ACKWORTH Juniors FC would like to announce that the girls teams have decided to leave the club at the end of this season.

The current girls teams under the tutelage of Phyl Stokes (Girls Welfare Officer) and Andy Coupland (Girls Development Officer) will no longer have any affiliation, association or connection with Ackworth Juniors Football Club and will be known as Ackworth Girls FC.

The club has been a great supporter of the growth of the girls section at Ackworth Juniors and are very proud of their achievements in such a short space of time. They would like to wish everyone connected with the girls’ teams the very best of luck in the future.

We respect the decision of Phyl Stokes and Andy Coupland to split the girls’ teams away from Ackworth Juniors FC as they look to grow the girls’ game and embrace the autonomy that the creation of Ackworth Girls FC will bring them as a football club in the village.

Club secretary Graham Ambler said: “I would like to wish the girls the very best of luck both on and off the field, it has been a pleasure watching the teams develop and flourish.

“I would also like thank Phyl (Stokes) and Andy (Coupland) for their hard work over the years and as they begin a new footballing chapter, I’m sure they will make Ackworth Girls FC a success,” he added.

Andy Coupland will continue to coach on Saturdays with the Kickabout Club, which very much acts as an important building block for the club’s Under 7’s team.