St. Albans' Girls Experience Women's FA Cup Drama

On Sunday 27^th January 2008 St.Albans city under 11's girls were invited to be ball girls for Fulham Ladies in their third round F.A cup clash with Premier Division Birmingham. The game took place at Burnham football stadium and proved to be a good introduction for our girls to what it's like to play at the highest level of women's football.

The game kicked off at one o’clock and proved to be very exciting but also quite nerve-racking for our girls as they had to keep their eyes on the ball at all times. Especially as they experienced how hard the women can kick the ball and if they were not looking it could have ended with a nasty injury.

Fortunately for the girls it was a nice sunny day but for some of them the stadium 'crouched over them like an old man' and blocked the sun from their faces. At half time two of the Fulham players took the girls for a kick about on the pitch, which was inspiring for them to meet real women footballers.

At the end of the match, Fulham unfortunately lost 2-0. but the St Albans girls agreed to watch Fulham play again. The girls picked up some nice skills and tricks from watching the Birmingham and Fulham players and cant wait to try them out in their games on a Saturday.

The girls all agreed afterwards that the sound coming from the stadium "sounded like a pride of roaring lions" and that they would all love to play in front of such a supportive crowd, which their parents promised to try and copy at their next home game.

The St Albans girls would like to say a special thank you to Jess Devoti (Fulham goalkeeper) her family and Mark Saunderson (Fulham Manager) for making this such a special day and a fantastic experience of Women's football at close range.

By Tara Graham (St Albans City Youth Under 11's)

Photographs used processed by

Maltings, St Albans