Freshers’ Issue 2007
OUT FOR CRIES SPORT INVESTMENT
8,000 STUDENTS TO:
C
urrent students in Bangor will already be aware of how stretched the University’s facilities are when it comes to sports. Many University clubs are being constrained by the poor facilities we are provided with, and the BUSA league tables often tell a disappointing story regarding Bangor University’s successes. Many traditional sports within the Athletic Union have suffered a streak of disappointing
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FLOODLIT GRASS PITCH
seasons, with relegations and underachievement being prominent throughout the leagues. It is easy to blame this on the lack of talent within the University, and lay the responsibility at the hands of the club. But the results of a recent survey has indicated that the lack of facilities in the University is having a detrimental effect on our teams and their performances.
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ASTRO TURF PITCH
Better facilities
The campaign for better sports facilities around the University has been a central issue over the last few years. The results of this year’s Bangor Student Satisfaction Survey show that student satisfaction with sports facilities is down 14.2% compared with last year. It is the largest decrease of any area in the survey, and it is quite obvious why. There are currently only two floodlit pitches, and teams such as rugby and football often have to travel out of town to find suitable facilities. The rugby team in particular have to travel to every training session and every game. Potential team players that would make all the difference to some teams are being held back by the overly demanding commitment they have to make. Football teams fare slightly better, as they have priori-
n Limited sports halls
ty over the floodlit grass pitch. However, this pitch can only be used for match games and training sessions therefore have to be held on the Astroturf – ironic really considering most match games are played in daylight.
Spectators
This also creates a big problem for those that might want to watch these games. The lengthy trip out of town often becomes too much of a hassle for all but the most committed spectators, which almost categorically guarantees empty sidelines as our teams play. In total, supporting just one of our field teams would mean a round trip of nearly 40 miles each season, and taking part in a team would mean travelling double the distance. The Astroturf pitch on the Ffriddoedd Site is floodlit, and (although in need of some maintenance) is a good facility to use. But this means that it is jam packed at training times throughout the week. The three football teams, two hockey teams, lacrosse team and many more who practise there (including the public groups entitled to use the facility) mean that usage of the pitch is extremely limited. New leagues (such as the 7-a-side league) are proving to be a huge
NEW SUPPLEMENT
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n Limited Gym
facilties
success, but are again limited, with new teams unable to break through due to shortages of space. The Ffriddoedd Site expansion has lead to a perfectly placed rugby field being sacrificed for new halls of residence, and anybody wishing to play tennis in Bangor will struggle due to the temporary loss of the tennis courts. The watersports clubs also fare rather miserably, and while the construction of new, modern residential accommodation is taking place elsewhere on campus, they have to struggle on with a decrepit storage shed, with just one working lightbulb and a few pieces of rope that span the room. This is hardly the kind of facilities we would expect from a university that is attracting increasing numbers of students based on its “ideal location for canoeing and kayaking” in “adventure capital of the UK” to quote its own website.
Some Progress
The University has begun to make some progress however.
Turn to page 3
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