I'll burn my Scotland blazers over stadium closure, says hammer hero

A COMMONWEALTH Games medallist has promised to burn his Scotland team blazers and tracksuits in protest at a decision to allow Meadowbank Stadium to be demolished.

Councillors in Edinburgh voted last night to knock down the facility, built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games, and redevelop part of the site with a smaller arena. The rest will be sold off for housing.

The decision brings to an end a year-long campaign to stop the bulldozers moving in.

Chris Black, a hammer thrower who competed in four Commonwealth Games, winning bronze medals in 1978 and 1982, described himself as "incredulous and enraged" over the decision to scrap the venue.

"The throwing area will disappear," he said. "Athletics is running, jumping and throwing, so that's a third of the sport that will disappear. I feel so angry that I'm going to burn my Commonwealth Games blazers and tracksuits outside the council office. I want to embarrass the people who have made this decision to sell of part of Meadowbank, because it's a disgrace.

"Hammer throwing is an event that comes from Scotland – from the Highland Games," Black continued. "But the changes to Meadowbank, where I've trained and coached for 40 years, will leave us with no dedicated throws areas in Scotland. It means our athletes will have nowhere to train for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and 2012 Olympics in London. It is a ridiculous and shameful situation. We should be embarrassed."

The cycling track will also disappear under the plans approved last night. The Olympic champion Chris Hoy, who began his cycling career at the Meadowbank velodrome, joined Black in criticising the decision. "I'm shocked," said Hoy.

"It's terrible news for cycling. All the time and effort that's been spent, over 40 years, promoting kids' and grassroots cycling in the east of Scotland will be lost. It's incredibly short-sighted of the council."

Tory councillors joined forces with the council's Liberal Democrat-SNP administration to vote through the proposals.

One Lib Dem councillor, Gary Peacock, rebelled and voted with the city's three Green councillors in a failed attempt to reprieve the stadium.

He said: "To sell off around a third of the site for housing is going too far. We have to listen to what the campaigners and local people have been saying."

Under the plan agreed last night, a 5,000-capacity stadium, a new running track and an indoor sports complex will be built on the eastern part of the site, while land at the west is earmarked for hundreds of houses.

The council has also agreed to look into providing a new velodrome elsewhere.

Creating the new-look arena is likely to cost up to £30 million, with some £17 million expected to be raised from the land sale. The Scottish Government is to be asked to help pay for the scheme.

Officials had warned that refurbishing the existing stadium and indoor sports complex could have cost about £40 million, and the city would probably have been left with sub-standard facilities.

Deidre Brock, the city's sport and culture leader, said: "We will be securing the future of sports provision in the Meadowbank area for future generations."

Veteran athletics coach Bill Walker, a leading figure in the Save Meadowbank Campaign, said: "We're very disappointed."

'DEMOLISH COMMONWEALTH POOL AND REBUILD'

THE Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh would be demolished and replaced with a new facility under plans being discussed by the SNP in Edinburgh. Party activists want to see the City Council ask Historic Scotland for special permission for the A-listed building to be knocked down. Insiders say there is growing concern about the value for money the City Council will get from a planned £37 million refurbishment which is due to get underway next year. Although the new look complex is planned to be read

SNP MSP Ian McKee has lodged a question in the Scottish Parliament asking if ministers will help persuade Historic Scotland to effectively "de-list" the building's protected status. Mr McKee said: "It seems quite bizarre that we are spending all this money and at the end of the day will not end up with a facility up to modern-day standards for swimming.

Campaigners have demanded the Scottish Government foot the bill for the full refurbishment of the pool because of the need to have it ready for the Commonwealth Games. However just £5 million has been pledged to date.