Basingstoke ObserverHARTLEY Wintney Junior Football Club has officially become a sister club to Reading Women FC.
The all-girls training event on the Hartley Wintney FC main pitch on 24 February was the first initiative and the club are also planning a girls festival for U7, U9 and U12’s on 10 April where they will be joined by more professional players to support and inspire.
Bringing football to life and meeting role models from Reading Women’s FC is a positive step in bringing the partnership together and inspires the next generation of girls to get involved in football.
Sarah Wiggins who is leading the project at Hartley Wintney FC commented: “This is a very exciting time for our girls. We have gone from one to three junior girls teams and successfully launched our Wildcats girls training program for 5-11 year olds last year with over fifty girls kicking a ball for the first time. Our new partnership with Reading Women FC will open the doors for more joint initiatives. We will be taking our girls to the Reading matches and having awesome players like Faye Bryson come down and meet our girls and their parents building relationships. Today gives us the opportunity for the girls to meet professional real life players and more importantly role models. The ball is literally at their feet and they can aspire to go from being a Hartley Wintney Tiger to an England Lioness. Who knows what the future could hold. “
Reading Women FC’s Faye Bryson added: “Having a relationship with grassroots teams is just as important for both Reading Women FC and the grassroots teams. It builds connections for young girls to get an insight into what it takes to be a professional footballer, enticing them to come to trials for the academy and also building a bigger fan base. The event was amazing! Seeing how many young girls were at the club and participating in the wildcats program just shows how much growth there has been in women’s football. Back when I was their age I had to participate in boys’ teams so this proves how far it has come!”
Hartley Wintney Junior FC are also recruiting Girls aged 14 years and over to qualify as Hampshire FA referees and now have six female refs regularly blowing their whistles on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Mums and Aunties and sisters and cousins are also encouraged to take their coaching exams and the club will support them all the way.
