PROMISING young footballers are clubbing together to put those less fortunate first this Christmas. 

After the success of last year’s Bring a Toy to Training night, the Alloa Wasps 2009s have committed to repeating the feat.

Coaches have asked the youngsters to give up an item that will then be donated to the Wee County Children’s Christmas Shop – a store with a “take what you need, pay what you can” ethos. 

Allan Webb, one of the coaches, said: “It was very successful [last year]. We filled four or five cars up and parents took them down to the shop that night. 

“We had a good response from the parents and the kids were up for it. It went really really well. Everybody thought it was a good idea and the parents asked us if we were going to do it again.

“We thought it would be good for the kids to donate something which was theirs. It’s something that they were giving up for someone else that would get the use out of it.”

Allan is asking his players to contribute one toy each, whether it is an action figure or a game, so that underprivileged children will have something to play with this Christmas. 

He said: “The way we said it to the parents last year was they would get new stuff, so instead of putting stuff up in the loft, we would pass it on to people that will use it. 

“We all thought it would be something nice to do. The ladies that came up from the charity shop were lovely. They were absolutely delighted, so hopefully it helps out.”

The Wasps have around 25 to 26 people in their team and Allan has invited members of the public to add to the haul his kids will generate by dropping off presents at Alloa Athletic’s stadium on Wednesday, December 6.

Alternatively, donations can be made directly to the pop-up Christmas shop, which will be based at The Hub on Whins Road in Sauchie this year, supported and run by staff of CTSi, Alloa Community Enterprises (ACE) and a dedicated bank of volunteers.