THREE Uttoxeter schoolgirls who just want to play football with their friends are desperately appealing for a team to let them play the game they love.
The six-year-old soccer lovers have been searching for a team since July but after being turned away by many of the Uttoxeter junior teams because of their age they are becoming disillusioned.
Their mothers are now appealing for a team to let their daughters join up as they are confused as to why boys in the same school year are being recruited but not them.
Becky Murray, from Uttoxeter, told the Advertiser her daughter Libby and her friends just want to have a kick about with their pals.
She said: “We have just been passed from pillar to post by football teams. We are appealing more than anything as the girls just want to have a kick about really as they are tomboy’s and like a game of football.
“We have been told that they are too young and it’s health and safety but we know there are boys in their school year that are being allowed to play.
“It has left the girls quite disappointed really and we are just a bit confused as to why they can’t play.
“We have also been to one team who promised they would come back to us but they haven’t. It’s not really fair.”
The popularity of women’s football in the UK has been steadily growing in recent years and reached its height this summer as sell-out crowds cheered on the Team GB team at the London Olympics.
Mrs Murray said she would have thought because of that surge in popularity more girls would be being encouraged to take up football and said she hoped that a girl’s team could be established in Uttoxeter in the future.
She said: “With the success of the Olympics and the crowds that the women’s football team were getting you would think it was something that they would like to encourage.
“They just want a kick about — they are friends with the lads and want to have a kick around with them.
“If there was to be a girl’s team that would be ideal. I’m sure there are enough girls who would like to play football after school.”
