These lovely playing fields are going to be sold off by Edinburgh City Council for £10m to a housing developer and the money raised, according to Gyle Ward councillor, Jenny Dawe, will be used to fund the transfer of the roads depot from Russell Road to a proposed new site in Sighthill Industrial Estate. The much-used phrase, 'when it is gone, it is gone', will certainly apply to the lovely grassy recreation area at St Augustine's High School and with 181 housing units planned for the site, the playing fields will be gone for good!

But, while the future may look bleak for football mad kids in this part of Edinburgh, the most positive reply came from all those who contributed to an outstanding mini-festival of football at the school in west Edinburgh.

The local school's under-13s put up a great fight against a superior outfit from Balerno High School in a Edinburgh Secondary Schools FA fixture, before going down 5-2.

As I watched these kids enjoying themselves playing the greatest team game in the world, I keep wondering what is the problem politicians in this city and throughout the rest of Scotland have with regard to football. Why are they always 'putting the boot in' to our young people by selling off playing fields and recreation grounds? Only politicians themselves can answer that baffling question, but I never, ever, come across any one of them in my travels in covering minor-grade sport.

I covered seven football games over the weekend and also attended the Scottish Youth Snooker Association's under-19 championship event at Shandon Snooker Club. On each and every occasion, I came across the most wonderful cross section of young Scots imaginable. The attitude of all those I met was exceptional.

The first of the football games at St Augustine's was, in every respect, a shining example of this. The excitement and enjoyment emanating from both players and spectators alike was evident. Balerno, with a nucleus of players from last season's Inspector's Cup winning Dean Park Primary School in their ranks, were the better side but what a wonderful game St Augustine's made of it.

The sheer honesty of the players on the pitch was something special, too, as the play raged from end to end. Against the run of play, the home side went 1-0 up in the 6th minute with a goal from Dean Carnie. It was a great strike from this good young player, but Balerno hit back to square the game with the equaliser coming from Andrew Ramsey.

From then on, Balerno were never behind, with their second goal coming from Scott Henderson. John Kennedy, in the St Augustine's goal, was the busiest player on the pitch and he was nothing short of magnificent in denying the visiting team time after time with good saves and blocks. Only one goal separated the sides at the break, and the sparkling approach from both sides continued in the second period with Carnie, again, denied an equaliser be a good save from Balerno keeper, Adam Scott.

Then Aiden Murray almost scored for the home outfit, but Scott saved brilliantly again. At the other end of the pitch, St Augustine's No 5, Callum Mein cleared a net-bound shot off the line. And so the game raged on in the most postive fashion, with the visiting side went further in from a Ross Mcnaughton goal. The pressure on the St Augustine's goal continued non-stop, with Kennedy in inspired form. Then the home side found inspiration again and they reduced the deficit when Murray sent a great cross in the visitor's goalmouth for Lawson Bushu to bundle the ball over the line to make it 3-2.

Balerno hit back to resore their two-goal cushion with a spectulative shot from Ross McNaughton finding the back of the net. And, in the final minute of a great wee game of football, the sheer persistence of Scott Henderson was rewarded when he scored a fifth goal for Balerno. Take a bow, both St Augustine's and Balerno!