Mike Mulraney has demanded that local authorities act to ensure they aren’t ‘pricing boys and girls out of our national game’, with the Scottish FA president saying that the spiralling costs to hire pitches across the country are ‘unacceptable’.
Mulraney hosted senior representatives from COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) at Hampden on Thursday where he pressed home the need to ensure that football remains affordable and accessible for all.
The former Alloa Athletic chairman has made the improvement and proliferation of accessible football facilities the mission of the game’s governing body during his presidency, and he is determined to find a solution to the problem of rising pitch hire costs.
“Stories like the one outlined by Plains Amateur FC are becoming all-too-commonplace in local authorities across Scotland,” Mulraney told Herald Sport.
"It is unacceptable and is the reason I made improving facilities, and access to them, the number one priority for the association.
“Through our campaign, Pitching In, we have already raised £13.6m of our £50m target in the first six months of it going live - including Scottish FA profits and DCMS funding. That money will be invested in upgrading facilities in poor condition, laying pitches where the need is greatest, and ensuring changing rooms are welcoming and accessible to all, including girls, women and para footballers.
“In that regard, following my comments at the start of the year on the subject, only [on Thursday] we held a frank, open and constructive meeting with senior officers from COSLA in my office.
“My intention is to break this cycle and work innovatively - and quickly - to address the issue of people being priced out of the public football estate.”
