FA Girls Football Week has been hailed a success in Trafford.

Altrincham Football Club ‘In the Community’ backed the national initiative, which aims to increase female football participation.

AFC kicked off the week on April 23 by providing more than 500 free match tickets to girls under 14 years old for the Robins' last their last home fixture in the ‘National League’ against Welling United.

This was in addition to the usual 250-plus ‘under 12’ tickets that get handed out fortnightly for every home fixture, and the game, which Altrincham won 5-0, attracted a crowd of 1,400.

AFC Junior Girls teams provided entertainment and assistance throughout the afternoon. There was a pre-match display by the under-7 and under-8 teams participating in a game on the pitch, ball co-ordinators, fund raising, mascots and an information stall.

On ApriL 24, Altrincham FC Ladies played its last home fixture against Liverpool Community Ladies, in the North West Regional Women’s League, at Mersey Valley. Once again, the AFC Junior Girls' teams provided pre-match entertainment with a friendly fixture against Didsbury.

The AFC Ladies won the game 6-0 and secured another season in the NWRWL, since gaining promotion last year.

In addition to the regular weekly coaching in local primary schools and at the AFC Community Sports Hall, Altrincham FC ‘In the Community’ provided an additional five hours of free coaching to over 150 girls throughout primary schools in the local area.

The week finished with the AFC Ladies team making its way over to the Isle of Man for a tournament against the island’s national FA representative teams. The IOM FA invited AFC Ladies and Chester City Ladies over for the event. Altrincham lost narrowly 3-2 against the IOM first team on day one, then won 3-1 against the youth team on day two. The team has been invited back this summer.

The football club already boasts a junior section with more than 50 boys and girls teams aged from six years old to adult open age level. The junior girls train every Wednesday at The Grammar, Altrincham between 6pm-8pm. Altrincham FC Community Sports Hall also runs weekly football coaching sessions for children aged between two and five.

Community co-ordinator, Judy Henson, said: “Altrincham Football Club and AFC Juniors put an incredible amount of preparation and effort into co-ordinating the week of activities, which proved to be hugely beneficial for schools, football teams and, most importantly, young girls in the area.”