THE highly successful Midnight Football League concept is getting the backing of local councillors.

The Cowdenbeath Area Committee has agreed to contribute £9250 to ensure the Midnight Football League can continue into 2016 at Beath and Lochgelly High School Community Use departments.

And there are plans to run it at Kelty once the new communty centre opens in the village.

Cowdenbeath Area Committee heard on Wednesday that the Midnight Football League programme encourages participation in physical activity and youth diversion.

Seven Leagues currently run across Fife with over 400 young people taking part.

Three of the leagues are to be local to the Cowdenbeath Area: at Beath and Lochgelly Community Use High Schools on Fridays from 8 to 10pm and it will also take place in Kelty Locality Support Team Leader, Fiona Forbes, told the meeting, “Sessions are aimed at S1 – S6 children and are open to anyone interested in attending.

“Current participants are keen for the programme to continue, and this funding will mean two Fife Council Football Development coaches can run sessions for a further 40 weeks to the end of March 2016 (excluding school holidays).

“With this new funding the Council hopes to attract more than 150 additional young people to take part region wide.” She added, “There is no doubt that the facility has made a major impact on helping young people enjoy their Friday nights and has seen trouble on the streets diminish.” Lochs councillor, Ann Bain, asked, “This is a very successful venture but I am concerned that maybe we are not getting enough females taking part.

“I wonder if we are doing anything to get more involved.” A coach involved in the initiative, Lee Bailey, told the committee there were efforts to get more girls involved taking place and there were situations in other venues outwith the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area, where other events were taking place alongside the football to attract young females.

He also said that Network Rail was one of the partners in the scheme and they had organised British Transport Police to call in on the Lochgelly operation a couple of weeks ago to spread the word about rail safety and it had been well received Councillors agreed it was a highly successful initiative and that the cash would be forthcoming.