Thatcham Tornadoes Girls Football Club has netted a National Lottery grant to help set up five new girls’ teams.

One of 170 clubs across the country to collect a share of £1 million available since the Lionesses’ history-making win at Wembley last summer, the club has seen a huge upsurge in interest.

They are now hoping the team’s display at the Women’s World Cup will encourage even more youngsters to take up the game.

Formed in 1971,  the club now has 13 girls teams and over 150 registered players and ahead of the Lionesses first game of the World Cup at the weekend held a special session for over 80 girls at Douai Park in Woolhampton which has also benefited from £200,000 of National Lottery funding for a new pavilion, club house and changing rooms.

Reading Chronicle:

Thatcham Tornadoes, Girls’ Under 16’s coach Kate Pike, said: “We’ve seen a huge increase and interest in girls football at our club since the Euros last summer so that support we have had from the National Lottery has been brilliant and meant that we’ve been able to increase the number of girls teams here and ultimately give more girls the chance to play. Girls are playing more and more now and that’s just great to see.”

Kelly Sutton, Participation Manager, Bucks and Berkshire FA added: “Seeing so many girls here is incredible and shows how much enthusiasm there is for girls football. Having the right facilities is such an important part of that growth so that funding from the National Lottery that we’ve seen at Douai Park is absolutely vital.”