The newly formed Kintore United girls football team has been given a boost with a sponsorship deal with local pipeline engineering services company STATS Group.
Club secretary Graeme Mackie recruited five other coaches to kick-start the initiative and already the squad numbers 25 girls, with 14 of them playing in the younger P1-P4 age group which is sponsored by STATS.
The team play in the North East Girls Football League, taking part in non-competitive ‘fun 4’s’ matches which are designed to replicate street football, with minimal coaching from the sidelines, no goalkeepers and to give the players as many touches of the ball as possible to build confidence.
Kintore United girls team train on football pitches next to STATS Group’s headquarters in Midmill Industrial Estate and they play most of their games at Aberdeen Sports Village.
Graeme Mackie said: “We recognised that while female interest in football is really on the up, the number of girls playing remained pretty low. Having a daughter myself I knew the main reason for low numbers of girls was that they simply preferred playing with girls and sometimes lacked confidence playing in mixed teams.
“We felt it important to secure the support of a local sponsor and we are delighted STATS Group have come forward with a generous sponsorship package. It is an exciting development to kick off Kintore United’s girls’ team and to be able to provide this opportunity for girls in Kintore and the surrounding area.”
STATS Group employs 190 staff at its Kintore base and designs, manufactures and installs a range of pipeline isolation and weld testing tools which are used widely in the global oil and gas industry.
Darran Pledger, STATS Group marketing manager, said: “We were delighted to be able to provide match and training strips for Kintore United’s girls team. STATS are committed to supporting the local community through causes that meet our three key initiatives of health, education and community awareness. We wish Graeme and his fellow coaches great success in building a strong squad and encouraging more girls to take part.”