Girls from across Yorkshire and Humberside had the chance to display their talent in front of two former England internationals as part of the Premier League's commitment to provide opportunities for everyone to play the game they love.
Sue Smith and Michael Dawson visited the University of Hull to give encouragement and advice to nine primary school teams involved in the first of 10 regional qualifiers for this year's Premier League Primary Stars National Girls Football Tournament.
Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City, Scunthorpe United, Grimsby Town, Huddersfield Town, Lincoln City, York City, Leeds United and Hull City all took part in a memorable day which gave the players a small taste of being professional footballers.
The teams wore the first-team kit of their respective professional football clubs while the Premier League Trophy and Sky Sports were also in attendance.
"I just love seeing young girls playing and enjoying football," said Smith. "When I was growing up, I played for a local boys team because there weren't any girls teams around, I didn't have these opportunities.
"When the girls see the Premier League Trophy it all adds to the whole experience. Having the Premier League involved in these things is huge. They're here to help the women's game develop and grow. They do care, they are paying attention and they do want to help grow the game. It's a massive confidence boost for the girls.
"There was real potential out there. Some of the players, if they want to make it, if they work hard and do all the right things, there's no reason why they can't be playing in the Women's Super League."
After a competitive day of action, it was Hymers College representing Hull City who won the tournament, beating Huddersfield Town on penalties in the final.
Both of these teams now progress to the National Finals, which this year will take place at Molineux Stadium, the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers, where they will compete against schools representing clubs from across England and Wales.
St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School, representing Fleetwood Town, are the current champions having won the tournament in 2024 at Brentford FC's Gtech Community Stadium.
"I started playing because it's fun to be part of this team with these amazing girls," said Hymers College goalkeeper Ella, who played a starring role in the penalty shoot-out. "I don't like penalties and it's never been our good point but we managed to win it.
Michael Dawson
Former Nott'm Forest, Hull City and Spurs defender
"It's great to see children getting the opportunity to express themselves, have fun and to have a chance to do something that people could only dream of. Having that Premier League backing gives them the enjoyment they've all had today. Hopefully the girls will now have the bug and want to do more of it. That's what it is about, getting more and more people involved. It's remarkable how girls football has changed. It had to change. There was one girl in my secondary school that played football; now we're here with 10 teams, it's incredible. I love it."
"It was an incredible feeling to make the save at the end. It's going to be an amazing experience to be in the national final. We are so happy and excited."
The tournament is one of the competition elements of the Premier League Primary Stars programme which uses the appeal of football to help children to be active and develop essential life skills.
And in Hull, not only did the players shine on the pitch, there was also the chance to take part in a variety of engaging activities and workshops, such as wheelchair sports, blind bowling, writing activities and team-building exercises.
"It's amazing for the girls to be in an event like this," said Chloe Parkin, Year 5 teacher and PE lead at Scawsby Junior Academy, who were representing Doncaster Rovers.
"We've never progressed to this stage before. By being here, the team can see that there are lots of girls teams not just in Doncaster but all across the north of England; it broadens their horizons and helps them understand where they can get to.
"Being at a Premier League event is so important for the girls. It's such an fantastic opportunity to see the Trophy, to be in this environment and play against other highly competitive teams, it's been really good for them.
"This tournament highlights how the landscape has changed for women's football. When the team walked out past the Trophy, I was just so proud that they've come this far. They were all smiling and looking really proud of themselves; moments like that are why you become a teacher."
The Premier League Trophy visit was part of the Premier League's 'More Than A Game' celebration, which is highlighting the positive impact of the League's unprecedented £1.6 billion investment into wider football, the grassroots game and communities between 2022 and 2025.
About Premier League Primary Stars
Premier League Primary Stars is the Premier League's primary school education programme. It is available to every primary school in England and Wales, with over 19,000 schools engaged with the programme. More than 1.3million school sessions and events have already been delivered.
Funded by the Premier League, through the Premier League Charitable Fund, the programme has enabled over 70,000 teachers to use resources for English, PSHE, PE and Maths, to help children to be active and develop essential life skills. There are 650+ free resources available.
To find out more about delivering the programme in your school, please visit plprimarystars.com.
