"We've tried to create an environment that is fun, challenging and professional" - Girls football academy in Brighouse celebrates its first anniversary

The FD Football Academy, based at Lightcliffe Academy, was set up by Rob Mitchell, who manages Brighouse Town Women, in January 2022 with 14 girls aged between six and 12.

That number has since risen to 40, which Rob says has been helped by the success of the England Women's team in winning last year's Euro's.

"I think the numbers have risen due to the success of the Women's Euros and the amount of girls now playing football.

"Parents and players can now see football as a viable career path, and although we want to facilitate the elite players, we have a place for players who just want to play and learn the game, as long as they have a positive attitude towards learning and developing, are committed and buy into how we do things there is a place for them at FD.

"I think you will continue to see the popularity grow, the number of participants will continue to increase ahead of the Women's World Cup and beyond, especially if the Lionesses meet the now high expectations for further success."

Girls from local grassroots teams attend the academy for an additional training session with experienced and qualified coaches, and receive a specific training programme to help them develop their all round game ready to take back to their clubs on a weekend.

"We've loved working with the players on a Monday, the development and improvements are clear to see," said Rob.

"We've tried to create an environment that is fun, challenging and professional and I think we have managed to tick those boxes.

"The new training programme is structured in a way that the players understand and enjoy. The objective for us now is to continue to grow and become the number one place for girls development in the area."

Paul Walmsley, whose daughter Kayla-Mai attends the sessions, said "My daughter has been attending since the beginning and I can't thank the coaches enough for their contributions towards her development, she is thriving right now and loves attending the sessions on a Monday, I cannot recommend the sessions enough."

The academy is recruiting more players to attend the sessions on a Monday, from 5pm to 6pm, with a games programme from 6pm to 7pm for additional development opportunities.

To find out how to attend a free taster session, visit them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by typing in FD Football Academy or by contacting Rob on 07449342651 or [email protected].