We have been awarded an FA Girls’ Emerging Talent Centre licence!
The three-year FA license will provide further opportunities to girls within our pathways to progress
We are delighted to announce that we are one of 60 community trusts to be allocated a Girls’ Emerging Talent Centre [ETC] licence and one of only seven based in London. The license will see the number of young female players engaged in FA programmes across the country rise from 1722 to over 4200 by the end of the 2023-24 season. The national network of girls’ ETCs will be aimed at girls aged eight to 16 and the new centres will operate for at least 30 weeks per season and will commence from September 2022.
The centres will be underpinned by five key areas:
1. Better accessibility
2. More inclusivity
3. Reducing the impact of early selection
4. More focused investment
5. Providing more appropriate challenges
“This is a great step for us at Brentford, our girl’s engagement has grown massively over the last 3 years and this now gives players that extra step and pathway into the women and girls game. This will also encourage and promote players to play in grassroots teams. I am extremely excited to be a part of this and looking forward to seeing the talent of the girls from West London.” says our Female Football Development Manager Amber Lloyd.
The Football Association, with support from the Premier League, is developing the national network of ETCs as part of its plans to grow the talent programme within the women’s game, with the number of players on the pathway expected to double over the next two seasons. The centre will provide a further pathway to our girl’s programmes which currently include Wildcats, Squads, Free Community Engagement sessions, our Girls Development Centre and our Female Post 16 Football and Education programme.
“Our key aims are to provide greater access for more players whilst diversifying the talent pool… We are extremely excited to be working alongside such a diverse group of clubs and organisations, which will help us identify players for the future, including future England Lionesses” said Kay Cossington, the FA’s head of women’s technical.
Our Emerging Talent Centre is due to begin in October 2022 with more news to follow. To find out more about our current girls’ programmes click here
