Forrester have praised friendly local rivals Musselburgh for embodying the “spirit of rugby” as they battle rough economic forces which have caused them to drop a weekly training session and call an EGM to discuss “the financial future of the club” and “future fund-raising efforts.”
Learning of the difficulties Forrester are facing in common with many other sports clubs Musselburgh, who play in the Arnold Clark Premiership, threw out a challenge for an outfit operating five rungs below them to pay a visit for a Friday night floodlight fund-raising fixture.
The match realised around £1000 to assist a club whose self-help knows no bounds including a Community Fun Day as March ended and efforts to engage the West Edinburgh community with social events many based around the Six Nations Championship.
Club coach and committee member Fraser Newbury was hugely appreciative of Musselburgh, saying: “Musselburgh came to us and said we’ll do something for you based on charging a donation (at the gate) and a raffle.
“We’ll be forever grateful to them.”
The Forrester web-site stated: “It (the friendly fixture) was a true reflection of the spirit of the game and a credit to the rugby community. “
Newbury added: “Since 2020 our electricity bills have increased by 120 per cent and to hire a pitch has very much increased.
“We have had to cut our training to one night each week from two and while the kids still train Sunday and Monday the last thing we want to do is cut one of their sessions.”
In the past year at least three rugby clubs in and around Edinburgh have had to withdraw from leagues, their futures cast into doubt.
Forrester are to be commended for taking all steps to ensure that will not happen to them with a firmer footing planned by the time they head for Carrickfergus in May and the 40th instalment of the regular fixture with Northern Irish friends.
Evergreen sports journalist. Previously published in many publications around the world. Send me your local sports stories. billlothian1008@gmail.com
