There is little wrong with Wolves’ facilities here in Grangemouth.
The pitches are good quality and only a couple of goal kicks down the road from their luxury four-star hotel.
It boasts a heated indoor pool, gym and good food - but they could have chosen a safer area.
It turns out we’re in what’s known as the ‘blast zone’, a safety ring covering Falkirk, Grangemouth and the surrounding area.
It is forbidden in these parts to have a gathering exceeding 10,000 people – in case one of the many refineries around here blows up.
The finishing of Falkirk’s new 10,000-seater stadium isn’t affected, but future phases aimed at funding the project – including a £4m training centre for petro-chemical technicians – now face significant hold-ups and possible rejection.
The problem stems from a decision by Falkirk Council to grant a licence to Avecia in Grangemouth to store ‘generic very toxic chemicals’.
The Health and Safety Executive claims this decision legally forced it to increase the blast zone boundaries around the chemical company for safety reasons.
As if that wasn’t enough, Falkirk FC stopped using the Lower Kerse training pitches currently occupied by Wolves, after one of their young players was electrocuted.
Defender Craig Gowans, 17, died when a metal pole he was carrying came into contact with power lines that lie above the pitches on 8 July 2005.
He had been moving 20ft tall transportable nets designed to stop stray balls behind the goals, when a supporting pole struck an overhead power cable.
The club was later fined £4,000 for failing to ensure the player’s safety. Since the tragedy, Falkirk train at Stirling University instead.
Back at the squad’s hotel restaurant, the mountains of chicken, rice, pasta and vegetables served hasn’t been sufficient for some hungry Wolves players.
A couple of players have been known to sneakily call room service and order steak sandwiches!
In other news, his team-mates dubbed it ‘a collector’s item,’ The cynics in the Wolves camp added Michael Gray’s goal was right up there with penny blacks and four-leafed clovers.
Gray’s angled right-footed strike at training yesterday proved the main talking point as the players trooped back to their hotel afterwards.
“You never lose it,” smiled Gray, who is expected to sign a new, one-year contract shortly.
“Make sure you that gets in the paper!” called out Jody Craddock about the strike.
We’re happy to oblige, Jody.
Finally, Wolves fans showed their compassionate side last night at Motherwell.
A bouquet of flowers was presented to the Fir Park club by 10-year-old Wolves fan Jamie Butler, on behalf of the Wolves Travel Club, in memory of Phil O’Donnell, the Motherwell captain who died after collapsing on the pitch.
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all sound in good spirits and a nice toutch with the flowers
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Class act Wolves. The management at Molineux can always be relied on to ‘do the decent thing’.
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