£500,000 vowed for grassroots football to support ‘next generation’ of heroes
Scotland’s First Minister has announced new funding to inspire youngsters to “follow their sporting dreams”, with John Swinney promising the cash ahead of Scotland’s return to the World Cup.
Mr Swinney has travelled to Boston to watch Steve Clarke’s side take on Haiti in their opening match of the 2026 tournament – the first World Cup the men’s team has qualified for since 1998.
He said the World Cup is an “opportunity to inspire a generation of sporting talent”.
He said a £500,000 World Cup Fund will go towards developing youth programmes for boys and girls.
The announcement came in partnership with the Scottish Football Association (SFA), with chief executive Ian Maxwell saying the funding will “undoubtedly boost efforts to produce the next generation of internationals”.
Mr Swinney also announced £275,000 funding for the charity Street Soccer Scotland to expand its free football and wellbeing sessions.
This money will help support volunteering and coaching opportunities for young people and fund housing assistance, mental health provision, food support and employability services for adults.
The cash was confirmed ahead of the First Minister meeting members of the Tartan Army at the Fifa Fan Festival in Boston ahead of the match.
Mr Swinney said: “As Scotland takes centre stage at the World Cup, I’ll be joining the Tartan Army to show Boston and the world the whole of Scotland will be cheering the team on.
“The excitement around the World Cup demonstrates the strength of football – at home and in Boston, people are celebrating and showing off the very best of Scotland.
“This is a historic moment and our return to the World Cup is an opportunity to inspire a generation of sporting talent.
“To nurture this talent, I am announcing a £500,000 World Cup Fund to support young boys and girls follow their sporting dreams.
“I am also pleased to announce funding in support of the work delivered across the country by Street Soccer Scotland.”
Mr Swinney said these initiatives, together with the Summer of Sport scheme of free and low-cost activities over the coming weeks, will “help create more sporting opportunities for young people across Scotland”.
Mr Maxwell said: “Scotland’s return to the World Cup stage has undoubtedly inspired the nation – from grassroots to the senior game and across society in general.
“We regularly reference the power of football to impact the game and the country and our hope is to use this summer as a springboard to progress in a number of areas.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s investment, which will undoubtedly boost efforts to produce the next generation of internationals, who will hopefully pick up the baton and take us to more tournaments in the future.”
Street Soccer Scotland chief executive David Duke said the funding will help the organisation “support and reach even more communities across Scotland”.
He said: “A significant focus of the network programme is on smaller towns and rural areas, where access to services can be limited and individuals often face additional barriers.
“This funding allows us to provide consistent, trusted support in places where it is needed most, ensuring that people are not left behind because of where they live.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub