Celebrity skaters back calls for funding for Murrayfield Ice Rink
The Scottish skating star, along with twice-European medallist Sinead Kerr and current British ice dance champion Lewis Gibson, warned that it would be "devastating" for Edinburgh to lose its ice facilities after management warned this week that it would not open "for the foreseeable future".
The rink’s owners, who took over the facility in 1957, said yesterday they had not received any government funding during the pandemic and warned that it was not financially viable to open at reduced capacity amid fears of local lockdowns. Re-laying the ice after lockdown will cost around £50,000.
Hanretty, who has teamed up with reality TV show personality Billie Faiers for this year’s edition of the ITV show after making it to the final last year with Paralympian Libby Clegg, said: “It is devastating news that Murrayfield is still closed. It’s a rink I trained at for numerous years and certainly has been influential in shaping the career I have had, and other skaters, including Sinead Kerr.
"I’m desperately sad to think that the central belt of Scotland doesn’t have any major Olympic sized ice rink now and am deeply concerned and troubled that the inability of the rink to reopen could spell then end of competitive skating for skaters on the east side of Scotland.”
Rink users have launched a petition to save Murrayfield, which has already gathered almost 4,000 signatures.
Sinead Kerr, who learned to skate at Murrayfield as a child, before going on to international success in an ice dance partnership with her brother, John, described the continued closure as “devastating”.
The pair, who trained at Murrayfield before moving to the US in 2006, returned to Edinburgh last Christmas to give a masterclass to young skaters at Murrayfield Ice Rink.
She said: “Murrayfield Ice rink has probably more history than any rink in the UK - certainly in Scotland. As a sports facility it not only is home to high-level competitive athletes and coaches, but is a great recreation space for people to have fun and stay fit, especially in the winter months.
“People are finding themselves sitting in front of a screen for hours at a time at the moment - what better way to escape than going for a skate where you can clear your head, focus on something challenging and different and work your muscles, cardio and circulatory system.”
She added: “Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland - to not have an ice rink be able to stay open due to funding is pretty devastating.”
Lewis Gibson, from Prestwick, who with his partner Lilah Fear, is three times British ice dance champion and won a bronze medal at the Skate Canada Grand Prix last year, trained at Murrayfield between 2009 and 2014.
Mr Gibson said: “I hope for the future of Scottish figure skating that Murrayfield and other Scottish rinks will re-open. Without these facilities our young stars will be left without a place to train and achieve their goals.
“Murrayfield ice rink plays such a part in my journey to where I am now. I remember many a freezing cold morning training there, I’d hate to see it as anything other than an ice rink.”