A CHARITY football match was held in Menstrie at the weekend to help raise funds for Tullibody youngster Alfie McAusland.

The five-year-old suffers from diplegic cerebral palsy and his parents are hoping to improve his mobility through Advanced BioMechanical Rehabilitation (ABR) therapy.

However, the treatment can cost around £5000 a year and so Natalie and Chris have launched a fundraising campaign to gather the money needed.

The couple held their first event earlier this month with a bag packing day at Morrisons in Alloa, raising more than £650 in the process.

But thanks to organisers Craig and William Duncan, they will be able to add around £1000 more to the fund.

The duo arranged for a Rangers and Celtic team to play each other at Menstrie Park on Sunday, with William taking on refereeing duties.

Natalie told the Advertiser: "It was a great turnout; quite a lot of people turned up and there were a good few families at the pitchside during the game.

"It turned out to be a lovely day – thankfully, it stayed dry.

"There was a lot of banter between the two teams on the day. They played as close to the 90 minutes as they could; I think there might have been some sore legs on Monday."

Young Alfie, who is attending what is his first week of school, was one of the more excited spectators at the weekend.

His mum said: "He really enjoyed it, though he couldn't understand why he wasn't playing. The grass was just a bit too soft for his chair or he would've been out there.

"He loves to be the centre of attention," she added. "The players all took time to come over and speak to him and give him a high-five.

"Although there are still some sponsor money to collect, I think we've managed to raise over £1000, so it was really successful."

To help support Alfie, head over to his Just4Children site, or get in touch via the Alfie Wants to Walk Facebook page.