Beloved Lanarkshire sports club faces uncertain future as council closes venue for repairs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Concerned members of the community, politicians and one of the world’s most famous comic-book writers have issued passionate pleas to save a beloved Lanarkshire sports club after the council shut down its venue for repairs.Hundreds of people attended a protest event at the Janet Hamilton Centre in Coatbridge on Sunday as the hugely successful Bannan Fitness Club faces an uncertain future.The council say “no decision” has been taken over the fate of the Langloan Street centre, which is now closed for “safety reasons” based on advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the local authority’s health and safety team.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android However, many locals fear the popular, successful Bannan Fitness Club, where the likes of boxing champion Ricky Burns and athlete Liz McColgan trained, may be taken away from the community.

The club, which has more than 200 members, is run by Pat Bannan, brother of the late Rab Bannan who trained Ricky Burns and received a BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero award back in late 2015 for his wonderful work developing boxing at grassroots level for more than four decades.

Pat is determined to maintain his brother’s legacy and maintain the club’s “crucial” presence in Monklands. Pat told Lanarkshire Live: “Bannan Fitness has been operating at the same