Swifts youngest girls’ team celebrates club status

Swifts JFC Wild Cats for girls aged five to 11 roared onto the pitch as part of a fun day – celebrating officially gaining club status.

The success of England’s Lionesses has certainly played a part in this with demand for more provision for girls still growing.

Having already established an U-16s team, last year Swifts Junior Football (SJF) Club launched the U-12s.

Wild Cats is now growing from strength. Since forming the team three months ago membership has tripled – but it is hoped numbers can be doubled this summer so they can enter a league.

Simon Green, coach for Wild Cats, said: “Wild Cats is a Football Association programme which is offered for girls exclusively aged five to 11.

"We officially signed up to it as a club and this is our first training session – so we have beein having a bit of a party to celebrate.

"We have 15 members who come along regularly and we are hoping now we have official club status we can grow those members and double it through the summer.

"The idea is to get enough girls to enter a league.”

JF is a family-run sports club teaching football to boys and girls which has itrs own pitches, club house and facilities at Jubilee Park in Indoldmells.

Craig Booth, who coaches the U-12 and U-13 teams said he was delighted how they doing.

"We’ve just finished our first big season fourth out of seven in the league, winning 50 per cent of matches.

"As they are new teams I’m really pleased with the result.”

Poppy, 7, is one of the new members. She said: “I’ve been coming for at least a month. I enjoy making new friends and leaning new goals.”

Kodi, 9, said: “I like it because it’s fun and you get to male new friends.”

You can find out more about the teams and how to join on their Facebook Pages.