Published: Thursday, 12th November, 2009 6:00am

Stars pitch in to help nurture talent

STARS from Hibs and Hearts Football Clubs were on hand to help open Ross High School's first dedicated football pitch last Friday.

Hibee Colin Nish, an ex-pupil at Musselburgh Grammar, and Jambo Ian Black, who attended Ross High, mingled with the youngsters before both schools' under-13s' teams played the first match on the new, plush surface at Ross High playing fields.

The £7,000 pitch is the culmination of months of hard work by a number of local authority departments, with the Healthy Living department donating £1,000 worth of goals for school and community use.

Eamon John, of East Lothian Council, said he was "delighted" that the pitch was operational and hoped that it would further improve the provision of playing fields available to schools and local clubs alike in the Tranent 'cluster' area.

And Mark Urwin, Active School's co-ordinator at Ross High School, added: "I hope that its introduction will further strengthen the pathway from school football to club football."

Ross High School runs four school football teams but, until now, they did not have a dedicated football pitch of their own and had to play matches at other pitches in and around Tranent.

Youth football club Tranent Colts are also expected to benefit from using the new pitch.