Outcry over girls’ football shake-up
AN FA move to improve the way the most talented girl footballers progress to England level has backfired, with irate parents launching a campaign over lost facilities.
Strict new FA requirements about standards, facilities and staffing of the re-named regional talent clubs mean county FAs and professional clubs, including Watford and Fulham, have not applied for one of the 35 licences.
The result is that coaching of the best girls from ages eight to 16 is not being evenly spread around the country.
The Middlesex girls’ centre of excellence is closing down after eight years because it will not be financially viable after the changes. Soon, the best girl footballers in the most populous county will have to travel hours across London for training at Charlton, Southampton, Brighton or Chelsea’s centre at Cobham.
This has led to Helen John, whose promising 12-year- old daughter Clara is one of those affected by the changes, starting a petition: ‘ Fair access to elite girls’ football — end postcode lottery changes.’
John has written to Baroness Sue Campbell, the new head of women’s football at the FA, and Minister for Sport Tracey Crouch.
Her correspondence includes heartfelt letters from the Middlesex Under 13 team, with Charlotte Halpin writing: ‘I am so sad, shocked and disappointed that people can shatter the Middlesex girls’ hopes and dreams of becoming professional footballers.’
The FA say the strategy for girls’ football will become clearer when the 35 licences across three tiers are awarded on Friday. HEREFORD have reached a compromise with the FA over taking their famous bull mascot into Wembley before the FA Vase final against Morpeth Town on May 22. The Hawkesbury Ronaldo (right) will be allowed into the stadium 90 minutes ahead of kick-off to be paraded at the Hereford supporters’ end of the ground — but not around the pitch. THE Sport Industry Awards, being staged next week, never fail to deliver bizarre shortlists, with governing body of the year taking the 2016 prize. Premiership Rugby are included but not the RFU, who staged the best ever Rugby World Cup irrespective of England’s failings.
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