TEENAGERS - mostly boys - are hanging around in the street outside a Greenock sports centre on a Friday night.

Nothing unusual in that, you might say. But these youngsters have no intention of getting drunk or causing trouble.

They are waiting for their turn to play football.

A new scheme, aimed at giving teenagers something to do in the evenings, is proving to be a huge success.

Five-a-side football games, the Bank of Scotland 'Midnight Leagues', now run on Friday nights between 8pm and 10pm at Greenock Sports Centre, Port Glasgow High School and Lady Octavia Sports Centre.

Police say it"s a great idea, politicians have welcomed it and organiser, Inverclyde Council"s youth development football officer Stewart Raffery, have all hailed it a great success.

But what to the young people think?

Telegraph reporter Lorna Campbell went along to Friday"s session at Lady Octavia Sports centre.

She discovered that most of the young people there had heard about the scheme through their friends or had watched the games taking place on the outside pitches.

One group of youngsters from Maukinhill saw the matches being played from the side of the road and asked if they could join in. The next week they showed up with their own team.

Members of another group said: `Our youth club told us about it and we just got five mates together and came down.` One group of 13-year-olds said they had heard people talking about it at school.

When they are asked what they would be doing if they weren't here the responses are similar. `We'd be getting a chase off the polis,` said one 13-year-old.

A 15-year-old said: `We would be round at someone's house watching TV or walking about the streets.` Asked why he has been coming to the midnight leagues for the past four weeks, he says: `We would just rather be here.` Stephen Kelly, one of the coaches, gives up his Friday evening to supervise and offer advice.

He said: `It is an excellent idea. It is good for their skill levels too. They like to come down here and compete.` Stuart Rafferty, who is running the scheme, said: `This has been a success because it is so local.

`The kids can walk here and they hear about it easily.

`There are 101 teenagers registered across Inverclyde, but more teams of five are coming every week.

`If it is to continue, we need more areas for them to play.

`They would be hanging about street corners if they weren't here. It is better they are in here playing football.`