Perse Prep girls’ football team kick on to make history

The Perse Prep girls’ U11 football team have made history after qualifying for the ISFA (Independent Schools Football Association) national finals for the first time.

They will head to Burton’s St George’s Park – the England football team’s training centre – for the ISFA finals later this month after being crowned regional champions in nail-biting style.

Despite a narrow 1-0 loss to RGS The Grange in their opening match, they bounced back to beat Crackley Hall School 1-0 with a last-minute winner.

A 1-0 defeat to the Stephen Perse Foundation followed, but another late goal earned a 1-0 victory over Repton and runners-up spot in their pool.

In the semi-finals, they met Warwick Prep School and claimed a confident 3-1 triumph to set up a final with Berkhamsted.

After a goalless stalemate, the final went to penalties with The Perse Prep holding their nerve to come through 3-1 winners in the shootout.

Team coach Jacob Butler said: “The girls have been brilliant all season – playing some amazing football, putting girls’ football on the map and being trailblazers for the school.

“It’s an amazing achievement to be the first Perse Prep girls’ football team to qualify for the nationals at St George’s Park, rounding off a successful year group of football with the boys qualifying earlier in the season.

“We are all looking forward to going to St George’s Park. It will be an amazing experience for the girls and hopefully they will showcase how good a football team they are.”