During the last week of September 1930, the Fifth District Council of the County of Lanark (Blantyre and East Kilbride) decided to put into force a by-law prohibiting the playing of games on Sundays in the public parks under the jurisdiction of the Council. The proposal brought forth a lively discussion at the Council meeting but was ultimately carried by 5 votes to 2.

The public park at Glasgow Road, Blantyre at that time, was more an open space than a public park in the real sense of the word, and hitherto games were played for the seven davs of the week. Mr Hugh M. Aitken, M.A., opposing the regulation, stated that the opponents of Sunday afternoon recreation should be logical and attempt to put an end to motoring on that day also and not confine themselves to games only. A Labour member, Mr Thomas McCool, urged that Sunday was the only afternoon during the winter that miners in the district had for recreation.

Mr McCools, observation is still more or less true these days, with weekends being about the only time Sports can be enjoyed away from time constraints of family and work commitments. It is often the only time games can be scheduled, that would guarantee attendance by both players and supporters.

The by-law was clearly overturned at a later date, for as this 1969 picture of my dad playing pitch n putt and the subsequent building of red ash football pitches demonstrate, sports most definitely returned to that Public Park at weekends.