National cup glory for schoolgirl football team
A REMARKABLE cup run saw a Valley schoolgirl football team crowned joint English Cup winners.
Alder Grange under-14s had reached the semifinal the season before, and went one better during a rollercoaster run to the final of the national competition.
Unfortunately, the final was abandoned due to Covid, with the Rawtenstall girls’ opponents unable to fulfill the fixture, but still saw glory for the Alder Grange side.
The English Cup is the most prestigious football competition offered to pupils in school so once the start of the season comes around, the excitement levels are high.
Coach Spencer Bibby said: “The school have never achieved such success within the footballing competitions. Credit goes to such a formidable team who have therefore reached the top four and two teams within the country, two years in a row. They are an amazing group of girls who deserved to play in a National Cup final. They will try again next season to replicate this success and hopefully go one step further.
“The girls were extremely excited and fancied their chances to win the whole thing. A few days before the final was due to take place, staff at Alder Grange were notified by the ESFA that the final would no longer take place. The Cherwell School from Oxford who were the opponents no longer wanted to travel and fulfil the fixture.” The girls kicked off the competition back in October 2019 with a thumping 13-0 win at Great Sankey in Warrington, and overcame a local derby against a strong
Haslingden High side, a tense quarter final penalty shootout at Ovingham Middle School in the north east, where they fought back from a 2-0 deficit, and then a lengthy break before the semifinals due to Covid restrictions. They avenged last season’s conquerors The Priory School in a repeat of their last four fixture.