Mansfield Town to host U16s premier league girls festival

The club is looking for players from all skill levels and backgrounds to participate in the event.

Players must have been born between 2.9.2007 and 31.8.2009 – (Year 10-11) to enter.

Players will be signing up individually and then placed in teams, pre-determined by expert coaches.

Applicants must indicate their positions when registering as this will help organisers select teams.

Games will either be five or six a side, lasting 10 minutes.

Registration for players is free via their ‘BookWhen’ booking form at bookwhen.com/mansfieldtownplkicks

A club spokesperson said the club wanted to mark International Women’s Day – Friday, March 8 – by hosting a football festival aimed at young women.

A spokesperson added: “The festival is to encourage more female participation through our premier league kicks programme and to provide a fun but also competitive tournament to inspire more girls to take up football.

“We are hoping to have players from the Mansfield Town Ladies team attend the event, as well as representatives from Her Game Too.”

Through participation of the festival, participants may be offered a chance to compete for Mansfield Town in an upcoming PL Kicks tournament on April 14.

Women and girls’ football has been on the rise in recent years – dubbed the ‘Lioness’ effect following the Euros and World Cup success for England’s senior women’s team.

According to new BBC analysis, England women and girls' football teams have doubled in seven years, with twice as many registered female football teams in England than seven years prior.