Perth’s Jeanfield Swifts hope to become “more than just a football club”.
At a well-attended meeting at the club’s Riverside Stadium, committee members outlined the skeleton a plan for the future.
It calls on local people to come forward and tell the club of North Muirton’s requirements and provide the expertise the club needs to make it happen.
Residents could eventually be asked to take direct ownership of the project through a community asset transfer that could allow the community to own and develop the club’s Riverside home.
The Perth club is one of three to have been selected for the Big Lottery Fund Developing Community Clubs pilot project, which they will undertake with the SFA.
The success of clubs like Spartans and Bonnyrigg Rose, as well as the likes Links Community Trust, which is part of Montrose FC, in cementing themselves at the hearts of their communities has shown Jeanfield how the community club system can work.
In the long term, the intention is to introduce new facilities and pitches at the Riverside Stadium and provide local resources, whether a meeting place, events venue or local shops. Affordable housing could be built.
Club coach Steve Antonovich said: “The key question we need to ask is what needs does our community have?
“There are an above average number of children who don’t regularly attend school and employment here is not what it could be. Health and mental wellbeing are also an issue, as are drugs and alcohol and access to activities.
“As a very visible part of the community we could be at the forefront of helping to address some of these problems and meet some of these needs.”
The SNP’s Perth City Centre Councillor, Eric Drysdale, was among those at this week’s meeting.
He said: “It was great to see such a good turnout for the meeting as it shows that there is a strong level of interest within the North Muirton community in what the future could potentially look like at Riverside.
“I was struck by the passion and the commitment of the existing office bearers to pull out all the stops to deliver the kind of facilities that the local community wants to see and was impressed that they are prepared to consult widely and meaningfully with local residents in order to ensure that the wishes of young and old alike will all be genuinely taken into account in helping to decide what future developments ought to be progressed, whether sporting related or through other activities and groups.
“As a councillor for the area, with a long personal association with football, I am more than happy to also put my shoulder to the wheel to help turn dreams into a reality.”
Anyone interested in sharing views on what the North Muirton community needs or passing on their expertise as a volunteer can contact the club through the webpage jeanfieldswifts.co.uk
