MURRAYFIELD WANDERERS are facing up to the prospect of playing the opening part of their Scottish Hydro Electric National League Division One campaign at Inverleith Park after bulldozers began digging up the international ground's back pitches.
The headquarters club have been made temporary nomads due to work on a flood prevention scheme involving the nearby Water of Leith.
Hopes were high that rugby posts due to be erected in the adjacent Roseburn Park for the world golden oldies festiv
al taking place in Edinburgh from September 1-8 might be retained but advance bookings for other sports look set to scupper that plan, according to Murrayfield Wanderers president, Paton Wallace.
Wallace said: "It seems the Roseburn Park option, which would have allowed us to use our own changing rooms and walk back and forward to the clubhouse, is not now possible.
"The fact there are going to be temporary rugby posts erected provided some hope but we are more or less resigned to using Inverleith Park which is a bit further away."
The loss of their traditional home pitches until November is another blow to Murrayfield Wanderers as they bid to halt a slide which has seen them drop out of the Premiership.
But Wallace insisted matters are being addressed. "We felt fitness was a factor in getting off to a bad start last season so new coach Simon Cross (the Edinburgh Rugby flanker) began working with the players as far back as May 1.
"Our opening pre-season friendly brought a win over Livingston and improvement was maintained the following weekend against Dunfermline.
"More recently we travelled to Morpeth and won 27-7.
"Hopefully by the time our opening fixture arrives at East Kilbride on Saturday week we will be up to speed and ready to set out in search of a top half finish with anywhere between fourth and sixth regarded as a success."
The full article contains 324 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
