Football club attended by Barcelona legend says pitch costs have 'easily doubled'
An amateur football club says pitch increases are forcing them to scale back on helping youngsters.
David O'Neil, who runs Fernhill Soccer School, has said that the cost of using Fernhill Community Centre – owned by South Lanarkshire Council – has completely shot up in recent years.
(Image: Davy O'Neil, founder of Fernhill Soccer School pictured at the pitches at Fernhill Community Centre,) The 64-year-old, who is also the chairman of the club, added: 'The facility and staff at the community centre are incredible, but the cost of kids' football has gone up and up. It has easily doubled over the last few years.
'We're now in a position where we have to use all our money just to rent the pitch."
It means the club is no longer able to split their money between rent and providing players with things they need for free.
The club make sure that every player gets a free strip when they join and provides shin guards, Astroturf boots, waterproofs and gloves so that no kid or parent is out of pocket.
They also provide the kids with a roll, fruit and a biscuit, host free Halloween and Christmas parties every year and purchase medals and trophies which are handed out to the hardest workers each month.
David said: 'The basic thing for us when setting up the club was to give children a place to play football for free.
'I just want to keep doing what we do to help the kids. We don't want to cut back on helping them, we want to keep boosting morale.
'If a boy turns up and we can tell he has no money, we get him a new pair of boots and say he's won a prize, that's how we go about it.'
(Image: Picture credit: Colin Mearns, Newsquest.) The club was set up around 14 years ago after a high volume of gang activity in Fernhill.
David explained: 'In the 70s and 80s when I was younger, Fernhill was a bad place.
'There was a lot of rivalry between Castlemilk and Fernhill. Years ago, people from Fernhill wouldn't be able to walk into Castlemilk. There would be a lot of trouble if people mixed with one another.'
(Image: Picture credit: Colin Mearns, Newsquest.) Having gotten involved in gang culture himself when he was younger, David decided to set up the club to get boys and girls mixing from different areas, with the hopes of reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as getting kids off the street.
He continued: 'I wanted to mix kids at a young age and in my opinion, it has worked.
'We've kept kids from different areas mixed and the rivalry that once was so strong feels a lot better nowadays.'
The club has proudly integrated youngsters from areas including Castlemilk, Cathkin, Rutherglen, Blantyre and Calton, and has produced popular ballers like Callan McKenna (AFC Bournemouth) and Steve Archibald (Barcelona, Tottenham).
(Image: Callan McKenna. Image: SNS.)
(Image: Image of Steve Archibald)The club have survived over the last decade by relying on funding and the kindness of people and businesses in the local community.
'We rely on funding and anyone that can help us out,' David said.
He added: 'Locals give us money sometimes which is really helpful.'
(Image: Picture credit: Colin Mearns, Newsquest) Companies like Warburtons have provided the club with free rolls in the past and trusts have previously donated thousands of pounds.
'Without that, we would have struggled a lot last year, I think,' Davey said.
The club have set up a Crowdfunder to help with running costs. If you wish to donate, click HERE
(Image: Picture credit: Colin Mearns, Newsquest.) A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture said: 'Due to funding pressures, it was previously agreed that concessions applied to Under 16s Clubs for our pitch bookings should drop from 75% to a 50% discount of the adult rate, phased over a three-year period, moving prices to around the average around Scotland.
"That means the concession now enjoyed by Under 16s clubs from April 2025 is a 50% discount from the adult rate.'
Fernhill Soccer School is for kids aged between three and 16.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/groups/133486484119268/
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