Club to cast out Capital in Meadowbank stadium row

Published on Monday 31 March 2008 10:18

IT is a historic club which spawned a gold medal sprinter and a host of other athletic stars, and it is where Olympic hero Allan Wells took his first steps to greatness.

Today, as the gold medal winner joins the protests over plans to "downgrade" Meadowbank Stadium, his former club vowed to drop "Edinburgh" from its name in protest at the council's plans.

The City of Edinburgh Athletics Club, which also counts Wyndham Halswelle, who won Scotland's first gold in the 400m at the 1908 London Games, among its former members, plans to find a sponsor and take their name instead.

Mr Wells, who won gold in Moscow in 1980, said: "People need to sit up and think about what they are losing.

"My understanding is that it is non-sporting people making the decisions, and it is sad that this is the case."

"Even though they are getting a new track and a new stadium, it will be less than they have at the moment – obviously I disagree with that. Meadowbank has been a big factor in Scottish athletics.

"If the facilities could be the same as they have now then that would be best."

In recent years the City of Edinburgh Athletic Club has also supported hammer throwers Shirley Webb and Chris Black to glory and currently trains around 400 athletes at Meadowbank, including Steve Cram's son, Marcus.

Senior coach Bill Walker today said the club was willing to rename itself in protest at the decision to bulldoze the stadium and sell off some land for housing.

Under the plans, approved by councillors this month, a new complex, with an athletics track, will be built on the remainder of the site for around 25 million.

Mr Walker said: "The council does not appear to be wanting to promote sport in this city at all.

"There is no need to demolish any of Meadowbank and it needs to be upgraded, as hundreds of athletes use it every week.

"We are called Edinburgh Athletic Club but do not receive any grant from the council, so we are looking to remove the name of the city from ours.

"We have been very proud to say we represent our city but I feel we can no longer do this when the city council is treating its athletes so badly.

A council spokesman said: "The council is focussed on developing a modern, fully equipped athletics stadium at Meadowbank that meets the very high sporting standards required by athletics and other sports."

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