Forest football pitch will be lasting legacy

A FOOTBALL match held in a forest will leave a lasting legacy for future generations, according to Scottish Secretary Michael Moore.

Forest Pitch, near Selkirk, was created by Edinburgh artist Craig Coulthard as part of the artistic celebrations for the 2012 Olympics.

A large part of the forest was cleared and the pitch built at a cost of £460,000.

A day of football matches was originally scheduled for earlier in the summer but had to be postponed.

The event finally went ahead at the weekend and the pitch will now evolve into a “ghost” pitch for up to 60 years. Mr Moore said: “What a fantastic few decades lie before us as we move from the sporting encounters through the creation of this artwork in its many different phases.”