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The South Morningside Primary School girls’ football team experienced a disheartening moment last year when they were awarded a small plastic trophy after winning the Edinburgh Schools football cup. In stark contrast, the boys’ team received a large and impressive trophy on the same day, highlighting a clear disparity. This difference in recognition left the girls, aged between 10 and 12, feeling “shocked and angry,” prompting them to write a letter to the tournament organizers to address the unfair treatment.
Following their complaint, the Edinburgh Primary Schools Sports Association (EPSSA) president, Willie French, acknowledged the glaring inequality and expressed embarrassment over the situation. After hearing from the girls, French invested £1,600 in a new trophy, equivalent in size to the boys’ award, and presented it to the team at their school recently. Eleven-year-old Caitlin Tierney, a member of the victorious team, shared, “I feel quite proud now because we stood up for ourselves.”
The team recalled seeing the boys receive their large trophy while they were handed a much smaller cup, despite having won their final against Liberton Primary School with a 5-2 score. Caitlin described the experience, saying, “We went up to complain and asked why did the boys get this big massive trophy and we’ve just got this plastic little thing.” The incident left her feeling disappointed and questioning their worth, adding, “I was very upset and we were thinking were we not good enough?”
French revealed that although the girls’ tournament has been held since 1997, this was the first year that both the boys’ and girls’ finals took place on the same evening. Seeing all the trophies side by side, he admitted, “When I set up the presentation there were the three traditional trophies and then there was this sad wee diddy-looking trophy and I was quite embarrassed.” After receiving the girls’ letter, he fully agreed with their message that the small trophy undermined their achievements and sent a message of inferiority compared to the boys.
The team’s head coach, Tom Wills, expressed concern that such a trophy might “diminish their sense of achievement,” but praised the girls for their determination and resilience. He said, “I was so proud of what they had achieved and I thought ‘Is that it?'” Wills also acknowledged the girls’ proactive stance in writing to the organizers, stating, “They didn’t need encouragement to do it, it was entirely of their own doing, which I was probably more proud that they did that than even the way they performed in the tournament.”
Support for the girls came from Vivienne MacLaren, chairwoman of Scottish Women’s Football, who described the initial trophy presentation as disappointing. She emphasized the importance of equal recognition between boys and girls, saying, “We need to be seen as just as important as and deserving of respect as the boys, so I think it is really admirable what they have done.” Additionally, James Dalgleish, City of Edinburgh Council’s education, children and families convener, attended the ceremony where the new trophy was presented. He remarked, “The South Morningside Primary School girls’ football team have secured their place in history having influenced the commissioning of a new trophy, helping to level the playing field not only in football, but all sports.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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