September 2015 has seen a number of Fun Fours Football Festivals take place within Clackmannanshire across venues Tullibody Civic Centre and Lornshill Academy

The first two festivals were open to both boys and girls from all Clackmannanshire primary schools and saw over 300 Primary 4 and 5 children take part on the day. The third festival was a specialised Girls Only Fun Fours Festival. The aim the event, which had over 200 participants, was of growing the girls and women's game and sparking an interest in the sport.

Football Development Officer, Martyn Buckie said, "These festivals provide a fantastic opportunity for children to play against neighbouring school teams through the Fun Fours formats in a safe environment where they can put their skills on show. For many of these children, particularly the young girls, it is their first time playing the game in this structured format. It's great to see everyone get involved and enjoy the experience."

As well as a strong focus being on fun and enjoyment, all players were encouraged to follow the principles of Positive Coaching Scotland (PCS), a fantastic tool encouraging fair play, sportsmanship, respect for others and to honour the game.

Supporting these festivals and putting their coaching and leadership skills into good practice were 18 S3 pupils from Lornshill Academy who are involved in the region's unique Girls Football Academy. These secondary pupils have football coaching sessions embedded within their daily timetable as well as theory and practical sessions around leadership and coach education.

If you would like further information on local football classes and local clubs within the area for boys or girls contact Clackmannanshire Council’s Football Development Officer on 01259452332 or mbuckie@clacks.gov.uk