HUNDREDS of youngsters had a ball at a mass football kickabout.

East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure teamed up with the Tesco Bank Football Challenge and the Scottish Football Association to stage a festival of football for 540 Primary 2 pupils.

The youngsters from 11 primary schools in East Renfrewshire had been given six weeks of football coaching as part of the two-year flagship participation programme.

Anthony McReavy, chief executive of ERCL said: “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 - Mearns, St Marks, Uplawmoor, Thornliebank, St John’s, St Thomas, Our Lady of the Missions, Neilston, Carlibar, Cross Arthurlie, Springhill and Auchenback primaries.”