Player Nancy said 'when we play we want to win the match, we're not worried about what we look like'
A SCHOOL'S furious girl's football team has blasted the "sexist" FA for drawing up guidelines for "brainless Barbie dolls".
Players from Lumley Junior School have written to Martin Glenn, CEO of the Football Association demanding to know why the organisation has introduced new guidelines for girls including pink whistles and lighter balls.
The FA has also suggested interrupting games for social media breaks, playing music during matches, not playing in front of boys and advertising games in toilets and cafes where girls congregate.
Grace, 11, wrote: "Dear Mr Martin Glenn. I was horrified and offended when I read 'Considerations for increasing participation in women and girls football'.
"There are lots of offensive terms to me."
Grace continued: "The one where it says to put posters on the back of toilet doors and in coffee shops where we gossip (implied by you).
"We aren't brainless Barbie dolls, we don't all like the same colour (pink)."
Carol Hughes deputy Headteacher of the school in County Durham encouraged the girls to make their views heard.
She said: "I googled girls and football and this cropped up. I was absolutely horrified and laughed out loud at some of the suggestions.
"The tone is patronising and so out of touch, to suggest girls need all those incentives to interest them in football is insulting."
The FA document also included a page of suggested merchandise that could be used as incentives for girls including pink water bottles, pink whistles and pink wristbands.
Attacking midfielder Grace, 10, said: "I honestly thought the FA guidelines were a joke and I felt insulted by them.
"I've been playing football in the back garden with my brother since I was three and I love the game, I don't need a pink water bottle to get me interested.
"I play football because I love whacking the ball into the net, that's the best feeling, but if I score I don't want to run off and get my phone to tweet about it."
Team-mate Nancy added: "It treats us like babies who play with Barbie dolls, we're not like that we can actually play just because we enjoy it.
"When we play we want to win the match, we're not worried about what we look like or what colour we were or whether the kits smell nice."
Mrs Hughes added: "I think our girls are probably typical of others across the country and they love playing and watching football, they're knowledgable about the game.
"I think they expressed themselves very well in their letters, it was a useful classroom exercise but I hope it also made a valuable point to the FA.";
The FA said: “The FA is committed to doubling female football participation by 2020 and to growing the women’s game at all levels, from elite to grassroots.
“The document is aimed at engaging young women who don’t currently play football. It was created following research into women and girls playing football, with feedback from both participants and non-participants, and encourages a creative approach to increasing participation numbers.
“We’re very pleased to see how many girls at the school play football and the passion for the game that they clearly have.”
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