Wednesday September 24th 2025
Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, with Edinburgh South Community Football Club (ESCFC)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, has called on the City of Edinburgh Council in a formal open letter today to take urgent steps to secure the future of Edinburgh South Community Football Club (ESCFC), one of Scotland’s biggest and most successful community clubs.
ESCFC, has over 1,000 players across 75 teams and more than 200 volunteers, collectively contributing over 40,000 hours of unpaid time, is facing severe challenges due to a shortage of pitches and lack of long-term security over its facilities. Every week, 5–10 children are being turned away, while six full teams, around 120 young people, risk having nowhere to train from September.
Despite more than seven years of talks with the Council, the club still does not have the land security or access to facilities it needs. Edinburgh Leisure has not responded since March regarding long-term Astro pitch availability, and without action the club has missed out on major investment opportunities, such as the £8.6m Scottish FA Pitching In fund.
The club’s impact stretches far beyond football, with initiatives including:
– Free after school club and holiday camps (averaging 600 free places weekly across the year)
– Free mental health counselling and physiotherapy
– Racism and disability awareness training
– Free use of club facilities for local schools
– Fee waivers and discounts for families in need
– Completely free Soccer School every Saturday for up to 120 children aged 5-8
ESCFC is a Platinum-level accredited club, the highest recognition awarded by the SFA, and has been nominated for National Community Club of the Year.
Ian Murray MP said:
“Edinburgh South CFC is a shining example of everything that is good about grassroots football. The scale of the club’s impact from free school holiday places to counselling, mentoring, and a boot exchange programme is extraordinary. But that success is now under threat. It is simply unsustainable for children to be turned away week after week because of a lack of facilities and security, and miss out on repeated funding rounds. This has gone on far too long. The Council must now step up, work with the club, and deliver the long-term security and pitches it desperately needs.”
Joe Sneddon, Chair of Edinburgh South CFC, said:
“Our ethos has always been simple: if you want to play, you play. Thanks to our incredible volunteers we’ve been able to make that a reality for decades, but the lack of facilities and long-term backing is now putting that at risk. We don’t want to turn children away, yet that’s exactly what is happening.
The Council cannot allow a club of this standing, delivering this scale of community benefit, to be held back by lack of facilities and short-term agreements. The time for warm words is over, we need action to allow us to continue delivering for our communities.”
Ian Murray has written formally to the Council setting out a series of practical steps, including a new Astroturf pitch at Inch Park, guaranteed access to the new Liberton High School Astro, and long-term leases at key facilities across South Edinburgh.
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