More than 200 people were there to witness a historic moment – the first-ever all-girls football match staged by Huddersfield Junior Football League.

The match – between Rastrick under-13s and Lindley Collegians under-13s – was the first all-girls’ game in the league’s 49-year history and there was a big crowd at Carr Green playing fields in Rastrick on Sunday to watch it.

For the record, Lindley won 6-0 with a hat-trick from Baljot Dhami and goals from Ruby Jarrett, Lilia Madej and Connie Biddle-Mogg. But it wasn’t the result that mattered. It was a sign that girls’ football is growing in popularity.

Lindley head coach Chris Madej, Lilia’s dad, was proud of his whole team and hailed the occasion as a fantastic step forward for girls’ football locally.

He said: “We started the team in the aftermath of the Lionesses’ success this summer when England won the European Championships. We wanted to start a team and so I went to Lindley football club and asked if I could get one going and they said yes. We now have 15 players and all the girls are really enjoying it. 

“I think it’s fantastic that this game has happened, it is an historic moment for girls’ football locally. I was nervous before the match hoping it would go well and it did. There was a great crowd there too.”

England’s Lionesses inspire a generation and there’s a massive opportunity to take women’s football in Huddersfield to the next level

Rastrick coach Heidi Jackson said she had seen a rise in the number of young girls getting involved with football and added: “I’m really proud of all the girls. We are in our second season now and have had a great response particularly in the summer. We now have 19 girls on board. 

“Hopefully we get more all girls’ teams in the Huddersfield league. That would be the dream to make our own section for women’s football. We really enjoyed playing Lindley and can’t wait to face them again in February in the reverse fixture. 

“The league is a mixed league and you are seeing more mixed teams for sure. Before you might have seen just one girl involved, now there is four or five which is great to see.” 

Here is a gallery of images taken by Huddersfield Hub photographer SEAN DOYLE