The construction of Dundee’s third full-size 3G pitch will begin within days.
The pitch at the Craigie Community Sports Hub will be the first to accommodate both football and rugby union.
Contractors will step on to the blaes at Craigie High in the next few weeks and, weather permitting, the new pitch should be completed by October.
The stumbling block is a five-figure funding gap, but the committee behind the plan hope to fill that in the coming weeks.
The two-month construction will bring an end to a lengthy process that began with the creation of the Hub as something of a “marriage of convenience”.
Morgan FP AFC was on the lookout for alternative changing facilities and a casual conversation between Dundee United Sports Club’s (DUSC) Jimmy McIlravey and one of the Morgan players led to what was thought to be a short-term “engagement”.
It involved the two clubs sharing the DUSC dressing rooms at Huntly Square, but the relationship became permanent when the two football clubs, together with three other alternative sports, became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation in June 2012.
The Hub’s first target was to turn the old shops in Huntly Square into clubrooms.
A second vision also emerged that of the 3G pitch but while the clubroom plan progressed and was completed in 2012, the pitch remained a pipe dream.
Staring at what seemed a failed idea, it was then Morgan manager Brian McNicoll approached Craigie High School’s business manager with a view to establishing what potential there was to create a 3G pitch at the school.
The Hub’s chairman, Steven Maloney, said: “I believed we were in a position where our idea could become a reality and we were hopeful that a positive outcome would be a real boost to our community.
“More than a little blood, sweat and tears were, however, still needed before we found a speck of light at the end of a very long tunnel.”
Hub secretary George Allan said: “In all we lodged 21 applications to funders, which provided us with 14 setbacks along the way.
“The announcement on June 11 2014 that a £300,000 grant had been awarded by sportscotland was in some ways a massive relief.”
He continued: “In the end our ratio of success was one in three with sportscotland, the Robertson Trust, the Gannochy Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Moffat Charitable Trust, the Scottish Football Partnership and Dundee City Council coming to our rescue.
“The announcement on July 21 that we could finally start the job was rewarding for everyone who has been involved.”
Craigie High School will have free use of the pitch until 5.30pm on weekdays during term time.