Firm hired to carry out £1.45m revamp of Galashiels football stand

A main works contractor has been signed up to oversee a £1.45m refurbishment of Gala Fairydean Rovers’ Netherdale stand granted planning consent in September.
Gala Fairydean Rovers' Netherdale stand (Photo: Scottish Borders Council)Gala Fairydean Rovers' Netherdale stand (Photo: Scottish Borders Council)
Gala Fairydean Rovers' Netherdale stand (Photo: Scottish Borders Council)

London-based firm Concrete Repairs Limited has been appointed to carry out improvements to the category-A listed Galashiels building, including restoring some of its original features and fixing damage caused by spalling.

The bill for those works on the Peter Womersley-designed stand, opened in 1964 but closed since 2018 due to safety concerns, is being picked up by Scottish Borders Council, with a contribution from Gala Fairydean Rovers Football Community Trust.

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Repairs to the 500-capacity stand are expected to be completed by August next year.

Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar, the authority’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, said: “Anyone familiar with the town of Galashiels will recognise the iconic architecture of the Netherdale stand and its importance to the town.

“I’m extremely excited to see work on restoring it to its former glory progress with the appointment of an experienced contractor.

“Ensuring its long-term future by carrying out these necessary refurbishments will allow future generations to benefit from it.”

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Murray Souter, CRL’s Falkirk-based regional director for Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be entrusted with the refurbishment of this iconic structure and our team are looking forward to spending the spring and summer months of 2022 in Galashiels working on it.

“Together with Scottish Borders Council and their design team, we will return the stand to its original glory, looking great, structurally sound and ready to cope with a full complement of excited Gala Fairydean Rovers fans.”

Community trust chairman Ross Buchan added: “The stand repair project has been a long journey which began for us in October 2017. The stand is part of our architectural and historic heritage and its listing places a duty on us, the community, to preserve the structure for future generations.

“We have now reached a significant stage in this journey. We welcome CRL to the project and look forward to working in co-operation and partnership with them.

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“It will be a day to celebrate when the stand is opened to the public, club and community and we can once again make full use of this very important facility.

“The project has benefited from working in co-operation and partnership with Scottish Borders Council, Historic Environment Scotland, the Fallago Environmental Fund, Live Borders, Gala Fairydean Rovers and our very experienced design team.”