SIGHTHILL Park, as a venue for football, has not much going for it with most people I meet condemning the place and the ghastly building that passes as a place for kids to leave their clothes and belongings while playing games at this run down public-owned facility.

However, as is the case everywhere in Scotland, Sighthill came alive on Sunday morning with hundreds of people converging on the place for games in the Lothian Buses Eastern Region Youth FA. It was interesting to see the large number of kids that did not leave their clothes and belongings in the ugly building, many of the players chose to take their clothes out to the side of the pitch with them, in their kit bags.

While the featured game was the under-15 Scottish Cup replay between Edinburgh City and Edinburgh City Colts, two other games were played at the same time, with a cracking under-13 clash between AC Oxgangs and a team from Haddington. It was difficult for me to watch and take pictures of the game that topped the bill at Sighthill, but the roars coming from the under-13 game drew the attention of everyone.

Haddington came from behind to beat AC Oxgangs 4-3 in a game that looked to be yet another of the these entirely positive games of football involving youth football clubs. Both these sides had great encouragement from the good role models on both touchlines and how the players responded in this seven-goal thriller.

Oxgangs had the better of the early exchanges but, in a grandstand finish, the team from East Lothian claimed the honours with the final and winning goal being greeted with a tremendous shout from the Haddington touchline while, on the pitch, the players jumped abHut in celebration. Ross Bryden (pen), Andrew Law and Connor Nicolson were on the mark for AC Oxgangs, while Jack McColgan, Stuart McDonald, Matthew Lindsay and James Scrambler were on target for the winners.

It was a 'bad day at the office' for AC Oxgangs, with their under-14 team going down 7-2 to Edinburgh City. Calum Milligan scored a hat-trick for the winners, with other goals coming from Calum Blues (2), Gavin Sullivan and Ryan Ma. Another of the many sides wearing the colours of Edinburgh City were preparing to take the field as cars and people poured out of Sighthill - and who could blame people for wanting to get away from the place.

Toilet facilities for the use of the general public are virtually non-existent and there are certainly no facilities for a cup of tea and something to eat in this football outpost that just about sums up the state of the game, generally, at grass-roots level in Scotland. In a conversation with a local resident out walking his dog, I was told in no uncertain terms what this person thought of politicians who have allowed this facility to become such an eyesore. As in all my travels around Edinburgh and the Lothians, there was not a politician to be seen at Sighthill.

It was the same situation at Warriston Playing Fields on Saturday morning, where hundreds of children and adults were out in force to play and watch first round section ties in the Inspector's Cup. Bog-standard facilities in every respect for the kids and their parents and family friends. Warriston, however, is a wonderful place due to the quality of the pitches at this education-owned venue. For an all-too brief spell on Saturday, the place was alive and kicking with so many kids enjoying themselves in the sunshine. The organisation of all this, however, was in the hands of volunteers, led by 72-year-old Jim Goodwillie.

This wonderful man and exceptional role model, kept everything flowing in his usual immaculate manner, despite suffering agony from pains in his lower back. There were neither politicians or highly-paid council officials present at Warriston and it is a matter of ever-increasing concern to me that they (politicians and officials) do not care about kids playing football in the Capital city of Scotland. They just do not care and that lack of concern is highly visible if you look at the state of the old wooden buildings at this ground and other facilities at Sighthill, Inverleith, East Pilton Park, Bingham, Kingsknowe, Currie, Balerno, Silverknowes, Double Hedges, Inch Park, Seafield, Drumbrae, Cairntow, Fernieside, etc, etc. The list would be much, much longer, but Edinburgh City Council have already sold off so many other school playing fields and recreation grounds. Is Warriston next?