The Guernsey FA sponsored, Mourant Girls Academy, continues to work towards Goal21, with the aim being to ensure a realistic and feasible Representative aspiration exists for the many young girls playing the sport.

The Guernsey FA developed ‘Goal 21’ as a long-term strategy to guide participation and development through to, and beyond, the home Island Games in 2021. Within that strategy is a commitment to continuously work with the many talented young girls coming through the Guernsey FA Girls Academy, to ensure that in 2021, there is a Senior Women’s team that can represent both the Association and Guernsey. Being selected to represent Guernsey, and the Guernsey Football Association, in any Island Games is a fantastic achievement, but the opportunity to do so in a home Island Games, is one that very few Sarnians will be fortunate to have and it is exciting to see that those in the Guernsey FA Girls Academy are embracing the ‘Goal21’ aspiration.

The Mourant Girls Football Academy is inclusive, and accessible, to all girls in School Years 7-11 with a passion for football and a willingness to learn more about the game. Through the consistent use of Futsal the girls have all grown in confidence with the ball and the natural nature of the game encouraged fast play, which has increased the intensity of the sessions and the demand to make decisions in a short period of time.  This has evidently transferred to the larger game.  In December the U15 group played a friendly against Rovers U15 boys at Victoria Avenue in a 9v9 format where the girls were given space to show their talent and decision making on a larger pitch.  The group of girls played a great game with fantastic link up play creating plenty of goal scoring opportunities as well as being able to defend against a fast and tall attack of Rovers.

The Mourant Girls Academy are always looking for friendly fixtures to give the girls experience of playing together in a structured format. The U15 group will be travelling to Sartilly France to compete in the U13 tournament on Saturday 22^nd June 2019.  10 girls will travel as representatives of the Mourant Girls Academy to play in the 8v8 competition against a variety of French and English teams. The importance of getting these girls into tournament football is fundamental to the achievement of Goal21 to prepare the group for the Island Games to give them experience of playing in tournament football.

The Mourant Girls Academy will also be playing against Jersey in May 2019 with three age groups taking part in the matches, U13, U15 and U16 at Victoria Avenue. The annual matches between the Guernsey FA Mourant Academy and the Jersey Link Asset Services Player Development Centre prove to be popular amongst the girls each year as an opportunity to play matches against the other island.  

If you are aged 12-16 and would like to take part in the Girls Academy sessions you are more than welcome to come along and try it out, our sessions are Mondays 5.30pm-6.30pm at St Sampson’s High School indoors and Thursdays 5.30pn-7.00pm at Victoria Avenue on grass.  Shin pads must be worn to both sessions.

Get in touch

Please contact Football Development Officer for Women and Girls Joelle Pengelley for more information regarding the Mourant Girls Academy:

E: Joelle.Pengelley@guernseyfa.com

T: 07781 441680