HEYBRIDGE Girls Wildcats will take a bow at the Aspen-Waite Stadium on Saturday as the club look to encourage more youngsters to try playing football, writes JON LONGMAN.

The Wildcats are part of an FA affiliated scheme of the same name that encourages girls to learn to play football or simply have fun with a football.

The Swifts decision to launch girls’ teams was the brainchild of Swifts fan Susan Little. Her two sons play for the club’s boys’ teams.

The Covid crisis delayed the launch but the girls’ section is now in full swing.

Little says: “I made the decision about two years ago that I wanted to get girls’ into the Swifts. We didn’t have any girls training so I was determined to do something about it.

“It was something I thought that we were missing out on and it’s nice to get things going.”

Little’s hard work has been praised by Swifts chairman Gary White and his vice-chairman Steve Spreadbury who has organised a treat for the girls on Saturday

The 12 members of the Wildcats squad will be the club’s guests for the full match day experience.

The day will begin with a 30-minute training session on the main stadium pitch, hopefully with a first team player, followed by a tour of the Swifts facilities. The girls will then form a guard of honour for the first team game against Basildon before staying on to watch Isthmian North game.

Little added: “I have got some very excited girls who are really looking forward to Saturday’s activities and meeting the players.

“The Wildcats only started two weeks ago but I have been doing girls’ training at Swifts since last September once we had the FA’s approval to run a Wildcats centre.

“We had to put our plans on hold because of Covid but now football has returned I have been training with the girls and set up the Wildcats Centre properly.

“Our long term aim is run Swifts teams in the girls’ or mixed leagues.”

The girls, aged five to 11, train on the youth pitch every Saturday morning.

If your girls would like to join the squad, please contact Susan on 07841 042389.