Community & Leisure - News
Midnight Football is a winner
10 April 2007
The Bank of Scotland Midnight League has proved so popular with teenagers over recent weeks, that it is hoped to continue it during the summer months.
In the eight weeks since the programme started at the Clickimin Centre in Lerwick on 24th February, between thirty and fifty youngsters - mostly teenage boys - have turned out each Saturday night. The aim of the indoor five-a-side football sessions has been to give young people a focus for their energy late on a Saturday night, by providing informal, enjoyable, supervised activity.
This is the first time that Shetland has been involved in the Bank of Scotland Midnight League, that is this year taking place in local authority areas across the whole of Scotland. Given the popularity of the programme in Shetland, it is planned to continue the Midnight League concept during the light evenings of the summer months, when outdoor football could be played late at night.
The programme in Shetland has been led by the Council’s Sport and Leisure Service, working alongside the Council’s Youth Work and Neighbourhood Support Teams, as well as Northern Constabulary and Shetland Recreational Trust.
Commenting on the successes of the Midnight League in Shetland, Bob Kerr, Sports Development Officer with Shetland Islands Council, remarked – “This joint initiative from the Bank of Scotland and the Scottish Football Association has been very popular locally. There is obviously a demand to see the programme running again and we hope to be able to do so during the summer months.”
The first eight weeks of Midnight League programme in Shetland will end at Clickimin this Saturday (14th April), when coaching staff from Ross County and Aberdeen Football Clubs will also be in Shetland to deliver the Easter Soccer School and an adult coaching course. The outdoor football season will begin in the coming weeks as pitches open for summer fixtures.
ENDS