WOODLEY UNITED FC are leading the way to support the FA’s new strategy to help girls have equal access in football.
The FA’s new mission for 2020-2024 is that ‘Every girl to have equal access to participate, compete and excel in the game’.
With the Women’s Euro Championships quickly approaching this summer, which will be hosted in England, the Woodley-based football club are doing their part to promote girls football.
Since Summer 2021, the Girl’s section of the club has seen huge growth, in addition to the well-established women’s team and U12 team, Woodley now has an U10 team playing weekly matches in the Berkshire County Girls’ Football League and two U8 teams playing in monthly tournaments.
They also have an energetic group of younger girls not yet competing but enjoying Saturday morning Mini Kickers sessions at Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Woodley.
Amy Hardy, who helps to coach girls sessions at Woodley United, said: “We will not stop here, our aim is to introduce our U7 girls to the monthly tournaments, starting in March 2022 to give them the exciting experience of game play in a relaxed environment.
“We are very grateful to have a number of parent volunteers who are training up as coaches without which none of these plans can develop.”
The u12 team is in its third year of playing matches with many of the girls first attending Woodley United sessions four years ago which were organised and run by members of the club’s ladies’ team acting as role models for the youngsters.
The U12 management team are members of the ladies’ team who ran the initial Saturday sessions.
To celebrate the link between the ladies and girls’ teams, younger players acted as match day mascots to the ladies ahead of their home league game with Ascot United last December 2021.
The club asked some of the girlswhy they like coming to our sessions:
Carys, eight: “I like seeing my friends at football and I’m looking forward to playing in my first tournament.”
Amelie, eight: “I enjoy playing in the matches at the end of training.”
Nessie, eight: “I enjoy the mini matches and being part of a team.”
Niamh, five: “I enjoy the fun warm up games and playing as a team.”
Charlotte, eight: “I love learning new skills at training and playing in matches with my friends.”
Sophie, eight: “I want to be a professional footballer, so I need to learn the skills at training. Football tournaments are really fun with my friends, and we seem to be getting better.”
Ester, seven: “I have loads of fun and like making new friends.”
The club are looking for more girls to join, to make contact and find out more please email:
Amy Hardy amy.hardy@woodleyunitedfc.co.uk or Mark Rozzier mark.rozzier@woodleyunitedfc.co.uk
