In the heart of Castlemilk, a cherished tradition thrived for years, resonating through the lives of notable figures like Eddie Gray, James McCarthy, James McArthur, and Arthur Graham. These individuals, celebrated in a vibrant mural at the Barlia community center, embody the spirit of the neighborhood’s local heroes.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the air would fill with the calls of parents from windows, sometimes prompting impromptu search parties, all signaling to children that their playtime had ended. It marked the moment to leave the makeshift pitches and head home.
Thanks to the efforts of the Castlemilk Community Trust, this time-honored ritual carries on, albeit with a modern twist, preserving a piece of the community’s cherished past.
Harkins embodies this rich history and vibrant culture. At 57, he remains a true son of Castlemilk, born and raised on Cavin Drive, just across from the famed Gray family. While his neighbors, Frank and Eddie, donned the Scotland jerseys, Harkins pursued football at the amateur level, yet his contributions to the community have left a lasting legacy.
Often found at the entrance, overseeing the collections at the gate, Harkins eschews any notion of grandeur. However, those around him acknowledge his incredible influence, crediting him with a pivotal role in transforming this corner of Castlemilk. Visitors and volunteers alike speak with respect, marveling at the positive changes he has helped bring about.
The £1.5m Barlia football centre is a hub for the community and home to Castlemilk juniors
Most are men of a certain age. Their playing days are far behind them. But they can recall the red blaes that scoured their legs, the games in the back court and the call home after hours of effort.
‘Wait till you see it,’ one informs me with pride as I walk towards the gate. It is an impressive sight. The club sits high on a hill and the pitches lie at one’s feet. They are accessed by a stroll down a path and onto the immaculate surface.
It was not always thus. This facility lay abandoned. The area was covered in graffiti and the old pitch was scarred by the wounds inflicted by fires started by vandals.
‘You can see that is no longer the case,’ says Harkins. ‘The pitch is pristine, there is no graffiti and there is a sense of ownership among the people who come here.’
The view from the top is wonderful but it is surpassed by the scale of the achievements of the trust in just four years. ‘Tons of rubbish had to be moved from here,’ says Harkins. The laying of a new pitch and the refurbishment of the centre cost about £1.5million. It came largely from the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the SFA.
But it only was attracted by the hard work of the trust. Since 2022, it has revamped a facility that was closed for two years, provided a home pitch to 24 local teams, delivered free football camps, and provided the community with a hub.
‘We have more than 1,000 people passing through here every week, using the facilities,’ says Harkins. ‘The new club that plays today is the latest move. We have an amateur side and an under-20s but the next step was to have a side in the West of Scotland Football League.’
For many years, the oft-asked question was why Castlemilk did not have a ‘Junior side’. They have one now and it played well here, winning 6-1 in a fourth division match against fellow newcomers St Pat’s.
‘A record attendance today,’ Harkins says with a smile as he notes 201 paid at the gate.
This pensioner found it a smashing deal. It is possible to get change out of a tenner at my age after paying in, buying a half-time draw ticket and a coffee and pie.
The tour came for free. Jim Fay, who manages the facility, showed the dressing-rooms with lighting that can be adjusted to match the colour of strips, the boardroom resplendent with trophies from the amateur era, and the café area that looks on the pitches. ‘It is some place,’ he says.
John Harkins has been a driving force in his role as charity manager of the community trust
There is a hint of stardust in this immaculate setting. Denis McDaid, the manager of the team, is determined to focus on his club’s progress and ambitions. But he has a cv that sparkles with the names of Scottish football royalty. He played with Stevie Clarke, future national coach, at St Mirren Boys’ Club, signed for Jim McLean’s Dundee United as a lad and went on to be a coach at Clyde and Hamilton. In the latter post, he watched James McCarthy and James McArthur grow quickly from boys to exceptional players.
‘It’s all about the boys and what we are doing here,’ he insists, waving off inquiries about the old days and concentrating on what has been achieved in Castlemilk. He arrived at the club after Covid and when the work to restructure the centre was gathering pace.
‘The team has made good strides,’ he says. ‘We became a force in amateur football and won five trophies. The step up to the West of Scotland shows ambition and we are all determined to go as high as we can.’
The players are not paid but at least do not have to pay the monthly £40 fee that was mandatory when it was an amateur set-up.
McDaid, a sales manager, gives his time willingly. ‘I am originally from the Gorbals and football has always been with me. I love it at every level. We work hard here and we enjoy it. Let’s see where it takes us.’
Danny Cusick, chair of the trust, knows precisely where it has come from and how the journey was navigated.
‘I am from Castlemilk though I have been away for a long time and have even lived abroad,’ he says. ‘I remember all this as a wee boy. The red ash, no pavilion…’
When approached to help out, he came in with a simple mantra: ‘If you want to do it, do it properly.’
A charity was registered, trustees enlisted and the moves for funding accelerated.
‘I had a background in economic development and once worked for Scottish Enterprise, so that helped,’ he says.
A business plan was drawn up and a 25-year lease obtained. ‘We have raised £1.4m to transform this place.’ He cites both Scottish and UK Governments, Glasgow Council and the SFA as major benefactors.
Castlemilk juniors beat St Patrick’s 6-1 in a West of Scotland League Fourth Division match
‘We have taken this from nothing – worse than nothing given the state of the site – to this impressive facility. It was going to be abandoned. The community would have lost it. The football side is, of course, important but this is a community facility. It’s about much more than happens on the pitch.’
He points out that every day through the summer holidays more than 40 children have come to the centre to play and be fed.
‘For some of these kids it’s the only decent food they will get in a day. That’s my passion – preserving the facility. It’s about football for good and how it enhances the community.’
It is working. ‘Look at this place,’ he says. ‘Not one bit of graffiti, not one bit of vandalism. It is a bit of structure for the kids. The message to them is that you need to look after it, it is yours.’
Outside the cheers ring out and the studs clack as the teams take to the field. It is match day but the importance of the centre stretches into the long nights when boys and girls can play. And dream.
Why not? It was what the Grays and others did in Castlemilk nights of old.