Bo'ness United Community FC chiefs hail successful 'School of Football' link-up with Bo'ness Academy

The initiative – the brainchild of Bo’ness United Community FC head of media and communications Aidan Fleming – hasn’t looked back since being set up following meetings between club officials and the school PE department.

The club’s community development officer Murray Hay said: “Within this partnership we have targeted areas where we believe we can help make a difference, the first being a school of football pathway.

"This is where the kids get a choice to have extra sessions of football training where we as a club have employed coaches to help take sessions with their S1, S2 and S3 classes.

“During the last month of helping take these sessions, I can safely say it has been a

massive positive for everyone involved.

“The major benefit is that the kids taking part all leave with a massive smile on their faces after the sessions.

"We have made great working relationships with the school’s PE department and hope to continue to strengthen these bonds and extend the link further in the near future.”

And Bo’ness Academy head of football Ross Binnie added: “With this partnership, coaches have been coming into school to deliver sessions to our Schools of Football.

"Many pupils currently attend the club outside school and have found it very valuable to have coaches that they have worked with previously to continue their football development.

"The expertise of the qualified football coaches has provided the pupils with a fantastic opportunity to learn in a different way from their normal PE sessions.

"It has been a big aim of ours at Bo’ness to develop a link with the community.

"We hope this can continue and allow Bo’ness to continue to improve pupils’

footballing ability and in return hopefully get more pupils to give back to the community as coaches as they get older.”