A football club are aiming to get closer to the community by offering free season tickets to local schools.
Junior club Ardeer Thistle, who are currently in West League Two, are hoping to bring the area together will dish out free briefs to P1-P7 pupils at Glencairn, Ardeer, Hayocks and St John's.
It comes after the ground was targeted and set on fire by vandals who are believed to be children.
Club manager Paul Kellington hopes that by involving the kids in the area it will decrease the chance of damage to the ground.
Ardeer Thistle's ground set on fire by heartless vandals
Speaking to the Herald, Paul said: “We are going to give free season tickets to the four schools around the area.
“Anyone who is at primary school and would be interested are welcome to take one.
“It’s to try and get us into the community and change the path that Ardeer are going down.
“Also if we can engage with the kids in primary school, hopefully by the time they get to their teen years vandalising our ground won’t be at the forefront of their minds if they have grown up there.
“It will get the kids maybe looking to get on the committee one day, and we also want to start our own youth setup and make our own teams.
“It’s hard to do just now, but if we engage with the kids and they are coming along on the Saturdays then it might be a natural progression for them to come and play with us.
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“Other junior teams already have these systems in place, but it’s maybe a bit easier for them as they carry a big name or carry the financial backing to make it work.
“Ardeer aren’t quite there yet so we decided we would have to give something out first to get the youth system in place.
“Giving out free season tickets won’t cost us much but it benefits everyone really.
“Hopefully it will get their parents along too.”
He added: “It’s a nice wee area and the facilities are great.
“You see the village clubs doing well and they have great community spirit.
“Ardeer isn’t a village, but it’s just as big with the surrounding towns so hopefully we can build that up.”
