Slippery slope: Scottish soccer club calls for donations after points deduction for uneven field

BONNYRIGG, Scotland (AP) — A lowly Scottish soccer club which once had “James Bond” actor Sean Connery on its books has been given a six-point deduction for having a sloping field. Now Bonnyrigg Rose is calling on its fans to help raise more than $127,000 to level out the playing surface and ensure the team doesn’t receive any further punishments. Bonnyrigg was promoted to Scottish League Two in 2022 and has faced pressure from soccer authorities to fix the uneven field at its New Dundas Park home to meet the minimum requirements of the league. Bonnyrigg needs to provide details on how it plans to start levelling the field next summer. Bonnyrigg lists Connery, who died in 2020, as one of its notable former junior players.