When a seven-year-old girl wanted to play football her dad granted her wish by forming a team himself.

Gary Gregg is a member of Whitehaven Amateurs- a club with great facilities and with around 400 members.

It did not, however, have an Under 8 girls' team.

Gary said: "My daughter Betsy wanted to play football. Despite the huge range offered there was no team for her to join. That's when I stepped in.

"I have done my training and am now a new league coach looking after my daughter's team."

He said finding other little girls who wanted to play was no problem and he was soon able to field a team.

"The interest was phenomenal! We had a full team within eight hours of advertising it."

Gary originally contacted the Whitehaven News with an appeal for someone who would be willing to sponsor the team.

Even that was redundant by the time we went to press because The Peddler, the new cafe at the Whitehaven Buzz Station, had already taken up his request for help.

"We are really grateful to them and now have the kit we need," Gary said.

Sponsorship through Whitehaven Amateurs' is usually for two years. The name of the sponsor is printed on football shirts and the sponsor gets advertising on the ground.

The appeal is not quite over, however.

Gary said any further contributions would be used to fund training equipment.

" I would love to be able to provide winter jackets and I am intending to carry out further fundraising to raise the money we wold need for that."

While there is a league to play in, and the girls will get chances to play other teams, this league is non-competitive.

"The emphasis is on interacting and having fun.".

He added that being part of Whitehaven Amateurs was a great advantage.

"The club is so well organised. As I said, it caters for around 400 children and has about 100 volunteers."

"The club has state of the art all-weather training grounds.

Whitehaven Amateurs run s teams for everyone including; Youth Boys, Youth Girls, Senior Boys, Senior Girls, Over 35's and Pan Disability. - and now, an under 8 girls' team, too.

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