TWO Arsenal Ladies and England footballers were in North Herts before the Easter break for schools. Faye White MBE, captain of both Arsenal Ladies and England, was joined by club and country team-mate Anita Asante in Baldock. The pair brought with them th

TWO Arsenal Ladies and England footballers were in North Herts before the Easter break for schools.

Faye White MBE, captain of both Arsenal Ladies and England, was joined by club and country team-mate Anita Asante in Baldock.

The pair brought with them the Women's UEFA Cup to promote Arsenal's UEFA Cup final ties against Swedish side Umea this month.

Arsenal Ladies will travel to Sweden on April 21 with the 'home' second leg at Boreham Wood on April 29 (midday kick-off).

They were at the Knights Templar Three Lions Football Festival which was part of a wider football development project working with the Herts FA and Baldock Town Youth Football Club.

Year 10 students from Knights Templar and Brandles School led groups of Year Three and Four girls through warm-ups, skills activities and finally small-sided games.

Around 200 girls from the Knights Templar 'family' of schools attended the festival, which followed coaching sessions in their schools by coaches from Baldock Town Youth and Hitchin Town football clubs.

The festival was part of a much bigger project to get more girls playing football, with a view to establishing a girls' under-10 team at Baldock Town Youth FC.

Ros Cramp, from the North Herts School Sport Partnership, said: "Some of the young leaders really matured during the afternoon and we'll see the real success of the programme in a couple of months' time when the Saturday morning coaching sessions are underway."

Any girls wanting to play football should come along to the coaching programme on Saturday mornings at Knights Templar Sports Centre.

Sessions will be led by qualified coaches from Baldock Town Youth.

Please call Louisa Suff at the Herts FA on 01462 677622.