Soccer school is making a difference to community

A football school which is fighting gang culture in Fernhill and Castlemilk has been praised by a local councillor.

Councillor Gerard Killen paid a visit to Fernhill Soccer School this month and said the work being undertaken by volunteers was making a difference in the community.

Speaking at a meeting of Rutherglen Community Council, councillor Killen congratulated the school in the strides it had made in bringing young people from rival areas, such as Fernhill and Castlemilk, together.

He said:“It’s well attended by all age groups and it has helped a lot with issues up there with anti-social behaviour.

“I went to umpteen meetings in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire to get things settled there. The football has helped a lot; it’s great to see Davy O’Neil and the volunteers up there working so hard.”

Fernhill Soccer School brings young people, from tots to teenagers, together to play football in a fun and inclusive environment at Fernhill Community Centre every week.

The free sessions have attracted children from a number of areas and seen a reduction in gang and territorial related violence and flash points in the past six months.