Two school boys named Daniel, stepped into a lion’s den today unaware of the fact they were creating history.
Daniel McGreechin (12) in primary 7 at Tinto Primary and Daniel Ojonile (11) of the same class at neighbouring St Conval’s Primary were selected to be in a photograph which launched a new scheme of football coaching for both schools together in Tinto’s state of the art, all-weather pitches.
The line up for the historic photograph showing denominational and non-denominational schools – Tinto and St Conval’s Primaries – about to start their joint football coaching sessions with Rangers and Celtic Youth Coaches and alongside Aberlour Child Care workers. All engineered by local councillor, Bailie Josephine Docherty (centre in pink jacket)
This is the first time a denominational and non-denominational school in the area has worked as closely together on such a project.
And, according to Bailie Josephine Docherty, the Newlands/Auldburn Councillor who engineered the coaching and the use of the Tinto facility: ‘It’s unbelievable we’ve actually achieved this.’
Bailie Josephine Docherty is delighted to see the two schools being coached in football together.
The sessions are being given by youth football coaches from Celtic and Rangers Clubs and both Club mascots attended for the photo shoot.
Celtic coach, James McCafferty, and Rangers coach, Brian Matthews, agreed it was a good venture. ‘If we can work together – and they see us doing that – they can play together,’ summed up the Old Firm’s amicable approach. One half of each primary class will be paired with half of the other school’s class. The children get to know each other, learn to play football together and gain respect for each other.
Coaches James McCafferty and Brian Matthews regularly work together but it is the first time they’ve worked together on a joint schools’ programme.
Aberlour Child Care Trust is also involved in the scheme which will run weekly for about three months. Said Paul McNamara of Aberlour’s FACTS programme: ‘This programme stands for Football, Anti-sectarianism and Cyber-bullying Training in Schools. It is an ideal opportunity for us to discover if any of these issues are being experienced among these young people. We can concentrate on the words used and explain that words which are not even acceptable in banter today were commonplace a few years ago. Through this, sectarian attitudes can be addressed and defused.’
The combined football coaching idea came to Bailie Docherty when, on behalf of the City, she hosted a table at a Commonwealth Games banquet last autumn. She said: ‘A Jamaican athletic delegate asked me why our footballers were so poor when we have all these parks. He was astounded to learn that almost every green space has a ‘No Football’ or ‘No Ball Games’ sign on it. That set me thinking and this combined football coaching session is the outcome.’
She added that she was particularly pleased that the all-weather pitch at Tinto Primary School was getting wider use. ‘It is a community facility created with public money but it is not easily available to the wider public.’ The St Conval’s school has no football pitches. All of their pupils who attended the first coaching session walked for 25 minutes to the Tinto School because the hire of school buses is ‘prohibitive’ said teacher Eileen Corr. ‘We took the healthy option,’ she said, smiling.
Tinto’s head teacher, Mrs Monique Kirkwood, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted at this opportunity to work with St Conval’s and for the children to work together. It will help break down barriers. We hope it will be the beginning of many more opportunities.’
Bailie Docherty said: ‘I couldn’t have done this without the help of Aberlour people. They are good at thinking out-the-box to achieve objectives. When this is seen to work, there is no reason it can’t be rolled out across the city.’
Added David Kelly of Aberlour: ‘It is exciting to be a part of this project. It is the first time the government has put serious cash behind sectarian problems in Scotland. The agenda is not set from the top. Our remit is to listen to what the young people themselves are saying; how they express their views and see if there is any trend that needs to be tackled. This way, we hope to make sectarianism a thing of the past.’
David Kelly of Aberlour couldn’t resist having a kick-about himself.
Tinto School’s next door neighbour is the Netherauldhouse Evangelical Church. Pastor Don Palmer told this website: ‘We wanted to use the school’s pitches. But there was too much red tape and the cost was prohibitive – a minimum of £40 an hour. We run various kids’ clubs and would love to be able to use the pitches at the school as we’re cramped for space here.’ He said he hoped the combined schools’ football coaching programme was an indication that the Church’s prayers would be answered. ‘That facility should be used to its maximum capacity as it is a community facility. All kinds of church and community groups should be encouraged to use it. That would be a Win Win situation because this is a deprived community and there is no public space for children to play. And something as good as the all-weather pitches next door should be inclusive of people in the community not exclusive.’
