LISBON Lion Bertie Auld has pledged his support for a new lifeline service in Glasgow.

Celtic and Partick Thistle fans are being encouraged to take spare tins of food along with their tickets to Sunday's match at Firhill Stadium.

And the former Jags manager has vowed to help boost donations on the day for Greater ­Maryhill Foodbank, which is seeing around 20 different families every week.

The bank is offering support to around 40,000 people in Acre, Cadder, Gilshochill, Maryhill, Milton, Possilpark, Parkhouse, Queen's Cross, Ruchill, Summerston, Woodside and the Wyndford.

It moves to a different location every month giving it a 'spread' across the large geographical area but the charity is hoping to secure a more permanent base.

Unlike other foodbanks clients select their own food rather than being given a bag or box and can choose three items from each section.

Sheila Ramsay, of Maryhill Parish Church, project founders, said: "We heard from our community policeman that people were stealing food.

"As Maryhill Parish Church sits in an area of high deprivation, we also knew that even employed folks were running short on food, as an earlier donation of food to the church had seen a big response from both employed and unemployed people.

"It has been hard, but we have grown together with others in our ­community and now have 18 partner organisations and 45 local volunteers."

The city now has around 15 foodbanks offering lifeline support to families struggling to put meals on the table.

New figures show the number of people relying on food banks to survive has tripled over the last year.

The Trussell Trust, which runs 400 food banks across the UK, said it handed out supplies to more than 350,000 people between April and September this year.

The charity said some people using food banks have started to hand back items that need cooking, as they cannot afford to use the energy.

The foodbank will be at Lambhill Stables ­today from 1-3pm. In November it will move to St Gregory's Church, 130 Kelvindale Road, on Mondays from 10am to 12pm.

caroline.wilson@ eveningtimes.co.uk