Tollerton Primary School is a small village school that has just 209 pupils. Not only that, but there are fewer than 25 girls in year 5 and 6 combined, the school years eligible to participate in ESFA (English schools FA) Competitions.
With that backdrop, it would be easy to think that ambitions for the 2022/23 girls football team would go no further than having lots of fun and trying to win the odd game. What they’ve actually achieved is extraordinary!
Back in September last year, they embarked on an unbeaten run (in normal time, more of that later) that extended to 37 games, by winning a Rushcliffe schools women’s euros tournament.
A month later, they took the first step on an incredible journey, becoming Rushcliffe Schools Champions and earning the right to compete in the Nottinghamshire County Tournament.
That took place in January in Sutton in Ashfield and after sweeping aside their first two opponents in the group, Tollerton met Lowes Wong of Southwell in the final. A nervy 1-1 draw followed but Tollerton won through on goal difference!
That meant a trip to Birmingham in early April to represent Nottinghamshire, in the regional finals, in the pouring rain.
A 0-0 opening game was followed by two wins leaving Tollerton qualified for the semi finals with a game to spare. They dispatched their semi final opponents with ease and then overwhelmed Broughton school from Northants in a one sided final. They’d qualified for the National Finals as Midlands Regional Champions!
In the meantime yet more silverware had followed with wins at the Rushcliffe Spring Tournament and the Rushcliffe Schools Cup.
In June, off these sensational girls headed to the King Power Stadium (home of Leicester City) to represent the Midlands in the National Finals!
With modest expectations at such a high level of competition, and the added pressure of the games being live streamed with commentary on YouTube, Tollerton continued to blow everyone away. They won their first two games comfortably then secured a draw in the third to reach the semi finals.
The semi final was a masterclass, scoring three wonderful goals without reply. They were in the final!
They’d made it to the last 2 schools in the whole country.
Out of 16,783 eligible to participate! They were up against formidable opponents St Walburga’s from Dorset. They too had flown through the competition with some ease.
As both teams cancelled one another out, the game headed to 6 minutes of extra time with the scores at 0-0. Incredibly, Tollerton took the lead with only 3 minutes left. Could this be it? Unfortunately not. The talented St Walburga’s grabbed a last gasp equaliser to send it to penalties.
In the cruellest of blows, Tollerton just missed out in the shootout lottery to finish runners up, but unbeaten otherwise! 9 months and 37 games of football later.
The girls celebrated their success with an open top steam engine parade at the annual village fayre, almost breaching weight restrictions with their haul of trophies!
Their achievement will almost certainly never be repeated and parents, families and the school are incredibly proud of them.
Your trainee lionesses are: Darcey Bailey, Lilly Screaton, Elizabeth Dul, Esme Shaw, Molly Cox, Eva Dewhurst, Isla Tillotson, Lucy Tillotson, Annabel Hood and Imogen Garrad. Coached and inspired by teacher Nick Isted.
Written by Ross Cox