Making a Difference

Involving the Community

Midnight Football Comes to Speyside

In August the Speyside Area Forum played a key role in bringing the ever-popular midnight football league to Speyside for the first time.

The midnight football league was initially started in Moray back in 2004 through funding from the Bank of Scotland and the Scottish Football Association.  The Speyside league, which ran every Friday evening for a seven-week period attracted ? teams of 12-16 year olds to Speyside High School at Aberlour.  The initiative was organised and funded in partnership between the Speyside Area Forum, Moray Council's Sports Development and Community Learning and Development sections, the Speyside Local Community Network and Grampian Police.  It also gained sponsorship from several local businesses, including Diageo and the Mash Tun.

Young Scot and NHS Grampian's Mobile Information Bus also supported the league by advertising the sessions through the Young Scot website and by providing drop-in sessions on the MIB (Mobile Information Bus) between 8.00-10.00pm.  Due to the rurality of Speyside, transport was provided for participants to attend from outlying areas including Tomintoul, Glenlivet, Dufftown, Rothes, Craigellachie and Knockando.

Local police officers deemed the intiative a great success in arresting the growing trend of anti-social behaviour throughout Speyside.