On Wednesday, July 1, 2009, the Post reported...

HARD working football fanatics are putting their back into the summer to get their team’s home looking pristine for the coming season.

Supporters of Clydebank FC are dedicating their free time at weekends to renovating the Holm Park ground they share with rivals Yoker Athletic.

Despite the contrasting fortunes of Scottish Junior Cup finalist Bankies and the relegated Whe-Ho last year, the clubs are working towards a common goal of making the overgrown ground in Clydebank East up to scratch.

The labour is planned to go on through the summer with the aim of improving both the spectator areas and the playing surface.

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Drainage gullies have been dug through the pitch to try and improve its ability to handle heavy downpours next season, with drainage specialists employed to oversee the work on the Holm Park turf.

On the terraces the dilapidated stonework is being overhauled to straighten out the loose and bumpy standing areas while the painstaking efforts to remove weeds has also begun.

And with the news that the Scottish Junior Football Association is to up the number of substitutes named on match days to seven, foundations on a larger dugout have now been put in place too.

Gordon Robertson, Clydebank FC chairman, said: “The summer renovations have been going on with Clydebank fans since we were up at Glenhead Park in Duntocher. It shows the commitment of some of our fans is absolutely wonderful.”

Bankies secretary Bill Abraham also praised the ethic of the dozen or so ready volunteers and believes the work sums up the way the club has been built up by the fans.

Bill said: “They embody the spirit of the club — the same guys who took it from nothing to the junior cup final.”