If only we had an All Weather Pitch, eh?
Midnight League to Start Again
The Bank of Scotland Midnight League is a national award-winning five-a-side community football development initiative. It is aimed at keeping young boys and girls aged between twelve and nineteen off the streets on Friday and Saturday evenings and subsequently reducing youth crime and anti-social behaviour.
From a successful pilot in some areas of Scotland in 2003, the programme has grown year on year and is now more popular than ever. In the last calendar year, the scheme saw leagues established in all thirty-two Scottish Local Authorities, reaching over two thousand young people.
Argyll and Bute Council’s Midnight League programme starts on Friday 30th January and will be available at Atlantis Leisure, Oban, Kirkmichael Recreation Sports Ground, Helensburgh, Lochgilphead Joint Campus, Rothesay Joint Campus and Dunoon Stadium Astro Pitches.
To get involved, young people should simply turn up and register on one of the nights - it’s free of charge.
Local community police officer Gordon Stewart of Rothesay says "I am really looking forward to working alongside other partner agencies with the Midnight League Football Coaching in Rothesay. This is an excellent diversionary activity that we are having the opportunity to participate in here on Bute."
Adele Mills, Sponsorship Manager for Bank of Scotland commented "Our Midnight League was launched as a pilot scheme in 2003 and it has been a great success across Scotland. In fact, it was voted the Best Community Sports Programme in the UK recently”
The Midnight Leagues are run in partnership between The Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Local Police and Argyll and Bute Council’s Football Development Programme.