Loyal fans kicked into touch over facilities

I have been attending international rugby matches at Murrayfield for nigh on 60 years and at Sunday's Six Nations' Match against France I was appalled by the treatment meted out to loyal supporters who do not have the benefit of the "corporate hospitality" which a bankrupt bank continues to offer to the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) management and guests, who just drive up, or are driven, to within yards of the lavish entertainment.

Removal of the car-parking facility is a disgrace. For all the years I have been attending, picnics in the car park were a major part of an enjoyable day out, a great chance to meet old friends and a great social occasion. That has been ruined.

Threatening "no parking" signs are scattered over a wide area from the Murrayfield Stadium. But parking could easily be allowed on one side of the streets without disrupting traffic flow.

At 73, and a debenture holder who helped fund the new stands, I was forced to park well over a mile-and-a-half away and trudge there and back. To add insult to injury, we were told the west turnstiles were for "hospitality guests only" and were directed to a long and muddy path along the burn to the seriously overcrowded north turnstiles, while the west turnstiles were not being used at all.

No wonder there were so many empty seats for such a major match – and there will be many more if the SRU continues with this idiocy.

To crown it all, the area of hard standing between the west playing fields and the ice rink had acres of unused space, with only about 200 cars and 20 or so buses, while it could easily have accommodated about 750 cars. Surely, at least debenture holders should have their support recognised with the offer of a parking badge?

If the SRU does not mend its ways, I, for one, will never darken the doors of Murrayfield again.

HAMISH H CARLTON

Dunkeld

Perthshire