Story added: 4th February 2025

All action at the Premier League Primary Stars National Girls Football Tournament

On Friday 31st January, 21 primary schools and 168 girls from across Norfolk arrived at The Nest for a day of competitive tournament football. The inaugural round of the Premier League Primary Stars National Girls Football Tournament saw the Year 5 and 6 girls split into three mini leagues of seven, with the top two from each group and the two third-placed teams with the highest points progressing to the knockout stages.

The fierce nature of six-a-side football meant two of the three groups went down to the wire, with the final group game pivotal to the potential progression of five of the teams.

The knockout stages saw the tempo upped yet again, with some net-busting goals bettered only by a series of stunning saves from the ‘keepers.

A fine day of footballing action all but complete, the two remaining teams took to the turf to battle it out for a place in the regional rounds of the competition. Wymondham-based Ashleigh Primary School had looked strong throughout the tournament, but then so had free-scoring Martham Academy, who began the final match of the day with clear confidence and conviction. However, it was the fore-mentioned Ashleigh Primary who broke the deadlock first, sealing the victory with a second goal towards the end of the match.

Ashleigh Primary will now represent the Foundation in the famous yellow and green for the regional round of the tournament, which will take place in Peterborough. Should they progress from there, they will move through to the national rounds of the competition.

Aoife Linehan, the Foundation’s Schools Operations Officer, was thrilled with the success of the event:

“The return of the Premier League Primary Stars, National Girls Football Tournament has once again demonstrated excellent teamwork and engagement from all 21 schools involved.

The tournament displayed some fantastic football including lots of goals and great saves, Congratulations to Ashleigh Primary who won the local qualifier and now go on to represent the Foundation at the next stages.”

There was also positive feedback from the attending schools, with one of the teachers reflecting on the tournament:

“We all had a great time here at The Nest today – the girls all thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”

The Foundation would like to congratulate all 21 schools involved in the tournament, you’ve all done yourselves proud.

We still have spaces in our Norwich City FC Schools League for both girls (years 3 & 4) and mixed (years 5 & 6) teams to enter, via the link here.