Linstone successfully obtained free tickets to a Hampden clash between Scotland’s star women players and Jamaica thanks to a kind offer from the Scottish Football Association (SFA).

The SFA provided 220 tickets to the Association as part of the continuing drive to promote the growing popularity of women’s football.

So Linstone swung into action and started ringing round various community groups offering the match tickets and lots snapped them up.

The current FIFA Women’s World Cup has prompted a worldwide surge in interest in the women’s game.

The match against Jamaica was the perfect curtain-raiser and despite Scotland going out of the competition, there seems to be no let up in the enthusiasm for it.

Linstone undertook the fee handout of tickets as part of is ‘Linstone 20/20’ initiative funded by the Scottish Government’s Social Economy Growth Fund.

Linstone 20/20 – which takes its name from Linstone’s 20th anniversary in 2018 and its ongoing vision for the future - is a project to support communities, promote social inclusion and increase employment opportunities.

It also seeks to increase ‘community cohesion’ by creating a sense of belonging and neighbourliness and building confidence, personal resilience and providing opportunities to support and inspire others.

One of the groups – the Fordbank Cubs and Scouts - in Johnstone were full of enthusiasm for their trip to the match declaring: “The kids were buzzing along with leaders and parents with a crowd of over 18,000.  The atmosphere in the stadium was astonishing.”

A spokesperson for Linstone said: “Thanks to the SFA, 220 young people and adults were enthralled with the experience of going to Hampden Park to watch the Scotland Women’s Team. With women’s football proving increasingly popular it was the ideal opportunity to bring people together on an important sporting occasion.

“We thank the SFA for helping us to make this a night to remember for so many people in Renfrewshire.”