Last Wednesday, Rochdale AFC Community Trust took Cardinal Langley’s A Team, the winners of our local EFL Utilita Girls Cup tournament, to Accrington Stanley to compete in the Area Finals of the competition.
Teams represented included Accrington, Harrogate Town, Oldham Athletic, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic and Crewe Alexandra. An amazing time was had by all, and we may not have taken home the win this time but the girls did both Cardinal Langley and Rochdale AFC proud.
Miss Strickland, PE Teacher at Cardinal Langley High School commented: “It was really well organised from start to finish from everyone, very inclusive to all abilities. The girls had a lot of fun and gained experience from going out and playing against quality teams, widening their opportunities to different pathways representing Rochdale AFC. We enjoyed being able to work alongside Rochdale AFC Community Trust; it’s been very easy to communicate and organise everything to ensure the girls are given this opportunity.”
Community Coach, Emma Flynn said: “It was a fantastic Area Final today, really well organised by Accrington and it’s really exciting to see so many girls playing football. Bolton’s girls won the Final, and they were a great side. The women’s game has grown massively over the past few years, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes in the next few years. At Rochdale AFC Community Trust we have so many opportunities for girls to play, from four-years-old right through to open age.”
The Community Trust are keen to offer opportunities for more girls to play football; with the following sessions currently available, and open to all abilities:
- Wildcats (age 4 – 11) – Fridays 4pm – 5pm (term-time only) on the Kick Pitch at Rochdale AFC;
- Kicks Girls (age 11 – 16) Fridays 6pm – 7pm (year-round) on the Kick Pitch at Rochdale AFC;
- Pitch up and Play (age 16+) Thursdays 8pm – 9pm (year-round) on the Kick Pitch at Rochdale AFC.
If you’d like to represent Rochdale AFC in a team, we have girls and ladies teams from Under-10s right through to Open Age, so there really is something for everyone!
If you’d like to find out more about opportunities for female football, you can contact Emma on emma.flynn@rochdaleafc.co.uk