the town. Their ultimate ambition is to reach the Lowland League; and, maybe more than anything else, get into the Scottish Cup. This should take them a lot of the way towards realising those dreams. It's also great for Duns to have a proper football ground again. (As a total aside... I did a search for "Duns Football Club" and "funding" or "grants" or suchlike to see what came up. I find it slightly comical that the minutes of Abbey St Bathans Bonkyl & Preston Community Council from last June note their objection to a funding request - it doesn't say whom to - for £11,700 towards the fencing. Their objections were about the size of the amount which may or may not be fair enough: but also since it could create an area "where bullying and potentially worse could take place - and that public spaces were not designed to be fenced" . Bless 'em). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neidpath Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Duns are an ambitious and forward thinking club. Well done to Mr Pike and the committee. Good club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surely not! Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Cheers HJ. Dinnae tell the sfa about that fence thing though- Kenny mcaskill will have to stop the cash back funding for teams if it's providing somewhere for criminal acts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandleaguer Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Goin down to the game the night lookin forward to seein the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old speckled hen Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I have seen the pictures on their website and it looks really good filled with people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
left half Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Ground looks fantastic , wonderful job done in such a short time. Congratulations to all involved . I notice a number of clubs have surrounded their grounds with this type of wooden fencing, Anyone an idea of life span and porential capital investment that may be required to replace them when the time comes ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 I have seen the pictures on their website and it looks really good filled with people I think one of the best things about it is that it feels like a "proper" football ground, because it is fully enclosed and has the banking and railings. That's not a criticism of some of the open parks and new 3G facilities - they have different purposes and different needs - but they don't create the same feeling. Apparently Monday's crowd was an impressive 506. With another 'glamour tie' v Berwick next Tue, then a derby v Eyemouth the following Wed, hopefully more locals get hooked into becoming regulars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
left half Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Looks great in the sunshine with a decent crowd. Lets hope the people of Duns get behind the club and give it the support it has earned . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.