Young footballer Ellie wants equality for girls' football in lockdown

Boys 'elite' academies for under-16s have been allowed to continue during England's four-week lockdown but girls' regional training centres have been stopped.

Ellie is a 9-year-old footballer, she's started an online petition to ask the Football Association (FA) to allow under 9s to under 16s girls' football academies to continue during lockdown.

Ellie's petition calls for "the same opportunities" for talented girls as boys during lockdown and has had nearly 250 signatures.

The FA said: "The Barclays FA WSL Academies and FA Girls Regional Talent Clubs are to be suspended during this period as their resources - including finances and personnel - do not meet the necessary 'elite' protocols required."

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The coronavirus lockdown in England has meant sports clubs, leisure centres and restaurants have to close until 2 December.

These new rules have meant grassroots football clubs aren't allowed to play and youth sport is now only permitted in school.

However, elite sport can continue behind closed doors during the lockdown and boys' football academies fall into this.

Ellie says that: "A 9 year old boy and a 9 year old girl who are at the same football club following a talent pathway do not have the same opportunities at this time.

"We need the FA to change the label of 'grassroots' for talented football girls in RTCs (regional training centres) to Elite from age 8 the same as it is for boys," she added.

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