The Mourant Girls Academy was created in October 2019 to provide an opportunity for girls who have shown talent and passion for football to be a part of a team with girls of similar abilities and aspirations. The Girls Academy groups have allowed them to play in an all-female team to develop a pathway into youth and senior female football.

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During the 2024/25 season, the Girls Academy had over 60 players across 4 age groups – Year 4&5, Year 6&7, Year 8,9&10 and Year 11,12&13. All 4 squads trained weekly with qualified coaches, including senior island representative coaches and players. From October to December, we introduced a new trial process alongside bi-weekly development fixtures for Years 6–10, giving us valuable match-based insights. The girls impressed with their attitude, commitment, and eagerness to learn. From January to mid-February, all selected players trained indoors at Aztech alongside the Aztech Academy, focusing on 4v4 games that tested their physicality, technique, and teamwork. Their perseverance and work rate was outstanding. March 2025 marked a significant milestone with the opening of Victoria Park, giving the GFA Academy a permanent home. This enabled us to apply the skills learned over the previous months in full-pitch scenarios, culminating in fixtures against the U12 and U16 Jersey Bulls Girls Academy, a minis festival for Year 5, and all age groups representing the Girls Academy at the Rangers 7s Festival in May.

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Looking ahead to the 2025/26 season, we are running a 2-week trial squad selection process. Once the squads are decided, the aim is to allow the girls to play in development fixtures against club teams from the age group below roughly every 6 weeks. We do not intend to stop girls from playing with their clubs, hence the decision to play girls academy fixtures against the age group below, as this allows them to have the opportunity to develop with their club team, as well as with the girls. Off island, we have connections with the girls club teams in Jersey, as well as the Jersey Bulls Girls Academy, who we aim to play once a year in either Jersey or Guernsey. These matches provide the girls from both islands the opportunity to play against other girls in a developmental environment.

 

As the girls progress through the academy, they are working to develop physically, socially, technically and psychologically with the aim of becoming well rounded as an individual, while also providing them with the framework to potentially become future senior women’s players. During all Girls Academy sessions, we also expect players to be kind, willing to learn, and always show respect to their teammates, coaches opponents and referees.

 

Scarlett reflected on the overall success of the Mourant Academy adding that:

“We now have over 80 girls aspiring to get involved in the Mourant Girls Academy across the 8-16 age range for the 2025/26 season. After the recent international success of the Lionesses winning back-to-back European titles, with Maya as a part of the squad, as well as the Guernsey Women Representative team winning back-to- back Murattis, the girls continue to aspire to become the best footballers they can be, with the motivation to sustain the senior game success in years to come. This pathway is already working as we have now seen 21 girls progress through the Girls Academy and play in a mixture of Guernsey FC Women’s fixtures, Women’s Murattis, The 2023 Island Games and The 2024 Cherry Godfrey Cup.”