Girls’ greater brain injury risk from heading pushes FA to act

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The FA’s director of women’s football, Baroness Campbell, has said the governing body will be issuing new guidance for women and girls after a study last week showed teenage girls are twice as likely as boys to suffer a brain injury from heading a football. ‘The fact we’re seeing enough evidence to give us concerns means we’re taking this very seriously, as we should,’ said Campbell. 2 The governing body also say they will aim to ensure that every schoolgirl will have equal access to play football in Pe lessons and extra-curricular clubs by 2024. The FA have established 150 Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships, which currently reach 42 per cent of schools nationally. In the next three years they will look to increase this to 300 in order to reach 90 per cent of schools across england. 3

LeyTon orIenT’S decision to cut ties with their women’s team is baffling. There was no advance warning. This reveals a lack of respect for the players who have worn the badge for the last six years. 4 BIrmInGhAm will be left with a burning sense of injustice if the FA deduct three points from them for fielding an ineligible player against reading. The players felt it was grossly unfair that the FA awarded Tottenham hotspur the points after a game against them was cancelled in January because of Birmingham’s ‘unprecedented’ shortage of players. Three other games were cancelled that weekend, including everton’s after manager Willie Kirk said that Covid infections left him with 14 fit players. Birmingham had even fewer than that available — but were the only side docked points. 5CheLSeA’S

interest in Lauren James presents manchester United with the first challenge of a summer in which they will need to improve their facilities to the level of Chelsea, Arsenal and manchester City to convince players of their ambition. A move would unite James with her brother reece at Chelsea but the 19-year-old would face a greater challenge getting regular starts.