A mixed football academy set up by the SFA to nurture “Scotland’s best young footballing talent” has no girls in next year’s intake, prompting concern about equal opportunities in the sport.
Performance schools were launched in 2012 and allow boys and girls to train within an educational environment overseen by former Celtic and Manchester United star Brian McClair.
There are seven schools across Scotland in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Kilmarnock and Motherwell.
Figures obtained by The Herald show that there are no girls in the August intake at Holyrood Secondary in Glasgow.
'Questions need to be asked'
According to figures from Glasgow City Council, next year's S1 to S4 intake has 24 boys from areas including Dumbarton, Giffnock, Inverkip, Paisley, Rutherglen, Renfrew and parts of Glasgow and no girls.
On the home page of the performance schools’ website there are only two girls pictured amid dozens of boys.
According to a coaching source there has been concern that, whilst girls are taking part in trials at Holyrood, few are achieving places.
The women’s game is currently taking centre stage with the Uefa Women’s European Championships.
England Lionesses are now joint favourites to win the tournament after winning their first two group games – the second a record-breaking 8-0 win over Norway.
Craig O’ Leary, a former SFA youth coach, said it was “concerning” that no girls appeared to have been accepted to Holyrood.
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The 35-year-old set up Athena Glasgow Women & Girls Football Academy in the north of Glasgow a few months ago because he felt that female pupils were missing out on opportunities at the performance schools.
“There are some similar scenarios with colleges as well,” Mr O’ Leary said.
“The performance schools are more the elite level but, ultimately, what we want to do is get girls to that level where they can get the opportunity to go to performance schools.
“Why is Holyrood only promoting it for boys? If that is happening, there has got to be questions. Are they doing mixed trials?
“Girls are put off when they have to go to a course or school and they are mixed with boys. That’s just a fact.
“Even though we want equality throughout the game, they [girls and boys] are different – they develop at different rates and paces.”
Mr O’ Leary added: “For me, personally, I don’t think the girls’ game is pushed enough.
“From a girls’ format what we are seeing is that, even at regional level, it is all the big clubs such as Glasgow City and Celtic and Rangers.”
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On average, youngsters will train for between 75 and 90 minutes each day at performance schools.
They are coached in technical and tactical skills as well as focus and discipline.
The results are monitored regularly from both a playing and academic perspective.
Children who are already attached to an SPFL junior club can apply as well as those playing at grassroots level.
Mr O’ Leary said North Lanarkshire College tried to set up a course which would allow women to play football full-time while gaining qualifications.
He said: “They could then play football in the evenings as most clubs in the women’s game are part-time apart from the big clubs. That was something we were really keen to get involved in but it didn’t happen because the club president said, ‘If the boys can’t get involved, the girls can’t get involved.’
“So, that’s what led us to launch our own club.”
He said he would like to see more promotion of the women’s game in mainstream media.
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“All you see on the back pages of every paper is men’s football, up until recently, when you’ve had the Euros. But why does it take that big a [tournament] game for women’s football to be promoted?”
Michelle Wright is also involved in the academy but previously volunteered with Rossvale FC in Bishopbriggs, which started off with 40 girls and has continued to grow.
She described the situation at Holyrood as “really disappointing”.
The Herald contacted all the local authorities that have performance schools to ask how many places had been given to girls.
Edinburgh City Council said its football performance school, Broughton High, had two girls and one has now signed full time with a league club.
The council also offers a girls’ football programme for S1 to S3 pupils as part of City of Edinburgh Schools Sports Academy.
A spokesman added: “The programme assists the girls in obtaining entry into regional squads.”
The SFA and Scottish Women’s Football were contacted by The Herald the request for comment.
*This article was ammended to correct figure for next year's male pupil roll. The correct figure is 24 boys and 0 girls*
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