Our Chief Executive Malcolm McPhail strongly condemns the continued damage and vandalism to the newly renovated grass pitches at the Circuit.
The grass pitches were refurbished following successful funding obtained by KA Leisure from the Scottish FA and North Ayrshire Council. The investment was secured in response to long standing calls from local communities for increased access to quality playing surfaces, to support both organised club football and informal, casual use by the local community.
As part of this approach, the pitches were deliberately left unfenced. This decision was taken to allow young people access to the facilities out with organised bookings and to encourage positive, informal participation in sport and physical activity.
However, since renovation work was completed, the pitches have been repeatedly damaged. Most concerning is a recent incident involving a fire set on the children’s 7-a-side pitch, which has caused significant damage and will result in further delays to the opening of the facilities for teams and bookings.
“We are extremely disappointed and concerned by the repeated damage and vandalism to the newly renovated grass pitches at the Circuit. These facilities were delivered for the benefit of local communities, particularly young people, and it is deeply frustrating to see efforts undermined in this way,” Malcolm McPhail, Chief Executive of KA Leisure. “We remain committed to working with partners, clubs, and communities to deliver high-quality sporting spaces. However, continued damage places additional strain on resources and threatens the long-term sustainability to these facilities.”
The repeated vandalism has also raised concerns around future access. We have clear aspirations to adopt an open-door policy for our artificial pitches across North Ayrshire, allowing young people to use these spaces freely outside organised bookings. However, ongoing damage to facilities across all localities reduces confidence that such areas can remain open and accessible without being misused.
In addition, we have been developing plans to further enhance play and sporting facilities at the Circuit, with the aim of increasing participation, improving community wellbeing, and supporting grassroots sport. The recent incidents have placed those plans at risk, creating further delays and uncertainty.
KA Leisure is now appealing directly to local communities to help protect these assets and ask residents to remain vigilant. Please report any mistreatment or vandalism immediately to KA Leisure and to the police. By working together, we can ensure our community assets are protected and enjoyed by everyone, as intended.
