Staying at home has been a central plank of the national strategy to cope with COVID-19. Social isolation has been necessary to limit the pressure on the health and social care sector. Coatbridge Thistle’s chair, Rob MacClaren, has encouraged youngsters from Coatbridge to make a positive video in a stressful time. The video involved team members playing football with toilet rolls.
MacClaren entertains children for a living. Poster printing is useful in the entertainment industry as a promotional tool. MacClaren has commented on the motivation behind his video via the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser:
“I wanted to do something light-hearted and hoped it would get a laugh and make everybody smile, and it’s done what we set out to achieve.”
MacClaren’s daughter Meisha came up with the story narrated in the video. Clips of individuals playing with the toilet rolls had to be edited. This process allowed for a simple plot to emerge. The tale ended with MacClaren being hit by a toilet roll.
Inspiration for the project was partly generated by a WhatsApp group of parents. It was an ordinary conversation about social media that got MacClaren thinking. He has explained that his earlier training videos had not secured a lot of enthusiasm from the children.