Proud parents lined up in the Beach Leisure Centre’s sports hall’s court to watch their children play their final game on the last day of the much-loved Aberdeen facility.
A numb sensation of sadness and affection – mixed with a pinch of adrenaline – filled the hall as Cowie Junior Netball Club went head to head with Westhill Netball Club.
After years of weekly practices and tournaments at the Beach Leisure Centre, the 19 girls and their families were the last users to set foot in the sports facility and see it off.
“This has been a home for them and their love for netball,” said Fiona Smith as her daughter entered the Beach Leisure Centre for the final time.
‘Honoured to be here in the Beach Leisure Centre’s final hour’
The “multi-functional venue” run by Sport Aberdeen was earmarked for closure along with Bucksburn Swimming Pool after a £700,000 council funding cut.
It will now be knocked down as part of work on regenerating the seafront.
Lucy Scaife, 46, was one of those “honoured” to be there on the centre’s final day.
Her 16-year-old daughter Elsa Parnaby has been travelling from Stonehaven for practice every Sunday ever since she joined Cowie Junior Netball Club five years ago.
Miss Scaife said: “This is the central point for teams all the way from Banchory, Peterhead, Alford and Stonehaven. It’s not just a blow for Aberdeen, but for the whole of the north-east.
“It’s such a shame they are getting rid of something which is already here, ready to use.”
‘A massive loss for all sports in Aberdeen’
Like Elsa, Mrs Smith’s daughter Katie has also been a regular user of the facility because of her love for netball.
But now, the future of the team – and the prospects of junior netball in the north-east – has been thrown into uncertainty.
Cowie Junior Netball Club coach Trish Morgan Edwards said the centre has been “perfect” for them because its two courts allow teams from all over the country to play.
She now fears the closure could have a knock-on effect on the hundreds of teenage girls involved in the sport if they can’t find a similar venue to accommodate them.
“This place has allowed so many sports to grow in Aberdeen”, she said. “Nobody understands why they are doing this.
“It’s a massive loss for all sports in Aberdeen, but particularly for netball because we use this every week.
“They [the girls] love netball, but the concern is that if they have to go somewhere else, it might be just the really dedicated ones that will continue playing.”
Mrs Smith added: “Netball has created this amazing family for them and it’s a huge part of their lives.
“There are so many girls who give up sport when they get in high school, and these girls are still here – training for hours every Sunday – and we don’t want them to lose that.”
Nostalgic slide down memory flumes
For many others, the Beach Leisure Centre holds dear memories of their childhood.
Friends Megan Divers and Jade Small felt nostalgic as their minds went back to when they were little and would often spent the weekend at the now closed swimming pool.
Miss Small, 31, said: “It reminds me of when my mum and dad used to bring me here to go swimming at the pool – my favourite part being the flumes, of course.
“It’s a very fond memory of my childhood, that I’m sure many others probably have.
“But it’s totally different for kids nowadays. Parents really have to think outside the box to come up with ideas to entertain their children as there is nothing here anymore.”
Miss Divers, 31, added: “There is nothing else to compete with this facility. The swimming pool, the flumes – these are all things kids will be missing out on.
“It’s also been the most affordable option for families and without it, I’m not really sure where people can take their children for a fun day out.”
Aberdeen’s Beach Leisure Centre pool has been making waves since 1989
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