After some years of accumulating funds from various sources and with the gratefully accepted assistance of The Glasgow Academy School, the Glasgow Academicals' Sports Club, the Cricket Scotland Development Trust, a couple of major past member benefactors and also, hopefully, the Lords' taverners Fund your committee is delighted to announce that work has now begun on the renewal of the 4-bay artificial net practice area plus the two artificial match pitches, all of which are sited at the Club ground at New Anniesland.
The original facilities were installed with the assistance of the Lottery Fund and benefactors way back in the mid-1990's and for some time have been in need of major overhaul with safety aspects uppermost in mind. The artificial practice nets will be on the existing site but turned through 90 degrees in order to avoid the evening sunlight shining in the eyes of the bowlers. This should reduce any safety concerns currently existing. The two new match pitches will be on their existing sites without any change of angle.
The contract has been awarded to ClubTurf Ltd whose specifications show a significant upgrade over the existing installations. With the current spell of dry weather it has been able to bring forward the work and it is hoped that the new facilities will have bedded in in time for the start of the new season which is rapidly approaching.
Your committee is confident that the new facilities will provide once again the best possible practice and match areas in the whole of the west of Scotland and it is now up to the members to make full use of them. The pupils of the Glasgow Academy School will also benefit hugely from the facilities and it is intended also to provide two grass pitch practice areas adjacent to the practice nets in due course.
Finally two new heavy-duty mobile net cages are being acquired for use either on the square or on the match pitches providing additional areas for practice.
All we need now is a decent summer and enough seniors and young players coming through the ranks to show that we can field four regular Saturday League teams and be "the club to fear" in the future! Your committee has done its bit - now it's up to you.