VALLEYFIELD Bowling Club faced a “struggle to survive” after a nightmare start to the season left them without any premises.

Forced to play their league matches away from home while they tried to find alternative accommodation, they finally got their feet on the green for competitive action in the summer.

Having stayed open, the club’s secretary, Margaret Fulton, said, “From what we were landed with, it’s been a hard fight to survive. We did use the annex of the Valleyfield Sports and Recreation Club but it closed (last year) and the electricity was cut off.

“We had a hut that we sub-leased to the pigeon club and we thought we could have shared it with them and got it refurbished but it was condemned and is due to be knocked down in the next month or two.” President Andrew Hunter managed to find another hut, installed in June, and they hired a temporary loo to meet members’ and guests’ needs.

“What we did was arrange to play all our away games at the start which gave us time to get the temporary loo and hut in place,” Mrs Fulton explained.

Husband Paul cut the green two to three times every week and worked hard to keep the place clean and tidy while Rae Hunter catered for all the league games – without electricity until they got a generator.

Mrs Fulton said they’d had plenty of help from all the members and “tremendous support” from local councillors, Fife Council staff and Fife Voluntary Action, and made it through to the closing of the green this month when the club trophies and awards were presented.

Describing the club as “a very happy and inviting place”, she said, “It caters for the elderly, adults and youngsters and is hoping to create a juniors section next season. It brings community spirit into the heart of the village and would be sadly missed if we were unfortunate enough to lose it.

“Oakley and Blairhall have lost their bowling clubs so we’re the only one left in the West Fife villages. We have about 25 members, our oldest is 87, and the good thing about the bowling club is every member gets a key so they can go and play whenever they want.” Four of the members have taken coaching courses and plan to go round local schools to encourage kids to get bowling, with membership fees for youngsters at just £5 a year.

They’re also drawing up a business plan to keep the club viable – “apart from the community centre there’s not a great deal for the children” – and build in more ways than one.

Mrs Fulton added, “We’ve now had the closing of the green so from now until the new season we’re looking for funding for a larger building, hopefully in place of the temporary loo that’s getting knocked down.”