By Mark Worsley

AFC Wimbledon Girls opened their doors to youngsters across all age groups for open trials at King George Playing Fields Surrey last Saturday.

The event, supported by the FA and Kick it Out, welcomed girls from U9s to U18s all with the hope of being scouted by a Dons youth coach.

Chairman of the AFC Wimbledon ladies and girls Dennis Lowndes described the day as wonderful in order to get more girls playing football.

“The wonderful thing is to get all the young girls together and play football and it’s all about improving their ability and making them enjoy playing football,” he said.

“Over the years some of the girls have graduated to play for AFC Wimbledon women’s team but we have also lost a couple of girls to bigger teams like Chelsea.

“Here at AFC Wimbledon, it’s about developing the ladies game and getting more girls playing football rather than staying home.”

Lowndes has been overly impressed by the development of his coaches at the youth set-up as well.

“The coaches at the youth academy have developed their game over the years gaining their coaching badges and inspiring a young generation of girls to play football. The coaches have developed fantastically well here,” he said.

“Some of them started off with no coaching experiences and over the years they have gained the experience and have gained the coaching badges they require.”

Fawwad Uddin, vice-chairman of the girls section at the club and head coach of the U11s, sees the open trials as a great opportunity for girls who want to get involved playing football.

He said: “We are growing as a club especially with the development of the ladies and girls team.”

Uddin, who joined the coaching staff at AFC Wimbledon's youth team five years ago, began as a volunteer, before discovering his coaching credentials.

Whoever may have been successfully scouted by Uddin, will know they’ll be entering a team of champions, after his girls team won the Surrey Women and Girls Premier League Division this season.