Founder of football school that tackles gang violence thanks tireless volunteers

A Lanarkshire volunteer who started a football school to bring communities together and end gang violence has thanked the tireless volunteers who make it possible.

David O’Neil started the Fernhill Soccer School around 11 years ago to help combat violence among youths in the local area.

Now, the 62-year-old, alongside a group of great coaches, teaches just under 60 kids every Sunday from ages three to 14, and he can’t thank them enough.

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He said: “We started the Fernhill Soccer School to mix the different communities together. There was a lot of trouble, and I was starting to get worried that it was going to go back to how it was when I grew up, where you couldn’t cross a road without trouble.

“Now we have boys that have gone on to play professional football.

“I need to say thanks to all of the coaches who have made this possible, who give up their free time every Sunday to run football to get kids off the street and out house mixing with others.

“Billy Hepburn, Kevin Anderson, Stuart Smith, Gregor McCall, Jack O'Neill, all turn out to coach the kids aged eight to around 14 years. Steven Gibson Craig Ramsay, Stewart O’Neil and Stephen Purse all help out with the three to eight-year-olds, and our heartbeat is our ladies, local councillor Margaret Cowie, Nikki O’Neil,