A recently formed girls’ football club has scored in a fantastic round of funding thanks to players of the lottery.
Shotts Bon Accord Girls, the first girls’ team in the North Lanarkshire town, has been awarded more than £7600 from the National Lottery Community Fund and Councillor Margaret Hughes attended a recent training session to hand over the cheque.
Coach, Denise Dickson, said: “We applied for funding to help us get started up and the money will be used for kits, equipment and lets and pitch fees.
"I took over in April. The girls were training from July last year but we started being a bit more serious about it when I came in. I’m a football mum, my two boys play and I was approached by the boys’ academy asking if I’d be interested.
"I’ve been immersed in football all my life and going to games, but I’ve only really been involved in grassroots since my boys started playing. They are eight years old and six years old, the oldest started playing when he was four, and then the youngest got in to it. They are both in teams.
“It’s taken over my life and I have no free days anymore, I’m either working, coaching or taking my own weans to their teams.
Shotts BA now have 36 girls, a huge increase from the nine that were there when Denise first got involved.
There are three teams in different age groups; under 12s, under 8s and under 7s.
The older team have entered the Central League in the beginner league, having at first been placed at intermediate level.
The 31-year-old mum-of-two added: “We’ve played three games and one then all convincingly but these are against other beginner teams. I didn’t want to be putting them up against intermediate teams as it can break their confidence if they’re not quite ready at that level. Although I did give them a game against the boys’ academy team and they gave them a run for their money."
The women’s game here is on a real high at the moment and the European Championships won by England at the end of last month served to further crystallise the talent and technique within it. The Shotts youngsters were avid viewers as the tournament progressed.
“It was a buzz for them watching girls playing football and doing so well,” Denise admits.
“It was amazing, I think the tournament was absolutely brilliant and got people watching women’s football.
“It showed just how good that women can be and the calibre of their talent.”
Despite the success of England’s women Denise admits the women’s game will probably always have its detractors.
She added: “I’ve heard so many comments that women don’t belong in football, and stuff like that.
“I say to the girls all the time it’s our job to go out, do our best and prove them wrong.
“They’ve been phenomenal since I started. But my main aim is to ensure they are having fun while learning.”
Shotts Bon Accord Girls Academy train at Hannah Park in the town, for more information visit their Facebook page or email: shottsbonaccordgirls@gmail.com
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