Robert Brown calls for backing for local Sports Clubs

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Oct 2008

A call for more backing for local Sports Clubs has come from Glasgow Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown. It came in a recent debate in the Scottish Parliament on funding community sport, during which Mr. Brown criticised the SNP Government's current approach as being "heavy on PR speak and light on commitment".

Robert Brown said:

"The Glasgow Commonwealth Games should be the culmination of three years of events here - the London Olympics in 2012, the Glasgow world table tennis championships, the Ryder Cup and other possibilities. It would be a sad mistake to set the Glasgow Commonwealth Games against the London Olympics as rivals because the opportunity is far greater than that.

Young people will watch top class sporting activities on television, many will attend athletics, swimming, water sports or team sports events, they will meet athletes personally, they will see young people just like themselves performing at the highest levels, pushing themselves to the limit and providing aspirational role models. They will think: 'I can do that', 'I can win a medal', or just think that they would like a shot.

We have many good facilities in place and more are being developed. But the central need is for expertise and capacity building in existing sports clubs. The Government must make a commitment to support the expansion of local sports clubs of all kinds. We must link them with the development of modern, purpose-built facilities and effective recruitment of young people. We also need the vital links to school clubs and facilities so that we do not lose young people from life-enhancing activities when they leave school."