Furious members of the Mariner Centre’s squash team have told council bosses that the “short-sighted” decision to get rid of the facilities’ specialist courts will kill the sport for good in the local area. The successful squad, who have happily played out of the Camelon-based site for 30 years, first learned that their base would be closing as early as next month recently via email with no official consultation process having taken place. The facility is set to undergo a revamp, with ‘minor works’ including the removal of the squash courts in order to allow for the council’s gymnastics programme to mainly run out of the Mariner Centre. Members agreed the move from the Carron Gymnastics Centre in order to avoid a price hike for clubs and members due to a significant maintenance backlog. The gymnastics programme currently provides for around 1,000 people. And although the squad team are sympathetic to the needs of the gymnastics community - they don’t believe change should come at the expense of ending the ability to play another sport. Speaking to the Falkirk Herald, original team member and current captain Andy Meldrum explained why the alternatives on offer simply aren’t viable. He said: “We have played out of the Mariner Centre for as the Mariner’s squad team for 30 years. Myself and another member Craig are originals and have been here from the start. Over the years, we have slowly seen squash courts close across the local area. There used to be three in Grangemouth for example. The Mariner Centre has always had two courts and you need that to be able to play a proper match. “Now they are going to be taken away without any consultation. That is the disappointing thing. The first correspondence we received was a generic email explaining that they were going to close with the new season just around the corner. The team will have to fold in the next couple of months and any squash locally will all-but disappear. The other local courts that are recommended by the council are unsuitable. You need two courts to play a match and the level of neglect to the other locations has left the courts basically unusable. Both venues have no viewing area so you cannot mark a match. The nearest usable courts are in Linlithgow but it is a private club that is too busy to get a booking. We can’t even take our team elsewhere. Meldrum - who has led the team to two Crieff Squash League titles in the previous three seasons - also highlighted the fact that participation in squash is on the rise ahead of the sport being part of the the next Olympic Games in 2028. “Squash is going to be a new sport at the next Olympics,” he added. “It is the worst time to close courts - the sport is actually getting more popular again and Scottish Squash are reporting that. It is a short-sighted decision. We have no issues with gymnastics but squash requires a unique court. They’ve thrown 30 years of squash under the bus. We have also queried the council’s claim that weekly usage for gymnastics is 16 times more than squash. We didn’t hear anything back.” Scottish Squash’s new chief executive officer Paul Macari also spoke of the sport’s “real resurgence” in recent times, saying that the council’s call to close the courts should be reviewed. The governing body hope that the team’s future can be still saved. He said: "Scottish Squash is disappointed at the decision of Falkirk Council to close the squash courts at the Mariner Centre without any consultation with the local squash playing community. These courts have been a vital part of our community for years — not just for sport, but for connection, health, and wellbeing. "This decision comes at a time when squash is seeing a real resurgence, with growing participation in Scotland across all ages and its recent inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games. To remove access now, without involving the very people who use and value these courts, is short-sighted and demonstrates a lack of transparency. " “We acknowledge the financial pressures that many councils are under throughout Scotland, however we would urge the decision makers to review options to create a multi-use facility and market this effectively to maximise usage for gymnastics and squash. This would generate additional revenue and secure a venue for the Mariner squash team to continue playing in the local leagues." Falkirk Council say that the move to bring gymnastics to the Mariner Centre “was not taken lightly” and that the courts which host squash and table tennis are “empty 90 per cent of the time”. A spokesperson confirmed: “We recognise the squash courts at the Mariner Centre were valued by a small group of users and the decision to repurpose them was not taken lightly. The change supports wider plans to make better use of Council facilities and reflect current participation trends. Gymnastics now sees over 16 times the weekly use compared with squash, with the courts being empty around 90 per cent of the time. “We understand frustration about the lack of consultation. The decision was part of the Council’s Strategic Property Review, and consultation wasn’t held in advance to avoid confusion over whether a decision had already been made. We’ve since responded to feedback from users and elected members. Squash courts remain available at Polmont and Denny. Future plans, including the Sport & Leisure Strategy, will look at how best to meet changing needs for all users.”