A Girls friendly league has been formed under the auspices of the Herefordshire Football Association for the first time to meet a growing interest in girls' football.

Initially four teams will compete in the league with mini-soccer games taking place every other Sunday at Hereford Leisure Centre throughout the season.

The four teams taking part are Bromyard, Leominster, FC Phoenix and Hinton and matches will take place in two age groups, under 11 and under 13.

Nationally the FA is investing £4.5 million over three years to ensure that mini soccer is established as the number one sport for young children and it is also committed to developing women's football, the fastest growing, and number one female sport in the country.

The games are seven-a-side with mini goals and each side is allowed to field three substitutes.

Herefordshire FA secretary Jim Lambert said although a number of tournaments had been staged for girls in the past this was the first time there had been an organised league in the county. "Girls football has become very popular and many clubs have rapidly developing girls' sections. Tournaments in the past have proved very popular and we are hoping that playing against each other competitively on a league basis will generate more interest and ultimately encourage more clubs to get involved," he said.

The first games kick off on Sunday, September 15 at Hereford Leisure Centre at 12.30pm.

For more details, contact the Hereforshire FA on 01432 342179. 

Meanwhile just across the border, there has never been a better time for girls to take up football in Worcestershire. The sport is positively thriving.

Helping the game flourish across the county is Manchester United fan, mother and Worcestershire Football Association's Girls and Women's Football Development Officer Julie Leroux. She has the task of encouraging the growth of women's football and the sheer numbers pulling on kit and boots is testimony to its growing popularity.

Women's football is the country's number 1 female sport, and fastest growing sport, and The FA is committed to developing it further. Worcestershire is about to launch two new leagues - the Mercian Girls League and a women's league under the control of the Kidderminster and District Men's League - with the latter the first county-based women's league in the West Midlands.

In addition the existing Stourport Girls League is in its third season and there are also plans to launch a countywide high schools' league for under-15s.

Last season The FA boasted 61,000 registered female players and at the county's annual female festival the number of teams has increased from 25 to 43 in just a year. Julie Leroux believes the new leagues will lead to a growth in new players.

"Travelling has been an issue in the past and players could often spend a day travelling to and from games. Having local leagues will cut this down and give more players a chance to compete," she said.

Julie became involved in football herself when her daughter wanted to play the game but was unable to find a local team. So she set up a team herself in Redditch in 1995. She believes it is vital that girls and women have the same opportunities to get involved in the game as the lads.

"In my experience girls and women want to play football for the same reasons as men. They just need to be given the chance," she said.

Things are certainly looking bright for women's soccer in the county and anyone interested in trying out the sport or finding out about the new leagues can contact Julie Leroux on 01995 827261.

Richard Matthews