The Derbyshire Girls and Ladies League (DGLL) is introducing girls’ football from U8s level at Buxton Community School and The Racecourse in Derby during the 2019/20 season.

The move is being done in the hope that it will inspire more girls to take part in football in Derbyshire because the new opportunities will be much easier to get to for those living in the High-Peak.

The league will offer opportunities for U8s, U9s, U10s and U11s at the Buxton site, and teams in the High Peak are being asked to consider this opportunity as it will allow for the Northern Division to be set up.

The Racecourse in Derby will continue to be the home for the Derbyshire Girls & Ladies League, with the introduction of an U8s division who will play five-a-side and the U9s, U10s and U11s will play seven-a-side.

Sajj Akram-Zehn, coach of Shardlow United, commented that this league is a "massive step forward" and that "people will look with more respect" towards girls football, as the girls are able to gain league experience at a younger age.

Allowing girls to start at the earlier age of U8s rather than U10s is slowly allowing the girls game to catch up with the boys.

Mr Akram-Zehn also commented on his team’s experiences with the SSE Wildcats scheme, as the centre has helped to create more teams and allow for more girls to get into the sport.

Lauren Duarte-Mellor, Football Development Officer at Derbyshire County FA, said: “The introduction of a central venue for girls football at Buxton Community School is fantastic and this will allow girls teams in the area to play their football within Derbyshire.

"It’s also great for the league to be able to offer football from U8s as this will continue to increase the number of opportunities for girls to play football in the county."

From next season, the DGLL will play Mini Soccer on the 3G pitch at Buxton Community School from 10:00-14:00.

This is a fantastic opportunity for girls teams from U8s, and for this to happen, the league need clubs to register their interest.

For more information, and to register your interest, please click here.

All enquiries should be directed to the Derbyshire Girls and Ladies League via the link above or by emailing the League Secretary, Alan Dawson, on secretarydgll@gmail.com