The innovative Old Firm Alliance project provides excellent opportunities for Primary 4 children to lead a healthier lifestyle while addressing issues such as community safety and sectarianism. Rangers and Celtic Football Club are committed to working with Glasgow City Council's Education Department to use the powerful influence of football and the Clubs to encourage children to make positive lifestyle choices.

To celebrate the end of the most recent block of coaching an Easter Festival took place at Glasgow Green with 12 schools from all over Glasgow taking part. Over 300 kids attended the festival on the 2 & 3 April, which ran from 10am - 2.30pm each day.

As an added bonus, 3 youth players from the Murray Park Academy (Grant Adams, Archie Campbell and Stephen Forbes) attended, lending a hand to the Community Coaches and helping the kids enjoy themselves even more!

Some of the activities included dribbling, shooting, passing ,control, moves to beat players in 1v1 situations, helping the kids to develop their skills as well as small sided fun games.

On a positive note, the Old Firm Alliance programme has been granted further funding from Glasgow Community Planning Partnership. These Fairer Scotland Funds will enable the programme to continue for a fourth year until March 2009, allow the continued design and implementation of football coaching and educational programmes in more than 100 Primary Schools across Glasgow, providing opportunities to some of Glasgow's most disadvantaged young people.

108 schools are given 8 weeks of coaching by Rangers and Celtic coaches working side by side. Every week the school kids are given a healthy lifestyle message on topics such as diet and nutrition, alcohol, smoking, exercise, flexibility and drug awareness.

In week 8 of the project, the schools come together at various locations for 1 hour workshops on sectarianism, racism and territorialism.

The schools are also given a tour of Ibrox and Celtic Park or a chance to take part in a Football Festival, just like the one held at Glasgow Green!