FC Leytonstone has made history by launching an under 12's girls football team. The programme which was launched in July 2020 was sponsored by Lint Group. Lint Group specialises in property letting, sourcing and management. FC Leytonstone's very first session was inundated with over 35 girls attending where they were only expecting a maximum of 10 girls to show up.
Girls Programme Head Coach Sabah Mahmood says, “This shows the thirst for change in the local community. The local community in Leytonstone are predominantly of Black and South-East Asian origin. In the past, South-East Asian Muslim females like myself were not supported culturally to push themselves in sports like football. My generation can change things. We can open doors that were not open for our parents.”
Munaf Abhram, the chairman of the club, says, "It had been an aspiration of our football club, to enter a girls football team. Over the last year, we have been working with our partners to create new opportunities and greater capacity for young people to play football and we have put great focus on supporting girls and young ladies to play."
The East London football club was founded in 2003 and has continued to provide a platform for young people to play and enjoy football regardless of their background, as well as an opportunity to get them away from the gang and knife culture plaguing our communities. The club now boasts of 7 youth team ranging from u8s to u13s as well as a men’s team. Lint Group’s Managing Director Rizz Patel says, “We believe in promoting equality for all, starting with the youth because they are the future.”
