OFFICIALS at a Mirfield football club hope the success of Team GB’s women Olympics team will encourage more girls to take up the sport.
Battyeford Belles, based at Battyeford Sporting Club in Huddersfield Road, are holding pre-season recruitment sessions.
The club already runs six girls’ teams from under-nines to under-15s but head of girls’ football, Chris Hoyle, hopes for a post-Olympics boost.
“We are a very successful club with somewhere between 70 and 90 girls and we are hoping more girls will join us,” he said.
Battyeford, a club partner with Huddersfield Town, is holding a Taster Weekend on Friday August 31 (6pm–8pm) and Saturday September 1 (10am–12noon) and all girls are welcome.
Chris’s two daughters Charlotte, 14, and Sophie, 12, pictured, both played at Battyeford.Sophie has just started pre-season training with the Leeds United Academy.
Chris, 46, said he didn’t expect to be footballing dad as father of two girls.
But he added: “Charlotte came home one day and said she wanted to start playing football. I didn’t think it would last but it did. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than Brownies, Guides and dancing lessons!”
Girls aged six to 15 can turn up on the day, ring Chris on 07773 817763 or see www.battyeford.co.uk for more information.
