Moore the merrier for Gornal Ladies

The club will benefit from a £4,500 Grow the Game grant from the Football Foundation, with their success gaining the seal of approval from Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen.

The cash injection has paved the way for Gornal Ladies to create a new girls academy and three more teams at open age, under-9 and under-11.

The Grow the Game scheme is designed to increase participation by helping clubs to meet the essential costs of starting new teams.

It's funded by the Premier League and the FA and delivered by the Football Foundation.

Grow the Game goes beyond providing temporary activity sessions, which are more susceptible to drops in participation.

It instead creates a solid infrastructure of newly-trained coaches and grassroots teams that play in FA-affiliated leagues for the long term.

And McQueen, a Football Foundation ambassador, is delighted to see Gornal increasing their female playing ranks.

She said: "Very well done to Gornal Ladies FC for working with the Football Foundation and Birmingham County FA to secure this Grow the Game grant.

"This investment has created an opportunity for more people to play football, which will not only keep them fit and healthy but also develop their life-skills.

"Grants like this one make a real difference to grassroots football. They help clubs meet the costs associated with starting a new team. like getting volunteer coaches qualified with FA coaching badge.

"That assists with helping to drive up participation levels in the sport, especially among under-represented groups."

The windfall is a reward for the hard work of Gornal Ladies and Gornal Colts chairman Alan Moore and the club's hard working committee.

Moore, who has been in the Gornal hot-seat for just under a year and also coaches the women's open age team, is determined to drive the club forward.

Gornal now boast an academy that caters for both boys and girls based at Sixes in Kingswinford and Moore is keen to tie down a permanent base for the club.

Local MP Ian Austin and Sukh Johal, owner of Sixes, have provided valuable support as the club lay the foundations for a bright future.

Moore said: 'It's a massive boost to our plans to grow the participation in the girls and ladies game within the local Gornal community and surrounding areas.

"We will be running another open age ladies side next season and an under-9s. We were hoping to start the under-11s next season but it will probably be the following season.

"We are very fortunate that the owner of Sixes, Sukh Johal, has come on board with us and he kindly allows us to put the girls sessions on for free.

"Ian Austin has also been very supportive. He wrote to all the schools in the Dudley area and made them aware of the free coaching sessions that we put on for girls.

"We are working really hard and putting a lot of effort in to increase the participation levels in girls football.

"That has dropped off over the last few years. Five years ago we had 10 girls teams."

The open age side gained promotion from the Birmingham County League Division Two and are hopeful of jumping straight to the Premier Division.

That success helped sparked interest and Moore is keen to kick on. He said: "There has been quite a bit of interest on the back of the open age team's success and that is why were are forming another side.

"They will be playing in Birmingham County League Division Two."

But while the girls' are flourishing, Moore has ambitious plans for the club as a whole.

Gornal boast 14 sides in all – male and female – with the men's senior side competing in the West Midlands League Division Two and various youth sides playing in the Stourbridge League.

And Moore's main goal is to establish a home, saying: "The club as a whole is doing reasonably well, but there is a lot of rebuilding to be done. It's been allowed to drift over the last few years.

"We are spread far and wide across the Black Country because, unfortunately, we don't have our own base. We play at Coneygree in Tipton, Ounsdale in Wombourne, Halesowen and Darlaston.

"With the help of Ian Austin we are going to start talks with Ellowes Hall School in Gornal and Coseley School about trying to acquire a base for games and training.

"The plan is to add two boys and girls teams each year and having our own facility will help. In two to three years, I would like us to be back up to the 20 sides we had a few years ago.

"It's been hard work and there is a lot more to come. We are also looking for individuals to come in board to fill the secretary and treasurer roles and help the club grow."

Anyone keen to join the club should contact Alan Moore on 01384 468 320 or 07540 722 593 or by e-mail at alan.moore@gornalladiesfc.co.uk.