CLACKMANNANSHIRE footballer Jordan Speirs had to pinch himself after receiving his Bank of Scotland Midnight League Player of the Year award from ex-Scotland manager Alex McLeish.
The Bank of Scotland Midnight League is a network of five-a-side football games that aims to keep youngsters aged between 12 and 16 off the streets and give them something to do on a Friday and Saturday night.
Run in partnership with Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities scheme, Midnight Leagues are played in over 100 communities in all 32 local authorities in Scotland.
The 16-year-old was also treated to a training session in the shadows of Hampden Park before watching the national side draw 2-2 with Poland in their European Championship qualifier.
And while Scotland couldn’t leave Hampden Park victorious, Clackmannanshire Sports Development pupil Speirs was delighted to receive his prestigious award.
He said: “I’ve been involved for five years now. It’s kept me off the streets which is what it’s brilliant for. In our local area there are easily at least 40 kids a night coming down to play so it’s great. 
"My favourite thing is just getting a game of football. At the end of the day on a Friday night, it keeps people off the streets and we just get on with playing football. It’s had a really big impact on my community, it is quite a rough area so the league definitely helps keep people off the streets.
“It’s amazing to be here today, I didn’t think I’d ever get here. Meeting people like Denis Law and Alex McLeish is unreal.
“The league was poorer at the start but it’s grown each year and more people are participating and we’ve got even further to go.”
Former Scotland manager McLeish was in attendance to not only present the trophies but also offer advice to the emerging stars.
And impressed with the talent on show, he believes the Bank of Scotland Midnight League programme is invaluable for helping to nurture the next generation of players.
“It’s a great project and I have been helping the Bank of Scotland and the Midnight League for a few years now,” McLeish said.
“I see a lot of progress in it already and it’s not really about turning them into professionals but more about trying to get them to love the game and to impart their love onto younger kids.
“A lot of these kids are taking on coaching courses which is really encouraging and it’s a pleasure for me to come and do whatever I can to help grass roots.
“The ultimate goal is a pathway to the national team but it’s also about teaching young people about values, discipline and giving them that respect for other people in whatever walk of life they go into.
I think football will do that and when you have a team working together then all those values come to the fore.”
Bank of Scotland Midnight League is a free community football programme delivered across all 32 local authorities in Scotland, aimed at boys and girls aged 12-16. For more information visit: www.scottishfa.co.uk/midnightleague