'The Lionesses inspired me' - Brighton football club seeking players

Girls between five and 14 years old can sign up for the Brighton and Hove Foundation’s sessions, held at the Brighton Girls school in Montpelier Road on Tuesday evenings.

The foundation runs football schools across the county to encourage girls and boys to get involved in the game but this is the first time it has opened one at an all-girls school.

Women and Girls’ development officer Nathan Casselton said: “There has been a massive surge in interest in the game from girls and women since the success of the Lionesses and I believe that in a year or two, we will have as many girls as boys joining our soccer schools.

“We will have a female leader here at Brighton Girls, community coach Abbie Burrows, to run the sessions and that’s something we try to do at all our girls soccer schools because it is important that the girls have a female role model.

The sessions are held on Tuesday nights at Brighton Girls (Image: BHAFC)

“It’s also important that children understand through these sessions that it’s not just all about becoming a top player either, there are so many careers around the football industry and that’s something I have spoken about in school assemblies too.

“You don’t have to be a Premier League footballer, you can work in many different roles linked to football.”

Nathan said the football schools are “the first step in a pathway” that Albion operate which could lead to playing in the club’s youth academy.

This is the first time the foundation has opened a club at an all-girls school (Image: BHAFC)

The school’s assistant head of co-curricular Hannah Lowe said: “We are thrilled to have made this partnership with BHAFC.

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“Our girls love football and there’s a huge swell of interest in it so we are building up opportunities for them to play it.

“We are also really keen to make our facilities available to the children of the Brighton”.

Georgie Marchand, 11, said at the first session: “I play football in PE and love it so I thought the football school sounded great. I’ve seen the Lionesses play and it made me think I should give it a go and try something new. It’s great fun.”