Lincolnshire Sports Partnership 
“The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) is the charity that campaigns to make physical activity an integral part of life for women and girls in the UK”
Visit their website at www.wsf.org.uk to access engagement toolkits and lots of useful information.
Birchwood JFC Case Study
A brief history about the development of girls football at Birchwood Colts JFC and their plans for the future.
Birchwood Colts JFC were named Sports Club of the Year at the Lincolnshire Sports Awards 2010.
Birchwood Colts JFC was established in 1990. Initially there was just one boys team with a bare minimum of equipment, very limited volunteer support and coaches with no formal qualifications.
By 1995 the number of teams had increased to five playing in the Mid Lincolnshire County Youth League. Equipment and facilities had improved and outdoor training was provided at the Birchwood Community and Leisure Centre during the winter months.
Between 1995 and 2003 the club grew rapidly increasing to 13 teams. In 2002/03 girls’ football was introduced at Birchwood Colts with our first U11s Birchwood Belles team entering the Mid Lincs League and finishing as runners up. The following season a second girls’ team was entered into the league.
In 2004/05 Birchwood Colts JFC achieved FA Charter Standard. This was also the year when the Clubs inaugural Girls team won their first piece of silver wear for the club by winning the U13 League Cup. The following season our youngest girls’ team won the U13 Mid Lincs Girls League and League Cup competitions; and the SHLL U13 Girls League. In 2006/07 a third girls’ team was introduced to competitive football and more success followed with the U14 Girls winning the Lincolnshire County Cup and the U15 Girls finishing up as runners up in their League.
Unfortunately, in 2007/8 our U14 Girls team lost several of it’s players to local academies and folded due to a lack of players. However, our U16 girls’ team again finished as runners up in their League. During this season Birchwood Belles coaching staff also helped to coach the LSST Priory U16 Girls team to the quarter finals of the National Schools U18 Girls cup competition.
From 2008 to 2009 there was a noticeable decline in the number of girls playing football and likewise the number of girls’ teams entering the League. In 2009 the Mid Lincs League expressed their concerns regarding the decline in girls’ football and called an extraordinary meeting with all the local clubs that were supporting girls’ football in an attempt to develop alternatives that might reverse the trend.
Unfortunately, it was recognised that this was an issue that the clubs and the league could not solve own their own. Birchwood Colts and Lincoln Griffins decided to contact the Lincolnshire FA (LFA) to ask them to get involved. In 2009/10 following discussions between the LFA, the Mid Lincs County Youth League, the South Humberside Ladies League (SHLL) and consultations with the local girls football clubs a new Lincolnshire County Girls League (LCGL) was formed with the Lincs FA taking a leading role in it’s management.
Coincidently, in 2009/10 the latest Birchwood Belles team won their league and cup double at U11 in their first season.
In 2010 Birchwood Colts JFC formalised our association with Lincoln United Football Club to enable both clubs to be awarded FA Charter Standard Community Club status. Lincoln United have also developed an association with Lincoln Ladies and it is hoped that future Birchwood Belles players can progress into intermediate and senior football via this pathway.
The future of girls football in Lincolnshire is still in a delicate situation but Birchwood Colts intends to play a significant role in the future development of the sport.
The development of girls’ football in Lincolnshire will only be achieved if all clubs continue to work closely with the LFA, the LCGL and each other. At this moment in time individual success for clubs and players cannot be as important as increasing the numbers of girls participating in the sport. In other words it’s about “bums on seats” and we must work together to keep as many teams viable as possible. So for the immediate future it may probably be most important that clubs focus more on the fun aspects of the game rather than just winning trophies. Any club that thinks it is immune and that winning is more important is deluding themselves. There is no point in being the best team in a league with only one team in it.
