A community council say they are 'shocked' after it was revealed that thousands of pounds have been spent on maintaining football pitches despite them having been closed for years.
Figures obtained through a freedom of information (FOI) request show that between March 2020 and July 2025, Glasgow Life spent £14,043 on grass cutting and site clearances at the outdoor sports pitches on Knightscliffe Avenue in Netherton.
This was despite the pitches having been closed from March 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The green space in the north-west of Glasgow has not since reopened.
However, it continues to be maintained by Glasgow City Council’s (GCC) parks teams on behalf of Glasgow Life.
Michael McNamara, a member of High Knightswood & Anniesland Community Council (HKACC), expressed his disappointment at the total.
He said: “That figure is shocking. We don’t have the use for the community. It’s extremely disappointing.
“The pitches could be used for the community, we’ve got groups that would use it. We have two nurseries and two primary schools that are struggling for space for the children, and it’s a shame that they can’t use the local facilities.”
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Glasgow Life, the council’s culture and leisure arm, is understood to have a lease on the football pitches, bowling greens, and pavilion in Netherton until 2032.
It is understood that the charitable organisation has instructed the local authority’s parks team to cut the grass at the pitches.
Data from the FOI request shows that the football pitches are scheduled for seven cuts per year.
It also revealed that the park's team are tasked with clearing the site on a weekly basis.
This means that between March 2020 and July 2025, £9013 was forked out to cut grass at the pitches.
Meanwhile, £5030 was spent during this period on weekly site clearances.
Glasgow Life has now confirmed that there are no plans to reopen the football pitches.
This is due to both financial pressures and findings suggesting that the current provision of natural grass and 3G pitches across Glasgow is sufficient to meet demand.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “Owned by Glasgow City Council and managed by Glasgow Life, Netherton football pitches have not been operational since they closed in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.
“At present, there are no plans to reopen these facilities. This decision has not only been shaped by financial pressures but also by findings from the ongoing Sport Pitch Strategy, which indicate that the current provision of natural grass and 3G pitches across Glasgow is sufficient to meet existing and projected demands.
“These insights are helping inform planning and investment priorities for citywide sports infrastructure.”
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Michael went on to note that HKACC disagree that the current provision meets demand.
He added: “No, it doesn’t meet the current demand. We don’t have pitches that are in community use in this area at all.
“Our education facilities have to use either private schools or use spaces outside the local area. If the pitches reopened, it would improve public health for young people and adults.
“It would also improve mental health. The pitches would be a great asset for the community.”
The football pitches are currently fenced off; however, it has been claimed that they are still used by dog walkers.
Images taken by the Clydebank Post show that a large hole appears to have been cut out of the metal fencing providing access.
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Local group, the Temple Shafton Youth Project, had previously put forward a community asset transfer request for the pitches, but this was unsuccessful.
The youth project had hoped to take over the space and bring it back into use for the young people and the community.
A spokesperson for GCC previously explained that People Make Glasgow Communities' (PMGC) interest in the site was closed in December 2024.
PMGC provides the opportunity for residents to become more involved in the venues and services that are “relied on in their local community”.
At that time, interested parties were told that the site was still being explored for potential other uses and that it was not currently in scope.
A spokesperson has now commented: “We continue to consider potential future uses for this site.”
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