✊ Grassroots Football Under Threat Across Scotland

Local Pitch Prices Are Now Completely Unsustainable
We are speaking out not just for ourselves, but for grassroots football clubs across Scotland — at every level, in every community — who are being pushed to the brink by skyrocketing pitch hire costs.

We are Plains Amateur Football Club, a volunteer-run team in North Lanarkshire — but this issue is nationwide.

It's affecting:

Men’s and women’s amateur teams
Youth and development squads
Para and inclusive football programmes
Walking football, recreational,
Community mental health and wellbeing projects
Across the country, the cost of hiring council-run 11-a-side astroturf pitches during so-called “peak times” (Monday to Thursday evenings) has become completely unaffordable. In North Lanarkshire, for example, a two-hour slot now costs £280.

Add in regular training lets, and many grassroots clubs are now facing £800–£1000+ every month just for pitch hire — before even factoring in:

Referee and league fees
Transport and equipment
Kits and training gear
Volunteer time and fundraising
This is not sustainable — not for working-class communities, not for inclusive football programmes, not for anyone.

 
⚠️ Decisions Made by People Detached From Reality
These pricing decisions are being made by local authority directors and policy-makers who are completely disconnected from grassroots sport.

They’ve never run a team. They’ve never fundraised for kit. Yet they’re demanding premium payments for facilities that are often outdated, under-maintained, and neglected.

This isn’t just mismanagement — it’s a blatant disregard for community football.

 
⚽ This Is Bigger Than One Club
Grassroots football is not a luxury. It’s a lifeline — for young people, for mental health, for inclusion, and for building strong, united communities.

This campaign isn’t just about our club.
It’s about every team across Scotland — from Inverness to Ayr, from Edinburgh to the Islands.

Whether you're coaching kids, playing in an over-35s league, running a para football programme, or giving local women a chance to play — you are being priced out.

 
🤝 Join Us — Defend Scottish Grassroots Football
We will not stay silent — and we know we are not alone.

We’re calling on all Scottish clubs, coaches, players, volunteers, supporters, and the wider public to stand together.

Together, we can demand action from councils, governing bodies, and politicians before it’s too late.

 
🖊️ Sign this petition and say:

⚽ Stop pricing people out — football belongs to everyone

⚽ End unaffordable pitch fees across Scotland

⚽ Protect grassroots football before it’s gone.