Does anyone remember playing football on Glenconner Park, known locally in the Garngad as "the coup". There were four back ash pitches which stretched from the end of Charles Street to the railway line. They were absolute murder to play on with the uneven playing surface and any tackle that involved you going to ground would result in a black gravel rash on arms and legs. Some of my pals who played amateur football with Cowglen claim they still have some black ash under the skin of their knees from the 1970's ! I remember a local Caley works tournament when one of the players hit the ground face first after a hefty tackle and came up looking like Al Jolson !

The last pitch which bordered the railway line to Springburn was the one to avoid as any shot that went over the bar invariably ended up down the embankment and on to the line. Many a game was help up until someone volunteered to climb down to retrieve the ball and dodge the trains. As kids we acquired many balls for ourselves after the teams had gone home as we played around on the railway line, placing our tin cans with a stick inside it on to the railway line for a train to run over it and flatten the can giving us a ready made tomahawk to play our cowboys and Indian games.

BigArturo, I remember playing on the black ash pitches a few times and, as you said, it was not an enjoyable experience at all. The black ash would become engrained in your feet and legs for days. There were also sizeable chunks of black stones lurking just under the top layer – a thoroughly unpleasant playing surface.

There's a good article about the history of Glenconner Park here:


http://news.scotsman.com/magnuslinklater/L...land.2669850.jp

GG.

I remember playing on Glennconner somtime in the early sixties against a team known as the Dirty Dozen, well named both as to their style of play and for the fact that every chance they got they would try to get an extra man on the field, if you didnt have someone constantly counting their men you would end up playing against an extra man for at least half the game.
Not my favourite ground both for the black ash causing damage to you and the feeling that you were trying to run through a bog to get to the ball.

Morning all. Dont recall playing on these pitches but i have got part of Cowlairs parks just below both knees been there since the 60s.

The "fifty pitches" in Govan were clinker ash pitches. When I was at St. Gerard's we had a kid lost his leg after getting a load of ash in it and not having it seen to right away.

Thats a tragedy for that boy and makes me feel like a lucky man.

I well recall playing on the coup.

Why anybody ever thought it was a good idea (or even a legal one) to lay down that toxic surface for people to "play" on, is a mystery. Even in the days when most pitches were gravel (albeit red blaes), the coup was a different beast. Never much silky soccer performed there.

played every sunday for wee archie grants team royston united saturday morning played for the wee roch primary change sometimes in charles bin rooms or the caly .black as black every time still have the scars .saturday afternoon played roch guild across from the hibs royston rd loved it miss it memories the coup .70 80s 90s as you said gettin the ball back from rail lines time wasting pitch 4 . just new to site .dont no much about computers so hope this make sence.stayed roystonhill all my life love it.went to st rochs pri 70s tryin to get kids my twin boys to play football but no one runs local teams anymore bring back the black ash. just a basketball and 5 aside pitch now .new talent basketball player from glasgow

I played for St Rochs school teams in the late fifties at the coup with some great player's. Some of these guy's went on to play senior football.

I am sure I remember you Joe, I was at the Roch in the late 50's also. You were one of three brothers if I have got it right.

I cant remember the exact location of the "Fifty Pitches" in the vicinity of Govan, but they were extensively used ash clinker pitches, that were there some time after the 50s. every little team or just blokes going for a practise game on a Saturday used them.

A sorry tale came from them, as an aspiring young soccer player from St.Gerard's team when I was there in the 50s, got a very bad gravel rash there and did not go to hospital but let them clean it out at home. He lost his leg to gangrene a few days later. Although I did not know him very well IO found it distressing that this could happen to a talented and impressionable young man.