Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread XII - Twelve Monkeys

[A Simply Mesmeric Try]

First topic message reminder :

A Brief History of Time-Wasting


https://www.606v2.com/t48240-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread
https://www.606v2.com/t51313-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-ii
https://www.606v2.com/t53119-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-iii
https://www.606v2.com/t54519-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-iv
https://www.606v2.com/t55409-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-v-the-fun-continues
https://www.606v2.com/t56913-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-vi-banter-boogaloo
https://www.606v2.com/t57946-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-vii
https://www.606v2.com/t58659-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-viii
https://www.606v2.com/t59409-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-ix
https://www.606v2.com/t60764-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-x-rated
https://www.606v2.com/t61904-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-xi-the-undiscovered-country

Edinburgh

1872 Champions

Edinburgh's Fixtures & Results (click to show):

Glasgow

1872 Runners-up

Glasgow Warrior's Fixtures & Results (click to show):

Ladies and Gents, Girls and Boys, it's season finale!

Guinness PRO12 Play Offs
Fri 20 May 19:45 - Semi Final
Leinster Rugby 30 - 18   Ulster Rugby - RDS Arena 19,100

Sat 21 May 18:30 - Semi Final
Connacht Rugby  16 - 11   Glasgow Warriors - Galway Sportsground 7,800

Sat 28 May 17:30 - Grand Final
Leinster Rugby  10 - 20  Connacht Rugby  - BT Murrayfield - 34,550

Cinderella story or what?! Congrats to the Galway posse who were the form team of the season!

[RDW]

I'll reserve judgement for now.

The SRU statement sounds like the sort of restrained, non-inflammatory response you would expect from a large organisation with a press officer.  The LS one sounds like an angry individual throwing their toys out the pram.

Small organisations probably assume more flexibility.  If they over flex a relationship the other party might just tell them to get lost.  

I'm not questioning it being a case of cutting off your nose despite your face by the SRU but it's almost certainly not a clear as we think.

Whilst I agree that the LS statement lacks a certain media "polish", at least it shows some honesty and passion. The bland whitewash from the SRU is just a heap of mealy-mouthed weasel worded tosh. The SRU is not a PLC, listed on a stock exchange, where carefully worded statements are required to cool speculation and maintain a steady share price, it is a rugby union that exists to serve Scottish rugby and its fans. We deserve to know why the project, widely acclaimed and universally accepted as an excellent idea (as trumpted by Dodson himself), has failed. We deserve to know precisely why the SRU pulled the plug, what needs to happen for this project to get going again and, if not possible in the short/medium term, what alternative and better ideas the SRU have to address the issue of giving our young rugby talent proper rugby at a young age.

There may well be really good and valid reasons for calling this off, but we are left guessing as to precisely what they are. We all recognise that there's an issue here and LS was seen as the solution, so what alternatives are we looking at now? It's a bit like Myreside. I don't like it, but at least I understand why they did it, and credit to Edinburgh, they did need to try something. They also took the time to explain the decision, and consulted the fans in a fully transparent manner around the proposals and the way forward.

I think the SRU have got this badly wrong, and to add insult to injury, they've handled it poorly as well. The anger from LS is telling.

What he said

[EST]

Easy as it is to blame Scott Johnson for everything that goes wrong in Scottish rugby, I am going to aim this fiasco right back at Dobson.

He was the one to stand up and trump about it at the time and if it is a money issue, as seems likely, then that is very much his department, just as it is if it was not thought through properly in the first place. He would no doubt have been very happy to have claimed the credit for it if it had gone well.

Just when the SRU seemed to be getting its act together, this happens. Really unbelievable. Shoddy is probably the best way of summing it up. If LS have a bad season or worse get relegated, these clowns will be to blame for it!

I don't doubt that Dodson has obviously had lots of involvement in this, and as CEO probably made the final decision. However, looking at the structure of the SRU, its impossible that Johnson wasn't involved at a high level. This was a player development agreement, and he is the DOR.

[funnyExiledScot]

I'm comfortable blaming both Dodson and Johnson, so long as we at least apportion some blame to Scott Johnson.

There were some loud roadworks this morning in Charlotte Square - his fault as well.

[EWT Spoons]

I'm comfortable blaming both Dodson and Johnson, so long as we at least apportion some blame to Scott Johnson.

There were some loud roadworks this morning in Charlotte Square - his fault as well.

Trump = Jonhson's fault

[des]

I've dealt with small, angry companies before that have been entirely in the wrong.

You often find the most angry people are also the most wrong.

Just look at Schitz.

[des]

Actually that's a bit unfair. He's chilled massively.

I seem to remember him saying something nice about an Edinburgh player about 2 months ago.

[funnyExiledScot]

Actually that's a bit unfair.  He's chilled massively.

I seem to remember him saying something nice about an Edinburgh player about 2 months ago.

He said seomthing nice about an Edinburgh player?? I'd just put that down to a typo.

If you ever want to learn some new words, just ask him what he thinks about Andy Robinson.

[TheMildlyFranticLlama]

The SRU statement sounds like the sort of restrained, non-inflammatory response you would expect from a large organisation with a press officer.

I don't think much of their press officer! Surely they can see that going from:

Dodson said the arrangement was the result of months of planning between two organisations that "share the common objective of developing and improving Scottish rugby".

to this in the space of 4 short months:

After a period of review and reflection (at the end of the season) the Scottish Rugby Board decided not to deepen the relationship with London Scottish further as the performance environment in place was not sufficiently developed to offer the player pathway we had envisaged.

is massively embarrassing and really not good PR. The attempt to sell a massive backtrack on a previous agreement as a decision not to further deepen a relationship is also a fairly pathetic attempt at spin. Regardless of what has gone on behind the scenes, surely it would've been better from a PR point of view to go ahead with the agreement for a season, and if it doesnt work out pull the plug then. Certainly less damaging to the SRU's reputation than a very public about turn.

If I was involved with George Watson's I'd be slightly concerned that someone at the SRU might get bored of the whole Myreside idea before a ball has even been kicked there given this latest bit of knee jerk decision making

[RDW]

It is a fair point - the SRU's reputation of working with outside parties is now surely in the gutter.

First there was the failed period of Edinburgh being run by private investors now this with London Scottish - regardless of how much these were all the SRU's fault they hardly present a positive picture for working with investors.

In my mind this reinforces the fact that we're not going to see a 3rd pro team any time soon - the SRU can't afford it and what private investor would want to sink loads of cash into a loss making business with a union who has a failed track record of working with external parties?

Watsonians beware.

[RuggerRadge2611]

The SRU are rightly getting pelters for this debacle. However singling out Johnson despite his buffoonary is beginning to smack of vendetta.

We have no idea why this fell through but IMO we are entitled to know the reasons why. It's London Scottish I feel sorry for. Next season for them has been turned upside down with this farce. Their season next year is in jepoardy and all of the blame can be placed at the SRU's door.

not very good.

[MacKnocked-on]

More on this shambles, doesn't sound promising for LS, hopefully they can avoid relegation from the Championship: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36419336

[RDW]

Surprisingly honest from Grove and puts a different perspective on things - I'd be surprised if the SRU pulled out because LS had released a few senior players though.

It is very worrying for the future but hopefully they can keep in the Championship and look to rebuild next year.

Any idea where Grove is now playing? It isn't Worcester and it doens't look like it is LS either!

[des]

Sounds like the SRU thought LS were going to run them into the ground. Not an ideal development environment then.

[Hazel Sapling]

I leave for 5 days. End result Glasgow finally sign someone (a back up squad 9 that they do not need) and end an agreement with LS that may cause LS to fold into National League 1. The SRU have screwed up.

LS maybe should have been putting together more senior players to act as a base and if the toys out the pram were over 4 players less, that is not the end of the world. LS have cocked it up from that perspective. Lineen also is a good coach who can build a culture with a respected former professional as forward coach. They have the resources to build on that and would not have the draw to necessarily get that level of support from elsewhere.

There was plenty of scope for the SRU to send Shiells, Cosgrove, Bordill, Fife and Fenton (or was it F Scott?) down there for a season or two. If they wanted a senior player or two, get talking to Holmes and Jerry. This is a gigantic screw up on both sides by the looks of it. Only way SRU can save this is if they say we are expanding Scotstoun to 12-15k by end of 2019 and we will have Aberdeen ready as a 3rd team by 2021.

As for Grove, would Edinburgh be interested after last time?

[PhilBB]

What was the long term thinking with this? English clubs are financially incentivised to play English qualified players, something like 17 out of a match day squad of 23, so what was the point of this 'partnership'?

Unless, of course, the SRU were pinning their hopes on LS playing PrO'12 rugby and Sky have pulled the plug on financing that.

[funnyExiledScot]

No-one is coming out of this well, but I still reserve my sympathies for LS. They are completely and utterly left in the lurch by this, and if their crime was to pin too much on the young players they'd be getting, then the punishment does not fit the crime. I'd far rather young players had too much gametime than too little.

Extremely disappointing all round and, of course, complete radio silence from the SRU on any proposed solution to the orignal problem.

[MacKnocked-on]

I just think it is a very sad and embarrassing state of affairs, regardless of who's to blame, LS are historically the club that has supplied more Scottish international players than any other and if they had managed to join the Pro12 in the future then that flow of international players would most probably have resumed.
I feel the SRU has a duty to support LS just as they have a duty to support Scotland based clubs.
Even if the agreement wasn't right for player development as the SRU had wanted then they could surely have compromised for the coming season rather than just pull out and drop LS in it?

[Eejit]

The point of it is that LS have always had split loyalties being members of the SRU and the RFU. When you considering the issues championship clubs have had in recent years with the threat of ringfencing from the big clubs its no wonder LS looked at the other avenue for continued development.

The players we got halfway through saved the season, but by the sounds of it George Horne et al were getting kept in Scotland and fresh academy players were getting sent down. The Championship is a difficult league full of hardened veterans and future Aviva Premiership players. It isn't the place to be sending 18 year olds straight out of school, they would get eaten alive

[MacKnocked-on]

The point of it is that LS have always had split loyalties being members of the SRU and the RFU. When you considering the issues championship clubs have had in recent years with the threat of ringfencing from the big clubs its no wonder LS looked at the other avenue for continued development.

The players we got halfway through saved the season, but by the sounds of it George Horne et al were getting kept in Scotland and fresh academy players were getting sent down. The Championship is a difficult league full of hardened veterans and future Aviva Premiership players. It isn't the place to be sending 18 year olds straight out of school, they would get eaten alive

Not sure what meaningful rugby Horne can look forward to next season what with Glasgow signing a veteran Fijian no9.

[funnyExiledScot]

The point of it is that LS have always had split loyalties being members of the SRU and the RFU. When you considering the issues championship clubs have had in recent years with the threat of ringfencing from the big clubs its no wonder LS looked at the other avenue for continued development.

The players we got halfway through saved the season, but by the sounds of it George Horne et al were getting kept in Scotland and fresh academy players were getting sent down. The Championship is a difficult league full of hardened veterans and future Aviva Premiership players. It isn't the place to be sending 18 year olds straight out of school, they would get eaten alive

This is exactly why I want our fringe players to get exposure to this. Horne and Ferguson will benefit so much more from a season with LS than they will playing 4-5 games for Glasgow all season. Scott Cummings would be another. A season with LS would be ideal.

[Hazel Sapling]

I expect Cummings to be needed for at least 10-12 games next season. It is the other young bloke (Hunter-Hill?) who should have been sent down with Fergusson and Horne. Guys like Farndale and Johnstone, if they were coming back to 15s, could have spent a few months building. Holmes (who has spent the majority of the year injured), Lyle, Blake and Junior are about as senior as could be reasonably expected for Glasgow to send. LS requesting senior players (25+) ignores what the SRU actually wanted to use them for.

18 year old's, you are right. It is not the league unless they are early developers. I viewed it as for the 3rd (occasionally 2nd year academy players) and a couple of fringe players who needed to build fitness. How senior were LS expecting?

[lostinwales]

Sounds like a huge failure in communication. Just walking away at this stage isn't good though. You would have thought things were fixable.

[RDW]

It is the immediacy of it that strikes me - we don't know how much discussion went on obviously but to completely sever all ties 5 months in is an extreme move

[Eejit]

I expect Cummings to be needed for at least 10-12 games next season. It is the other young bloke (Hunter-Hill?) who should have been sent down with Fergusson and Horne. Guys like Farndale and Johnstone, if they were coming back to 15s, could have spent a few months building. Holmes (who has spent the majority of the year injured), Lyle, Blake and Junior are about as senior as could be reasonably expected for Glasgow to send. LS requesting senior players (25+) ignores what the SRU actually wanted to use them for.

18 year old's, you are right. It is not the league unless they are early developers. I viewed it as for the 3rd (occasionally 2nd year academy players) and a couple of fringe players who needed to build fitness. How senior were LS expecting?

In the 2013/2014 season, LS front row comprised of Eric Fry and Tomas Francis. They reached the playoffs that year and both have kicked on in the Premiership and the international stage. LS are (or should be) perennial playoff contenders and they have done so on a budget considered shoestring to their counterparts.

The club have made no secret about their lofty ambitions and I reckon the players they were expecting would help them reach that goal.

[funnyExiledScot]

There's no doubt the level of play in the Championship is of a higher standard than anything else we can offer our young players, particularly in the pack. The Championship is a notoriously unforgiving league in the scrum.

This whole business still bothers me. I refuse to believe that a sensible compromise wasn't possible.

[EWT Spoons]

There's no doubt the level of play in the Championship is of a higher standard than anything else we can offer our young players, particularly in the pack. The Championship is a notoriously unforgiving league in the scrum.

This whole business still bothers me. I refuse to believe that a sensible compromise wasn't possible.

The bit in bold in key for me. Even if there was some changes in what was originally agreed, it would still be better for both parties to have some form of arrangement. I can't believe that a total breakdown was the only/best option.

[RDW]

Scottish Rugby has unveiled a project to develop a hotel on land near the entrance to the BT Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group has been instructed to source offers of interest in the site from potential investors and operators.

The development opportunity is for a hotel of between 100 and 200 rooms, and is expected to be in the three to four star sectors.

The proposed development site is adjacent to the main entrance of the stadium off Roseburn Street and diagonally opposite the Murrayfield tram stop.

This could capiltiise on the great transport links for visitors both coming in from the airport or out from the city centre on the tram and also the proximity to one of Edinburgh’s iconic landmarks in the BT Murrayfield Stadium, the home of Scottish Rugby.

Scottish Rugby’s Chief Executive, Mark Dodson said:

“This is part of our continuing aim to improve the facilities and enhance the customer experience at BT Murrayfield. It will help us to develop and diversify our revenue streams for the benefit of Scottish Rugby as a whole. We have to look across our available estate to investigate ways of generating income over the mid to long term."

Keith McBain, director, JLL, said: “Edinburgh’s hotel market is flourishing and this is a unique opportunity to develop a hotel in a prominent location.
“BT Murrayfield is very well located and we expect a high level of interest from investors and operators in developing the site.”

It is envisaged that the hotel operators will work closely with the stadium’s existing conference and event service provider, The Murrayfield Experience.

[Hazel Sapling]

Are they losing any pitches doing this?

So the SRU own the hotel afterwards with loans provided by investors or is this where the SRU have equity in a holding company with several other investors?

[RDW]

Hard to tell exactly where it is going to be but it sounds like they will be taking up some of the car park behind the south stand, so not the back pitches.

Will be good to get some revenue into the SRU - it is the modern way now to add commercial and retail units to stadiums to make extra money.

[MacKnocked-on]

More importantly, what's this hotel going to be called; The Dave Hilton, The TravelPrestonLodge?..

[RDW]

[Majestic83]

Ex Scotland "Legend" Dan Parks has got himself a new job, names as skills coach for Samoa. Think he is also backs coach for one of the Australian championship teams.

[Hazel Sapling]

The hotel should be called the Wooden Spoon so should Scotland go through a barren spell again we can say at least we got the Wooden Spoon.

If Edinburgh return to play there they can call it the 1872 for the same reason.

[funnyExiledScot]

More importantly, what's this hotel going to be called; The Dave Hilton, The TravelPrestonLodge?..

The One Season.

[MacKnocked-on]

The hotel restaurant could be player endorsed; the 'Kenny Logan Slow Food Menu' seems appropriate somehow..

[funnyExiledScot]

The "Duncan Weir Buffet".....and for the leisure suite, the "Jim Hamilton 'Red Mist' Sauna" and the "Stuart Hogg Diving Board"...

[RDW]

Just read some comments on the Scotsman website about the LS farce - supposedly there were a number of critical comments of the SRU that were removed suddenly from the website. According to posters on there the comments weren't overly inflammatory or 'illegal' and they suggest the SRU pressurised the Scotsman to remove them.

Having not seen the comments it is hard to judge but if it is indeed true then it adds to the farce - the SRU feeling the need to censor people saying mean things about them! This is just speculation of course.

The public reaction to this really has been overwhelmingly critical of the SRU - surely they need to release more details and defend their actions.

[NeilyBroon]

I have a feeling this was just an act of 'tidying up the books' so that they could get more investment (the hotel announcement kind of suggested that at least). They probably hired in consultants who said to ditch London Scottish, then they didn't have a contingency plan for how to do so, so they just cut LS off.

It's not so much management from the SRU much more PR and happy clappy pills. Each rugby union has its faults but the SRU is beyond incompetent it seems.

[funnyExiledScot]

Ah, the SRU taking a leaf out of the Nat spin room!! DO NOT QUESTION.

This is the telling thing. The SRU have obviously diverted funds away from rugby and towards hiring a polished media team (whose fingers are all over this). That's all good and well (and I do understand the importance of good media strategy for any business), but surely if there was a winning narrative to be weaved here which would show the SRU in a good light, said media operatives would have deployed it by now. The silence is deafening.

I'm still angry about this.

[funnyExiledScot]

I have a feeling this was just an act of 'tidying up the books' so that they could get more investment (the hotel announcement kind of suggested that at least). They probably hired in consultants who said to ditch London Scottish, then they didn't have a contingency plan for how to do so, so they just cut LS off.

It's not so much management from the SRU much more PR and happy clappy pills. Each rugby union has its faults but the SRU is beyond incompetent it seems.  

I suspect there's an element of truth in this. No surer way to collect some bad ideas from a rugby perspective than to pay people with little to no stake in the business and virtually no accountability on a mandate to "come in and give us some ideas to make more money". Again, I'm a capitalist at heart and fully understand the need for the SRU to be profitable, but if this solely comes down to money and they have indeed made a judgement call as to the best decision for the long term health of Scottish rugby, why not just say so.

[RDW]

Given the inside sources in the SRU that the likes of Rob Robertson at the Daily Fail has and the insightful commentary that Tom English gives, it is perhaps also telling that they've not been able to shed more light on it or add more detail.

As FES says, the silence is deafening!

Anyway I've tweeted them to see what they've got to say about it.

[RDW]

Rob Robertson have confirmed there's no more info from the SRU - they've shut up shop on the matter.

[MacKnocked-on]

Apparently Blair Cowan is signing for Bath.

[RDW]

Just a wee reminder of the transfers thread we've got going - saves the same things being discussed over different threads

https://www.606v2.com/t62953p100-2016-17-scottish-transfers-edinburghglasgowexiles

[Hazel Sapling]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36446269

Ashe should be ready for the start of next season. Don't know how this effects pre-season. Bit of a none article in a way.

[funnyExiledScot]

Slow news day!

Ashe's initial rise to the Scotland side was meteoric (never sure why that phrase is used but nevermind) but it's been foot off the pedal last season by comparison. I, perhaps unsurprisingly, think he's a better number 8 than Ryan Wilson but behind Denton and Strauss in the overall pecking order.

Incidentally, I nearly walked into David Denton on George Street at lunchtime. Don't think I'd have come away from that collision well.

[jimbopip]

Slow news day!

Ashe's initial rise to the Scotland side was meteoric (never sure why that phrase is used but nevermind) but it's been foot off the pedal last season by comparison. I, perhaps unsurprisingly, think he's a better number 8 than Ryan Wilson but behind Denton and Strauss in the overall pecking order.

Incidentally, I nearly walked into David Denton on George Street at lunchtime. Don't think I'd have come away from that collision well.

You had a lucky escape there, FES, the last thing you need is hair lacquer in your eyes and his mascara all down the front of your Man At C&A Business Suit.
I also understand that he was in Embra to discuss the official opening of the room at the BT Murrayfield Hotel dedicated to those Luvvies who can't wait till home matches for their fix of high jinks and crazy capers; they're calling it The Lesser Library.

[George Carlin]

Slow news day!

Ashe's initial rise to the Scotland side was meteoric (never sure why that phrase is used but nevermind) but it's been foot off the pedal last season by comparison. I, perhaps unsurprisingly, think he's a better number 8 than Ryan Wilson but behind Denton and Strauss in the overall pecking order.

Incidentally, I nearly walked into David Denton on George Street at lunchtime. Don't think I'd have come away from that collision well.

Don't be so sure. His body position into contact would probably have been all wrong and he would have dropped whatever he was carrying.

Muscle memory does that to you.

[reallybored]

Ashe's initial rise to the Scotland side was meteoric (never sure why that phrase is used but nevermind) but it's been foot off the pedal last season by comparison. I, perhaps unsurprisingly, think he's a better number 8 than Ryan Wilson but behind Denton and Strauss in the overall pecking order.

Ashe seems to have had a poor run of injuries since his initial break through.

I really rate him, doesn't do anything too fancy but he'll consistently carry and make hard yards. Plus I'd have more confidence in his handling than Denton's.

What I'd like to see next season in our back-row.

6 - Denton
7 - Hardie
8 - Ashe

Hopefully Bradbury gets plenty of game time next season, he could be epic.

[RDW]

Glasgow’s Scotsoun Stadium is set for a major upgrade to ensure it retains its position as a centre of excellence for rugby and athletics and continues to meet the needs of the wider sporting community.

Councillors on Glasgow City Council’s Executive Committee will this week be asked to approve the investment works, which will see a synthetic playing surface installed, improve athletics and rugby training facilities, create a new events throws area and improve the existing outdoor running track.

The existing grass infield at Scotstoun Stadium has been badly affected during recent winters with heavy rainfall rendering it unplayable for long periods. During the 2015/16 rugby season Glasgow Warriors were unable to play three matches at Scotstoun and a fourth game was postponed, while there was little or no use by athletics clubs due to the weather.

The proposed artificial pitch, which will meet World Rugby guidelines, will significantly reduce the risk of Glasgow Warriors fixtures being postponed. It will also increase the use of the infield for athletics during club sessions. Improvements to the adjacent training pitch will also provide an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) compliant throws area for training and events.

Cardiff Blues, Saracens and Newcastle Falcons have already made the switch to artificial surfaces in recent seasons, while Worcester Warriors also plan to change this summer

As part of the planned investment the existing 400m outdoor running track will be improved along with associated drainage works. The improvements will also benefit Victoria Park City of Glasgow Athletics Club and increase the current window for athletics events (April to September as opposed to June to August).

The project will be funded by Glasgow City Council, Scottish Rugby/Glasgow Warriors and sportscotland.

If approved and subject to contracts being finalised, work will commence later this month with completion expected ahead of the 2016/17 rugby season. While predominantly for use by the athletics and rugby communities a programme for wider community use is being developed.
Speaking to glasgowwarriors.org, Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said: “It’s fantastic news that we’re close to securing a brand new pitch at Scotstoun for next season.
Scotstoun Stadium is set for a major upgrade to ensure it retains its position as a centre of excellence for rugby and athletics
"We've played a lot on the Cardiff Arms Park surface over the last few years and we enjoyed playing on the Rugby Park pitch last season.

“We aim to play high tempo rugby and this state-of-the-art artificial surface will help us produce a faster game."

Glasgow Warriors Managing Director, Nathan Bombrys, said: “After the challenges of last season, it’s great that we’re close to installing a pitch that will give us a consistently excellent surface all season, to play the exciting rugby that we like to play.

“The development will benefit the athletics clubs that we share Scotstoun with us, by providing better facilities and more access.

“We believe the new artificial pitch could also open up opportunities to bring some additional rugby matches and events to Scotstoun, which will assist our efforts to grow our sport in the west of Scotland.”

Scottish Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer, Dominic McKay, said: "Scottish Rugby has made a significant investment towards this new artificial pitch, to ensure we have the best possible surface for our players to train and play on.

“We see this investment as part of a longer term development of the stadium, which we are working closely with Glasgow Life on and we believe this new pitch will be an excellent addition for rugby and athletics, while helping to safeguard future Glasgow Warriors matches.”

Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life, Councillor Archie Graham OBE, said: “Over the years Scotstoun Stadium has been the scene of some incredible sporting moments. This investment would ensure that this remains the case for years to come, providing a lasting legacy for future generations.

“The planned improvements will meet the very highest standards set by both World Rugby and the IAAF. It will provide Glasgow Warriors and the local athletics community with access to enhanced provision all year round, while at the same time benefitting other local sports clubs and schools.”

Interim Chief Executive of scottishathletics, Mark Munro, said: “We welcome these recommendations from Glasgow City Council and the partnership approach to Scotstoun, following many discussions.

“It will be pleasing to see investment in the facility which will improve the athletics provision in terms of the new throws area and an improved track surface. And we’re delighted to note the commitment to use for clubs, coaches and athletes as well as an opportunity during a certain period to stage events.”

[Sponsored content]