A FOOTBALL club and a children’s charity are working together to help parents tackle their children's bad behaviour.

Middlesbrough FC and Barnardo's are giving 16 parents the chance to take part in a course on parenting - and then go to the match for free.

The idea is to help Middlesbrough parents – especially dads – get involved with parenting programmes and to help them understand their under-fives.

Barnardo's will run a parenting course called 1,2,3 Magic at the football club’s Herlingshaw Centre in Eston, Middlesbrough, between 9.30am and 2pm on March 8.

The course is then followed by the Middlesbrough v Ipswich game and all participants on the course will get a ticket to the match, courtesy of the club.

Jan Dunwoody, from Barnardo’s, said: “1, 2, 3 Magic teaches parents how to discipline their children without arguing or yelling.

“It also teaches mums and dads how to control bad behaviour, how to encourage good behaviour and what to do about problems such as telling lies, sibling rivalry and much more.

"The course is an award winning parenting programme written by an American clinical psychologist, who had discipline problems with his own children.”

Andrew Clay, fundraising manager for the MFC Foundation, said: “We are very pleased to be involved with Barnardo’s in this scheme. It helps us to achieve our aspirations to be an excellent family club.”

The course is now full but more are planned in the future.