SQUADS of skilful primary two pupils kept their eye on the ball at a mass kickabout in Neilston to celebrate the end of a six-week coaching challenge.

More than 540 youngsters from 11 primary schools across East Renfrewshire turned out at Kingston Playing Fields for the festival of football.

They had all received the specialist football coaching as part of a two-year flagship participation programme, and the event, staged by East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure (ERCL), the Tesco Bank Football Challenge and the Scottish Football Association, provided the perfect platform to show off what they’d learned.

Anthony McReavy, chief executive of ERCL, told the Barrhead News: “This football initiative is a fantastic way of getting youngsters active and healthy.

“When you see hundreds of kids running around playing football in the one place and the same time, it makes you realise that all the effort that goes into the programme is really worthwhile.

“The children taking part certainly had a ball, in more ways than one.”

Adele Mills, community investment manager at Tesco Bank, added: “It was great to see so many children having fun while keeping fit and healthy.”

The schools involved were St Mark’s Primary, St John’s Primary, St Thomas Primary, Carlibar Primary, Cross Arthurlie Primary, Neilston Primary, Springhill and Auchenback Primary, Uplawmoor Primary, Mearns Primary, Thornliebank Primary and Our Lady of the Missions Primary.

For more information, visit corporate.tescobank.com/31/in-the-community/football-challenge/