A YOUNG football team will be missing one of its star players this season . . . because she's a girl.

Jackie Smith has been starring in Basildon FC's defence and also represented St Helens in the Merseyside Youth Games.

But because she's now reached the age of 11 she's banned from playing alongside the boys.

Her mother, Maxine, said of the Sutton Heath schoolgirl: "She a very good player and she really loves her football. I think it's terrible she can't play any more"

And to make matters worse for the young Everton fan brothers Craig (Pilkington) and Gareth (Ravenhead) will continue to play for their teams at the weekend.

Rainhill Junior League secretary Steve Hughes explained they were bound by laws laid down by the Football Association.

But there may be brighter news ahead for girls like Jackie.

He said: "FA rules don't allowed mixed football apart from in schools. And we appreciate there is an anomaly whereby 11-year-old girls can play alongside boys at school, but not in local leagues.

"But there are moves afoot to change this. Consultations are going on and there are experiments going on with small-sided games for the under sevens and under eights at present.

"There could be changes in the next two or three years."

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