Miscellaneous

Colquhoun quits over 'elitist' grant to Scots cricket school (21 December 1998)

FORMER Scotland footballer John Colquhoun has resigned his position on the Scottish Sports Council in protest at a £2 million-plus award to a public school for the building of a national indoor cricket centre

21-Dec-1998
21 December 1998
Colquhoun quits over 'elitist' grant to Scots cricket school
Electronic Telegraph
FORMER Scotland footballer John Colquhoun has resigned his position on the Scottish Sports Council in protest at a £2 million-plus award to a public school for the building of a national indoor cricket centre.
Colquhoun believes the decision to base the £3 million development at Stewart's Melville College and Mary Erskine School is an elitist one, describing the move as "irresponsible" and "incurably flawed".
He added he had no complaint about cricket benefiting but wants to disassociate himself from the £2,252,660 Lottery Sports Fund award, complaining the school had first call on facilities.
They have put forward £735,000 enabling them to use the centre during school hours.
Colquhoun said: "It is deeply offensive that the Scottish Sports Council has continued to pour money into private schools for the benefit of a tiny number of relatively privileged children when many communities in Scotland are in desperate need."
But the Scottish Sports Council head of media relations John Lindsay said: "The community will have full access to this facility as will the Scottish national cricket side. It is a victory for the sport, not elitism."
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)