In September a report revealed that over 30,000 women and girls had taken up football in the past two years with their local Football League Club. Brentford FC Community Sports Trust has been important in reaching that figure.
“Over 1,000 women and girls have played football with us” said Jamie Tompkins, Female Development Football Co-ordinator at the Trust. We are one of the biggest schemes in the country.”
In addition to the Female Football Development programme [FFD], which is funded by Sport England and the FA, The Trust has also recently opened a Girls Development Centre. Initiated by Community Development Manager Luis Melville, the GDC enables girls from primary and secondary schools to have a similar coaching programme to the football development centre which has been running for boys.
“It has been going really well,” says Trust coach Amber Langston-Lloyd. “Before this there was no session solely for girls outside of the work Jamie is doing with the FFD. But that is aimed at girls 14 and over, and is primarily in schools. With the GDC we can get girls interested at a much younger age.”
On Tuesday 27 October, the GDC is holding open trials for girls from year one to year 11.
“When the centre opened in April, more than 60 girls joined straight away,” says Jamie. “With the trials in October we are hoping to get closer to 90 and aim to get 100 players by the end of the season.”
The girls have really been enjoying the weekly fee based sessions.
“The great thing is that the girls go back to their clubs better players,” says Jamie. “We have seven girls from one team – Whitton Wanderers – who hadn’t won any matches. But since they joined the centre they are winning games and scoring more goals.”
It is also important to Jamie and Amber that there are pathways for girls who have not yet found a club. The Trust has close links with Old Actonians FC and also directs young players to the Middlesex FA website. On Monday 26 October, the Trust is also running trials for their Boys Football Development Centre [FDC] – previously known as the Advanced Training Programme.
Luke Brooks-Smith is FDC Co-ordinator and is looking forward to discovering new talent.
“The trials are an opportunity to see kids we wouldn’t usually see because they don’t go to one of the primary schools we work in,” says Luke. “They are open to boys from Year 1 to Year 11 who are from the local area. If they are successful at the one day trial we will invite them into the FDC for a six-week trial.”
Once part of the FDC, the boys train once a week with highly qualified Trust staff, and also take part in matches against other Community Sports Trust teams at half term. Luke recommends the day even if you do not make it into the Centre.
“It is a great day playing football and a chance to test yourself against others,” said Luke. “The boys will receive quality coaching and play lots of games. It’s a good opportunity and there is nothing to lose.”
Trial details:
Girls: Monday 26 October. Price: £10 plus booking fee.
If you would like to find out more about the FDC please email [email protected].
Boys: Tuesday 27 October. Price: £10 plus booking fee.
If you would like to know more contact Jamie Tompkins via email - [email protected] - or visit the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust website brentfordfccst.com.