Hearts legend booted off pitch

HEARTS legend Henry Smith today hit out at leisure centre bosses after the over-40s league he plays in was thrown out of its regular evening slot following complaints about bad language and rowdy behaviour.

The former Jambos goalkeeper is one of dozens of players aged 40 to 60 who enjoy a weekly run-out in the seniors six-a-side league at Kirkliston Leisure Centre.

But league organisers are angry after being told they can no longer book the Tuesday night session they have been using for nine years.

And they say they are baffled by suggestions the players' swearing and bad behaviour has upset other centre users.

There are now fears the league could fold because some of the teams cannot play on any other night.

Smith, 50, who now works as a postman and lives in Kirkliston, called on Edinburgh Leisure, which runs the centre, to rethink the ban.

He said: "It's enjoyable, fun, competitive and generates a bit of money for the local community.

"There's never been anything like fisticuffs or anything like that. You know what footballers are like there's a few tackles and a few choice words but nothing serious enough to need to call it off. It's ridiculous.

"Hopefully Edinburgh Leisure will change their minds over this or the league is going to face needing to be disbanded."

The organisers of the Kirkliston Seniors League said they were told their players' bad language, rowdy behaviour and poor time-keeping had upset members of the tae-kwon-do class that use the centre after them.

The league features a mixture of levels of player, ranging from those who have never played competitively up to former professional, amateur and junior players.

Smith plays outfield for one team, known as Real Midriff.

Gordon Muir, one of the main organisers of the league, said: "The centre manager has claimed the tae-kwon-do class that are on after us were concerned about the bad language and time-keeping of some of the players.

"But the group have never complained to us. I've approached them about it and they've said they have no problems. We're all older guys and there's never been anything bad.

"It's a really good fun league and there's a great atmosphere."

Mr Muir said he thought the allegations about bad behaviour were being used as an excuse to move the matches to a Sunday when other matches in the seniors league are played.

Tonight will be the first Tuesday that the games have not gone ahead. A "body attack" fitness class has been given the slot.

Seven teams currently play in the league and are made up of men from a variety of professions from areas including Kirkliston, South Queensferry, Bo'ness, Broxburn and Ratho.

Steve Lee, chairman of Kirkliston Community Council and a Real Midriff team-mate of Henry Smith's, said: "We believe that a long-running community-based sporting activity is being sidelined for more profitable, higher profile, leisure classes."

An Edinburgh Leisure spokesman said: "I know that there have been ongoing issues with discipline and there has been discussion about some of the language used. We need to consider the other users of the centre."

Edinburgh Leisure's head of operations Ken Harvey added: "Feedback from the majority of the teams involved suggested that Tuesday night at 6pm was proving to be a difficult slot to keep, particularly for those working in the centre of Edinburgh.

"This, coupled with the fact that the league has recently reduced from ten teams to seven, led the management to cancel the Tuesday slot in favour of additional time on Sunday afternoons."

Henry Smith was signed by Hearts from Leeds United in 1981 and went on to make nearly 600 appearances for the club before moving to Ayr United in 1997.

Taken from the Scotsman