Aberdeen gained its first glimpse of a total footballing future as work began on Scotland’s inaugural “Cruyff Court” yesterday.
The former basketball area on Catherine Street will be given a £250,000 facelift to bring Dutch legend Johan Cruyff’s international idea to life in the Granite City.
The facility is an all-weather astroturf playing area which gives young people from underprivileged areas somewhere to develop their sporting skills.
Once it is complete in January, Catherine Street will join more than 200 courts in 19 countries across the globe and become the first of its kind in Scotland.
Elsewhere in the UK, there are two such amenities in London and one in Liverpool.
The plans were approved by councillors in May, and the venture has been backed by Aberdeen-born Scotland and Manchester United great Denis Law.
It will be jointly funded by the latter’s legacy trust, the local authority and the forward-thinking Streetsport organisation.
Cruyff Foundation co-manager, Ivo Schmitt, visited the city yesterday to inspect the development of the project.
He said: “We have big plans to expand in the UK to give children and young people the choice to be empowered with their own healthy choices.
“The structures in the Netherlands are quite similar [to those in the UK], so we can take lessons from there and apply them here.”
David Suttie, a trustee of the Denis Law trust, added that the Granite City’s greatest-ever player was “right behind” the development.
He said: “We have been in talks with the Cryuff Foundation for about two years about bringing this here and we have also received great support from the council.
“These days, children have a lot more choices with their entertainment, i-pads and computer games and the like, but I think these courts offer something really exciting for the younger generation to get active.
“Who knows, we might even get the next Denis Law from the Catherine Street court.”
Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing added: “With work on this new facility starting on site, there is a clear sense of excitement and enthusiasm from children and their families in the area.
“The project serves as a reminder of the importance of having facilities such as this for our children to grow up playing sports and developing healthy lifestyles.”
