Memorandum submitted by Harry Smith, Team
Manager, Crosfields Under-11s "A" Team
I am the Team Manager of Crosfields Under-11s
"A" football team based in Warrington. At this moment
in time my squad consists of 14 players, 12 male and two female.
Up until the close of this season the sex of the individual players
in my team was never an issue. The players respect for each other
was based purely on ability. One of my female players, Addi Campbell,
is a very capable player who more than holds her own against opposition
players, even though the majority of the time our opponents are
100% of the male gender. My other female player is Hannah Dale.
Hannah has been our "Player of the Season" for the past
three years and I would consider her an outstanding prospect.
It will come as no shock to me if she eventually represents our
national side.
From a personal point of view, I have always
supported any of my players and given them the utmost encouragement
when they have been given the opportunity to play at a higher
level. A total of five boys who played for me at Crosfields are
now playing "Academy" football at Manchester United,
Liverpool, Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers. I keep
in touch with these players, and Crosfields will be there for
these boys should they ever be released. When these players left
Crosfields, it had a devastating effect on the team. We went from
winning the League and, in my opinion, being the best team in
the local area to being relegated the following season. I did
not complain and decided we had to keep the players' heads up
and develop the players in future years.
Since then I and my fellow coaches have worked
very hard to stabilise the team, improve the players' ability
and prepare them to compete at the highest levels they can attain.
We feel we now have a team which is capable of winning our League
next season. Hannah Dale is very much an integral part of that
team.
When we first lost players to the "Academies",
our remaining players accepted the fact that these lads were going
onto a higher level and understood the reasoning behind this.
Today they cannot understand the reasoning behind why Hannah and
Addi cannot play next season. They are all bitterly upset at what
they feel is an injustice. Our male players have worked so hard
to become a good team once again and just when they feel they
are ready to push for honours once more, they see the heart being
ripped out the team.
I can fully understand their frustrations. This
will be the second time due to FA rules (Academy players must
leave their clubs) our team will suffer. Our squad comprises of
14 players, finding two players with similar ability to replace
the girls will be almost impossible. Any half decent player is
already signed up by a club.
I have heard all the arguments reference why
girls cannot play football against boys from under 12, and I have
to say they are outdated based on ignorance and bias. The two
female players who play for me are physically strong and mentally
tough. They know when they walk onto the pitch they will get no
favours and don't expect them. They also know like all of our
male players if their performances are not good enough, I will
have no hesitation in dropping them. Both girls have adapted brilliantly
to 11-a-side football, surely not even the ignorant or biased
will claim it is a progressive step to move them back into seven-a-side
next season. I know for a fact every team we played against last
season would love to have Hannah Dale in their squad for next
season. It is fairly obvious to me that people who know and truly
understand football at grassroots (ie. ourselves and the opposition
managers and coaches) who witness these games every week, cannot
see why these girls are not allowed to play next season.
I can understand and tend to agree with the
fact the average male player is better than the average female
player. Hannah Dale is no average player. She should be allowed
to compete at the highest level her ability takes her. At this
moment in time that is against male players.
The Germans and Americans have the best female
teams in the world. Ask yourself why? They have been allowed to
compete at the highest level their abilities took them and that
included competing against male players well over the age of 12.
All I ask the FA to do is allow these girls
to play at their true level, for the sake of the boys in our team,
but most of all Hannah and Addi themselves.
The FA have done a wonderful job with girls
football, but in my opinion girls football is being held back
with this outdated rule. The sky should be the limit, unfortunately
the German and American girls have wings on their boots and our
girls lead weights.
22 June 2006
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