Do you know a girl who loves to play football for fun and would like to be the next Beth Mead or Mary Earps?
Bollington United Football Club, over the last two years, have developed an exciting opportunity for girls Under 11 to join a club that encourages fun and friendship through the game of football.
The group of 5- to 11-year-olds called the “Wildcats”, are part funded by a Football Association initiative. Sessions are run on behalf of the club by Bollington based coaching company, Goal Coaching, and are held every Wednesday during term time for one hour from 18:30 to 19:30 at All Hallows School, in Macclesfield. From this group of “Wildcats” the club has been able to form their first ever all girls team, the “Under 10 Nancy Whites”, named in tribute to the town’s ‘pride and joy, White Nancy’. Proudly the team have been accepted into the Stockport Girls Football League, where they play matches on a Saturday morning.
The ‘Wildcats’ and ‘Nancy Whites’ are sponsored by three local firms, Aerofoil Energy Ltd, Williamson Safety, and the 61508 Association. The club is very grateful for all the sponsorship that they receive.
The ‘Nancy Whites’ team are managed by the enthusiastic and passionate, local Mum, Claire Alkaya, along with assistant manager, Andrew Morris, and are coached by head coach Plamen Pantev and assistant coach Ria Horsley. After every game Claire reports back to “Coach P”, citing the highs and the lows i.e. what the girls did well and what they need to work on. The girls, themselves have formed strong friendships and win or lose, they always enjoy the games and celebrate together.
Claire Alkaya says, “Seeing them develop and building their confidence week-on-week is amazing. I feel like a mother hen and the girls are my extended family.”
Freja Salthouse, age 8 says “Watching the ‘Lionesses’ on TV and my dad’s love of football made me want to learn to play. I like playing in the striker position and eventually want to learn how to score using the ‘Scorpion Kick’ technique.”
There are twenty-three ‘Wildcats’ girls now registered. However, the club would be delighted to welcome more to enable them to form further girls’ teams of different age groups.
To help group bonding and further their friendships the girls are given frequent additional ‘treats’, such as tickets to watch Manchester United Women, and the annual club Christmas trip to watch a film at Cinemac.
Eleanor Rowley, age 8 says “I am really enjoying making new friends from other schools and playing on the team. I feel proud to be representing the girls of Bollington.”
Niamh Lee, age 9 says “My mum and dad got me into football by playing in the park together. I now like practicing the skills I have learnt in training, with my dad. I have made so many new friends and I love playing on the team every week in matches.”
Football loving adults wanted too!
Are you an adult who would like to be a coach or manage a local girls’ or boys’ team?
Bollington United Football Club currently have two ladies’ who together manage one of the boy’s teams, so the club now has three female managers and one female assistant coach who is just starting out on her coaching journey, learning the ropes, and doing courses in the hope to achieve a qualification.
Therefore, as well as encouraging more girls to play football, the club is also keen to encourage more women to become managers and coaches too. The FA are helping with this by offering funded places on courses to encourage diversity into Grassroots Football.
Claire says, “I feel incredibly well supported by the club as a female manager and would like to encourage more women to get involved with the club.”
If you are interested in any of these opportunities or have children interested in learning to play football, please send an email to chair@bollingtonunited.co.uk & we will be delighted to hear from you. You can also keep up with the latest news on the Bollington United Football Club Website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
Bollington Live wishes the girls every success in their new venture in the league but, more importantly, hope they continue to enjoy the friendships they make and the fun they have playing football.