GLENIFFER THISTLE NETS £2,500 CASH BOOST FROM GLASGOW AIRPORT

A local football club whose dreams of glory were dashed by vandals has netted a cash boost from passengers at Glasgow Airport.

Gleniffer Thistle has invested heavily in a new pitch at Abbotsinch playing fields, but months of training ahead of the new season were undermined when vandals tore up the site earlier this month.

Now, airport bosses – who originally gifted the site to Gleniffer Thistle – have agreed to donate £2,000 from their local charity fund to help restore the pitch to its former glory. The team will also receive £500 to help towards the cost of new football shirts.

BAA Glasgow is also reviewing security on the site in a bid to prevent a repeat occurrence.

Derek Provan, customer services director at Glasgow Airport, said: “The vandals who destroyed these playing fields should be ashamed of themselves. This is a valuable community facility and the committee and parents at Gleniffer Thistle have invested a lot of time and money to develop these facilities. This selfish act has really set the club back, and will cost the club money they could better spend elsewhere.

“Therefore, as a gesture of support, we have agreed to make a one-off donation of £2,000 from our charity fund to help repair the pitch and improve security. We will also donate a further £500 to sponsor the cost of providing a new strip for the club. We hope this small gesture will ease some of the club’s money worries.”

Paisley and Renfrewshire North MSP Wendy Alexander said: “Gleniffer were understandably outraged and dismayed to witness the damage done to all their hard work by recent invaders. I am delighted that BAA’s very generous support will hugely lift their spirits as they now tackle the repair job. Hopefully the boys will have new strips and a pitch to be proud of for next season.”

Billy Hassan from Gleniffer Thistle said: “We are very grateful for this very kind gesture from Glasgow Airport. We have been associated with the airport for over 20 years and when we had to move due to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, we thought that this long standing partnership would be coming to an end, but the airport bosses came up trumps and we are deeply thankful for all the help that they have given to us. We hope that our partnership will continue for many years to come.”

The donation has been made possible thanks to the generosity of passengers at Glasgow Airport returning home with unwanted currency. Every year, Glasgow Airport distributes the funds to good causes around Renfrewshire and the west of Scotland.

The BAA Communities Trust, a charity run by BAA, also provides financial support for local charities and community projects. In the past year, the Trust has donated £100,000 to projects across the west of Scotland.

To apply for funding, email flightpath@baa.com or download an application form at www.glasgowairport.com