The competition is 5-a-side soccer, with a squad of seven.  There are three rounds preliminary, semis and finals.  The preliminary round was at Goals Manchester on Sunday 26th February from 10-30 to 12-30.  Matches played outside on modern 3G pitches, an excellent venue only two years old.  The weather was fine, and crisp with little wind, we were grateful for that.

We set off for Manchester not knowing how many matches we would be playing or how long each match would be.  This was to be decided on the morning of the event.  We arrived to find there were three other teams, namely Haslingden 1 and 2 from Blackburn, and Ole United from Stoke.  Each team played each other in a mini league.  The two teams with most points would meet in the final, and the winner progress to the next round.

The first match was between Haslingden 1 and Ole United.  After watching the Ole United team perform a near perfect display demolishing their opponents 13-1 we feared the worst.  We are not used to playing this type of soccer.  However we set about the task our first match was against Haslingden 2.  We won 6-3. we are on our way.  Our next match was against Haslingden 1, we won 8-4 and we are improving with every game.

Now we meet the might of the very impressive Ole United, they are big girls with a swagger, they are not expecting to lose, they didn't they beat us 5-2, but they were lucky.  So they had 9 points from three wins, we had 6 points from two wins.  We meet in the final.

But undeterred our girls were sat in the club café before the final discussing tactics amongst themselves. I am on the next table, when Jess pipes up, "Bill if we lose this match are we out of the competition" "I said yes we need to win to stay alive."  My goodness what a response, like a red rag to a bull they dismantled the mighty Ole and reduced them to quivering wrecks.  The score reversed 5-2 we progress to the semi finals at the end of March, date and venue to be advised.

The players and management are pictured from left to right: 

Tim Marriott (coach), Molly Ellis, Brodie Haigh, Jess Barrow, Emily Brookes, Alicia Marriott, Olivia Burgin, Macy Ellis and organiser Bill Mellor