South Lanarkshire Council rejects transfer sale of Jock Stein Centre and £150,000 SFA fund

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Councillors this week rejected Blantyre Soccer Academy's appeal bid to takeover the Jock Stein Centre in Hamilton.The decision was made at a meeting of the Community Asset Transfer Panel on Wednesday afternoon, and saw politicians knock back the idea of the Academy purchasing the popular sports facility for community ownership for a second time.The move has been welcomed by those who currently use the facility, and who backed a petition to stop the sale, with many locals and Lanarkshire football teams believing the Academy would "prioritise their own teams" when it came to let bookings.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android However, politicians who backed the asset transfer, believing BSA would only enhance and develop the facility, were left bewildered that the council also knocked back a partnership bid worth £150,000 from the Scottish Football Association to improve the Jock Stein "for the good of the community" earlier this month.Backed by the Academy, the partnership between the two bodies was successful, and the amount granted by the SFA on March 7 was to be accepted formally by March 11.However, the bid was declined, with BSA learning about the council's failure to accept the cash in a letter a few days later.