Hampden kids roar
Pupils from Armadale school join footie festival
Armadale pupils enjoy fun-packed festival
Youngsters from a West Lothian school netted a great day of sporting fun thanks to a football festival.
The children from St Anthony’s Primary School in Armadale got fit and active as the Tesco Bank Football Challenge celebrated the end of the season with a National Festival on the pitch at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
Brighton and Hove Albion player Jamie Murphy was on hand as the children, who have all taken part in six weeks of coaching with the Scottish FA, came together for a funfilled finale at the National Stadium.
Tesco Bank Football Challenge is now in its seventh year, and is run in partnership with the Scottish FA.
Every year the project introduces 20,000 children to football in primary two and three (six to eight years old) across Scotland to help get them involved in a healthy and active lifestyle.
More than 120,000 children across 2200 primary schools in Scotland have now engaged with the country’s leading football participation initiative.
Teachers and volunteers also continue to enjoy the Scottish FA’s in-service programme with more than 7500 now trained to support the growth of football in schools.
Jamie Murphy said: “It has been a fantastic day here at Hampden, and it’s brilliant to see so many boys and girls having fun playing football on the pitch. The Tesco Bank Football Challenge initiative helps to instil the importance of an active lifestyle at an early age and also gives children memories they’ll remember for a long time to come. I’m delighted to have been able to come along today and see the programme in action.”
Jim Fleeting, Scottish FA director of football development, commented: “The Tesco Bank Football Challenge National Festival at Hampden Park is always a great event to be involved with. The initiative encourages children to have fun with football, whilst developing a range of physical and social skills, and today’s event is a celebration of the hard work that has been going on all around the country.”
Adele Mills, senior community investment manager at Tesco Bank, added: “We’re delighted to bring children from St Anthony’s Primary School to Hampden Park for a day of football and fun.
“Helping to instil positive, healthy lifestyle habits in all the children that take part in the initiative is a key part of our Community Programme, and the National Festival is a fantastic setting to inspire children to get active and have fun with their friends.”
It’s a fantastic setting to inspire children to get active and play
Adele Mills