Some of the 250 children left gutted after heartless thieves stole their club’s goals have been able to start playing again after a kind-hearted business stepped in to help the Renton club.

The thieves who nicked three sets of seven-a-side goals and one set of 11-a-side portable football goals, previously gifted to Renton Craigandro FC, have not yet been caught and the equipment worth £10,404 has not been recovered.

But some of the children, who play seven-a-side, have been able to start playing again after Old Kilpatrick business R.B. Steel gave the club a set of seven-a-side goals.

Brian Gillies, chairperson of Craigandro, said: “All of our goals were taken. The donation of the seven-aside goals was a great gesture and we are very grateful. It has made a difference as it gets us started again in some capacity, but we are still actively seeking to replace all the goals.”

A fundraising page earlier set up to raise £7,000 to replace all of the equipment stolen from the club, which has players aged from three to 14 years old, has so far raised more than £300.

The aluminium goals had been gifted to the club last October to assist with their plans to redevelop and improve the football pitches at Wylie Park, where the club hopes to complete an asset transfer from West Dunbartonshire Council by this summer.

In the wake of the theft, however, the club has also received the positive news that they are to receive a funding boost from the council.

The club put in two applications for £5,000 each in the latest round of the council’s community budgeting – one to cover the cost of upgrading the pavilion used by the club which is part of the asset transfer from the council. A major part of this will upgrade the dressing rooms.

The second application is for a garden to bring the community together at an allotment area to be used to grow food for local community foodbanks.

Brian added: “To say we are delighted is an understatement because we got what we asked for in both of the applications we put in. This money will make a huge difference to the up keep of the pavilion. It has not been done in years.

“It has been difficult at this time of year. We lost the goals and just want to thank everyone who has helped do this for the club.”