“It beggars belief” Scottish Hockey CEO Barry Cawte on the lack of funds for Glasgow’s national hockey centre
Those involved in Scottish Hockey at all levels have been greatly affected by the decision to leave the Glasgow National Hockey Centre (GNHC) partially closed.
The multi-million-pound facility – built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games – was used as a COVID testing centre during the pandemic and has not fully reopened since.
Hockey players have been locked out of indoor amenities such as changing rooms and cafes available at the arena near Glasgow Green, leaving them to trek across two car parks to use facilities in the nearby football centre.
And now, after nearly three years, calls to action are coming together.
Hockey clubs that use the venue, such as Kelburne, have let their displeasure be known at the lack of facility access when they play their sport.
These shouts have been backed up by Glasgow MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane too, who said that a “key sport” was being “squeezed” by insufficient funding.
Glasgow Life, who run the facility, said in a statement that funding issues are to blame for the decision.
It read: “The National Hockey Centre is one of many facilities across the country which haven’t been able to fully re-open following the pandemic due to funding.
“We have worked with Scottish Hockey to support access for their national squads and to ensure clubs and schools can train and play matches on the pitch whilst having access to nearby changing facilities.
“Glasgow Life has been articulating the need for national funding for national assets for several years, but Glasgow Life doesn’t have the money needed to reopen the stadium without reducing our offer or closing facilities elsewhere.
“We want to keep working with the governing body, SportScotland, the Scottish Government and other interested parties to find a solution and remain open to offers of support.”
The Standard has spoken to the CEO of Scottish Hockey, Barry Cawte, about the impact this has made, and the possible future for the GNHC.
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He noted that it is both unpleasant and possibly unsafe that hockey players are having to walk across two car parks in the dark of winter to reach the nearest changing facilities.
He added: “It’s just really frustrating because we have purpose built changing facilities in the hockey centre, and we wouldn’t have built those if it was suitable to charge across to the football centre.
“We now have a situation where clubs are coming, sometimes don’t even have access to those facilities over at the football site, and they’re playing hockey then having to travel miles in wet, dirty clothes, at a national stadium.
“If it was Murrayfield or Hampden, it just wouldn’t be tolerated.”
Mr Cawte made it clear that despite hockey being Scotland’s third biggest team sport, it is often pushed to the side by the top two – football and rugby.
With prices to hire pitches going up while access to the facility remains restricted, Scottish Hockey is unsure of the future of the venue regarding how it will be operated.
Mr Cawte referred to the Glasgow Life statement about a lack of funding, calling it “lazy” and a “party line,” saying that finances have been an issue since before the pandemic.
He reflected more on pricing problems: “For me, financial issues are a result of mismanagement.
“Cost of living, increased energy costs, they are a challenge for everybody.
“A lot of costs are being passed across to the user already, memberships have increased, access to facilities has increased, and hiring pitches costs more for the average consumer.
“But nothing has changed before pre-pandemic… this just didn’t happen overnight, so why are we sitting in this position where we have these issues now?
“This would have been on the horizon, and any good business would look forward into the future and go ‘let us not find ourselves in a situation where we are damaging the health of the community, the wider nation, and damaging the participation of thousands of passionate hockey people who work really hard in their sport.’
“They used the pandemic window to make this decision without any real consultation with anyone, certainly not us.”
Mr Cawte then went on to ask “where has that revenue gone?” regarding the fact that the hockey venue was closed and then hired out as a Covid testing centre in 2020.
He proclaimed that a “key point” in this situation is the fact that Scottish Hockey are merely tenants:
“What’s frustrating is that I’ve been asked about the solution… it isn’t for Scottish Hockey to find a solution for the National Hockey Centre, we’re a tenant.
“If you’re a tenant in a building, you don’t tell a landlord how to run their business.
“We should be enjoying the rewards of that venue being a Glasgow Commonwealth Games legacy venue.”
He then added that despite it not being their responsibility, Scottish Hockey have offered up an external investor to the table, but discussions have been slow which Mr Cawte said is a “risk” that the opportunity could be lost.
He explained that Scottish Hockey have various other facilities across the country which are financially viable, but that he is “not confident” that the same standard will be reached with Glasgow Life.
He called it “exclusion, not inclusion,” that hockey and various other minority sports facilities are often eventually replaced by the more popular football or rugby.
The CEO explained just how many people play and watch hockey at the Glasgow centre weekly, the number is well into the thousands.
Since the Commonwealth Games, hockey has doubled in participation size, and Mr Cawte believes that Scottish Hockey are “living up to that legacy” in a way that Glasgow Life are not.
Another point he made was that hockey has the best gender parity amongst players, making it an inclusive and important sport in society.
He finished by saying: “For me, if you can dismiss hockey, and not recognise that, all that good work we’re doing in driving participation in women’s sports is just a soundbite.
“It’s lost, it means nothing if we’re willing to turn our back on thousands of women and young girls for whom hockey is their sport.”