Leicester Road FC Ladies set to launch

HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC has launched a Female Football Centre, which will ultimately take in coaching and teams for both junior girls and senior ladies.

It all kicks off later this month on Saturday 25th January (and the first session is FREE) when from 10am11.30am every week at the Leicester Road Stadium there will be coaching sessions for 4-12 year old girls looking to get into football and/or develop their skills further - and even sign up for LRFC.

These fun and creative coaching sessions will be run in conjunction with and by Wigston-based Get Doing, who have an excellent reputation in and around Leicestershire for after schools and community sport activities, with football coaching a particular specialism.

The company is headed up by exLeicester City striker Mick Duffy and he becomes Director of Ladies Football at Leicester Road FC with immediate effect. Apart from regular coaching and establishing competitive LRFC junior girls’ teams in the local leagues, he is also creating a BTEC in Sports especially for young ladies at the club and recruiting for a senior ladies team with Women’s Super League (WSL) ambitions.

Mick explains: “Female football is exploding across Leicestershire and indeed the whole country after England Ladies getting to the semi finals of the World Cup, so we’re really excited about what we’re looking to build at Leicester Road FC.

“The club has the second largest football arena in the county no less with an excellent playing surface, as well as first rate training facilities, plus the 200sqm upper floor of the new clubhouse will ultimately be able to host two lectures of up to 30 scholars simultaneously - so the infrastructure is unrivalled and all part of one facility. Not even Leicester City Women who play in Quorn can say that.

“I know LRFC director Ku Akeredolu well, having played in the same teams as him, and we share the same vision and ambition – and by pooling our expertise, drive and resources together we can put Leicester Road Ladies FC and Hinckley on the burgeoning regional/national women’s football map.”

The initial Saturday sessions will be run by LRFC Ladies Development Manager Leanne Leach, who herself had trials for Arsenal but saw injury cut short a promising professional career. Leanne from Broughton Astley adds: “The early years are vital in a child’s development of key movement and technical areas, so we focus on enjoyable practices to enhance these areas. We’ve already got a number of young girls from Hinckley’s Westfield Junior School interested and once word gets out and others come and try it, we’re confident we can get a few teams up and running for next season.”

Mick adds:

“Youngsters nowadays can be over-coached and a bit robotic, so these 4-12 year sessions are all about simply giving it a go, having fun and enjoyment. We cater for all levels and our motto is let them play, which is something my old pal and team mate Gary Lineker is also a big advocate of.”

Following Saturday 25th January’s free taster, it costs just £4.50 per session and £5 registration per child and for further details email LRFC at: admin@theknitters.co.uk while Mick Duffy is contactable on 07891 586238. For a registration form in advance email Leanne via: getdoing@live. co.uk