A stick in the spokes for Scotland's cyclists
Scotland isn't serious about sport. Not if the shocking state of our few cycling Velodromes is anything to go by.
Despite having the finest track cycling star on the planet, , our dire cycling resources should embarrass us all.
Scottish politicians should wear balaclavas to their next sporting photo opportunity after their shameless attempts to share credit for .
If you doubt my words take a trip to the dump that is the . It is dilapidated, tumbledown and overgrown.
I went to a track meeting there on Sunday with kids from all over the UK competing, it is the home of Scottish cycling and it is a disgrace.
Ramshackle stands, tired changing facilities and grass untroubled by a lawnmower. The wooden track is down at heel, faded and worn like garden furniture left to winter for years on end, without ever having a loving coat of varnish applied.
Although floodlights exist, they apparently throw off as much illumination as a couple of forty watt bulbs, effectively barring year-round evening cycling.
And Meadowbank is not alone. At Dundee's Caird Park on Saturday I saw a tired tarmac track, crying out for a visit from the Boys from the Black Stuff.
The surface is bumpy and uneven, with an old hedge the only protection from the elements, and from stray footballs, which can cause carnage to speeding cyclists.
It too is uncovered and lacks floodlights, so up and coming track riders are limited to the summer months for decent training, while their English counterparts have all year round facilities. Oh and of course "The Cooncil" closes it at 4pm on a Friday, just when kids are bursting to burn off a week's energy from being cooped up in school.
Glasgow's Bellahouston track is one I have not visited, but those who live in the Lycra tell me that because it is an open track that the public can wander over, they encounter numerous problems while trying to hold track sessions.
Scottish cycling coaches are doing great work and are bursting a gut to produce the successor to Hoy, but if the world's greatest track cyclist had relied on his home town track in Edinburgh in recent years, then achieving his amazing medal haul at last year's Olympics would surely have proved impossible.
Hoy, trained at the . It is a sparkling arena where the facilities are top class, and crucially, in a sport where a shower of rain can see a whole day's event or training abandoned for safety reasons, it is covered.
With the scheduled for 2014, the new Glasgow Velodrome will be up and running by 2011. That's another three years lost to up and coming Scottish track cyclists, who have to travel to Manchester or Newport in Wales for indoor facilities in order to compete on a level playing field with English riders.
If we were serious about sport we would replace the mess at Meadowbank with a new indoor facility and we would fast track the Glasgow Velodrome. For good measure we could build a new track from scratch in the Highlands or North East of the country, to capitalise on a potential boom provided by Hoy's achievements.
Money is tight and there are tough choices to be made, so there are some we should not shirk from making. Cash could be diverted from the , which appears to be incapable of any objective measurement of success.
That should free up many millions of pounds for new cycling facilities. We could then incorporate track cycling into our schools PE programme ensuring a future generation of fit kids and potential world champions.
And we should tell those who advocate paying smokers to stop smoking to get on their bikes. We would be better off paying kids to get in the saddle instead of throwing scarce resources at those who have made their life choices.
We need to hook the next generation on a healthy lifestyle, rather than waste time and energy on those already hooked on unhealthy pursuits.
We talk glibly about our desire for world class facilities in Scotland; it's about time we had the vision and determination to make them happen.
They pay me to watch football and talk football. That’s some people's idea of Christmas every day. I can't deny it's mine too. I view the football world through a different lens from some journalists, because I live and work in Dundee. The Old Firm are interesting, but so was my breakfast this morning. There is a whole lot more on the Scottish football menu than the big two. From the SPL to the juniors, the game offers lots of dishes, and they all get my taste buds going.
Comment number 1.
At 2nd Jun 2009, CTP wrote:right on, jim.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 3rd Jun 2009, florasdad wrote:Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 3rd Jun 2009, fiftyone15 wrote:To add to above - there was 70+ kids racing at Dundee on Saturday and 70+ at Meadowbank on Sunday. If it had rained there would have been no racing. Scotlands youth cyclists would have missed a vital opportunity to race against the best in the UK. Introduction days to the track are bursting at the seams with kids only to turned away because of a bit of rain. I have seen first hand that wee fat kid become a champ!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 3rd Jun 2009, LondonRory wrote:I live in London, and we have one velodrome here, at Herne Hill. The place itself is also an uncovered velodrome, where the main event of the year (the good friday meet) is often rained off by the inclement weather.
The facilitiy is also constantly battling to stay open, with complaints from neighbours, and funding worries, with similarly crumbling grand stands, despite a clear increase in users. Its a fantastic venue, with fantastic support from the local team running it (www.vcl.org.uk) but sounds like its in a similar place to scotish cycling.
Anyone wanting the luxury of a "proper" indoor facility would similarly have to take the tramp up to Manchester or Newport, (2 1/2 hours from london, 3 1/2 hours from edinburgh).
I think the headline shouldnt be "A stick in the spokes for Scotland's cyclists" but for all british cyclists.
Incidentally, London has had cycle tracks closed down a few years in advance of the building of the Olympic venue we will be getting in 2012. I for one, cannot wait to see that and the Chris Hoy velodrome in action! Come on Team GB!!!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 4th Jun 2009, jimorraa wrote:"Cash could be diverted from the methadone programme, which appears to be incapable of any objective measurement of success."
Stick to sports Jim, not politics. The methodone project is designed to stop drug addicts from supplying the vile drugs trade, often with the proceeds of criminal acts such as breaking into houses. You think we can just stop the methadone supply with no consequences?
Why not advocate stopping the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons programme (which would make the world safer and free up much more resources)? It's too political that's why, so best not to even make these suggestions.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)
Comment number 6.
At 5th Jun 2009, CalyMac wrote:It's typical of politicians of all colours to try and get credit (and expenses) out of other peoples hard work. But the underlying truth that there has been for many years underfunding in the sports which aren't football! Even rugby has been provided with a large amount of funds but hasn't transformed that into consistent success.
As pointed out in the blog covering the velodrome in Edinburgh is only worthwhile if the rest of the facilities are improved as well to attract the audience and the youngsters to the location. Who wants to train in a dump?
A good example of this is the climbing centre at Ratho. Great facilities and arena for climbing which could even be extended for other outdoor pursuits (where's the nearest white water training facility which isn't dependant on the rain?).
Apologies for the rant over under funding. It's over now but the politicians need to put the funding in place for these things for us to be world champions who can train at home, not travelling around for decent locations.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 6)
Comment number 7.
At 7th Jun 2009, ancientscrunty wrote:A good article - if you want to follow up on the Olympic success then get kids involved. Young kids who know no fear love the velodrome at Manchester. Surely it isn't too much to aim for a covered velodrome in every town with 200,000+ inhabitants. Get the kids on there, they'll absolutely love it. You're right about the poor facilities in Scotland, dead right, but take away Manchester and there isn't much at all in the rest of the UK either. There should be at least 15 covered tracks in the country so we can naturally build on last year's success.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 7)
Comment number 8.
At 12th Jun 2009, rupe1969 wrote:i think you talk a lot of sense but it's not just scotland where the velodromes are few and far between, we need more and for them all to be covered.
it is also an ideal sport for all school children to do even if they never take the sport up competively
Complain about this comment (Comment number 8)
Comment number 9.
At 15th Jun 2009, wallzee16 wrote:Attended the City of Edinburgh Cycling Grand Prix at the weekend held at Scotland's premier Velodrome! Your right Jim - it's an absolute disgrace!
With top competitors from Holland, Ireland, England and Scotland competing, I was embarrassed for them. Stuck in wasteland in a far corner of the Meadowbank Sports Complex hidden by overgrown weeds and accessed only by a single track you are welcomed by this dilapidated, graffitied eyesore. The stinking men's toilets which double up as changing rooms are a health hazard and talking about hazard's, you take your life in your own hands when climbing the scaffoled supported stairs to the main grandstand. I really hate to think what these international cyclists thought about Scotland's top venue. And then there's the rain!!! I take my hat off to these cyclists, coaches volunteers etc. for their fantastic work and effort with so little resources.
So come on Mr Brown, Mr Salmond, Sporting Ministers and so on...invest in Scottish Cycling (and other minority sports) and give these talented people the facilities they deserve. I know an indoor Velodrome is to be constructed in Glasgow soon, but what about a new one in Edinburgh and even one in Dundee as I noticed a large contingent of talented kids from Dundee's Discovery Junior Cycling Club.
One thing I did notice Jim, Edinburgh City Council cut the grass for you!!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 9)
Comment number 10.
At 15th Jun 2009, hackerjack wrote:Can the UK really justify more than one or two real top class velodromes? Especially when plenty of outher sports have no top facilities at all.
If it can not then why should Scotland get one just because it isnt part of England where the current facilities are?
Believe me I have great sympathy for the cyclists, my chose sport (target shooting) has only one decent facility in the UK (in surrey) with next to no hope of ever gettign another as the London bid seemed fit to not bother spending a single penny on improving the current facilities or building a new one. so I feel the same pain, but we live in a worl where reality has to play a part, there will be no more money for nothing funding of sporting venues that will be criminally underutilised because the money is simply not there. Frankly Salmond, Brown and every other politicians have far more important things to worry about.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 10)