SECTARIANISM still blights Glasgow communities, claim charity bosses.

A summer-long scheme to help stamp out sectarianism has shown there is still work to be done to tackle the problem.

Children's charity Aberlour held a six-week football programme in the grounds of Tinto Primary School.

It's aim was to bring together local youngsters from different backgrounds and teach them about treating one another with respect.

Organiser David Kelly, of Aberlour Youthpoint Glasgow, said dozens of children attended week after week and gave their full attention to the project.

But sectarian language was a constant problem.

David Kelly, Young People's Worker/Anti Sectarianism Worker with Aberlour Youthpoint, said: "Sectarian language, as yet, hasn't reached the stage where its use is socially unacceptable.

"We've had young people aged 11 and 12 using sectarian language. We've had young people being prejudicial to others based upon the football top they are wearing, due to the assumption that their top denotes what religion that person is.

"Therefore, if the youth of today are still behaving in these ways, it seems clear that sectarianism is still a prevalent issue in Scotland."

David said there were some nights where coaches had to organises 20-a-side games on the pitch because so many had turned up to the Kennishead sports scheme.

Aberlour bosses arranged for coaching from Rangers and Celtic, which was paid for with support from Pastor Don Palmer of nearby Auldhouse Community Church.

This is the second year of the Tinto Summer Programme, which began after an appeal from a local youngster to allow children to use the school pitches.

Pupil Ryan Davidson wrote to local councillor Josephine Docherty to ask for the pitches to be opened after school to allow him to play football with his friends.

From there the summer programme was formed, giving children and young people the chance to take part in sports.

David said: "Some of the young people came from deprived areas, some came with their carers and some were left at the end of the night and not picked up at all.

"But we also had children from better off areas and we had a mix of all sorts of nationalities, so it was a good cross section of the community.

"About 90% of the time things were brilliant but there were the flare ups."

Although the summer programme was about sport, David said staff used the scheme as a teaching opportunity for young people.

They would talk about the history of sectarianism and explain why it is unacceptable.

David added: "We tried to explain that words can have as much damage as physical abuse.

"Sectarianism is not dead, contrary to what a few academics and a host of other experts believe. Maybe these experts don't live in the communities which our young people reside in and don't hear their sectarian views, language or see their sectarian behaviour.

"During this summer programme and quite visibly throughout the year within our core group of young people in Kennishead, it has been plain to see that sectarian attitudes and behaviours are still an every day part of these young people and their communities lives.

"So we applaud the Scottish Government for addressing an issue which has blighted our nation for centuries but equally so, we would urge them to realise that although progress has been made, the problem still exists and current levels of funding to the projects fighting sectarianism we hope shall be at least maintained if not increased in the future.

"A problem which has been present in Scotland for hundreds of years cannot be wiped out quickly. So let's build upon the progress and eventually make sectarianism a thing of the past."