The chance to lift a trophy at Wembley Stadium is one football fans dream of – and that could now become a reality for a women’s team in Crawley.

Crawley Old Girls are in this year’s FA People’s Cup and took part in a special launch day at the National Football Centre at St. George’s Park on Friday.

FA coaches led them and other teams through expert sessions of drills and skills, ahead of their participation in the country’s largest and most inclusive small-sided football tournament.

Should Crawley Old Girls progress to April’s finals, they will get the chance to play on the St. George’s Park pitches, the first time the Staffordshire complex has hosted the latter stages of the amateur tournament.

And for Ashington’s Karen Dare, the opportunity is an incredible chance which shows just how far grassroots football has progressed, especially for women.

“A lot of us are from that generation of women where football wasn’t for girls,” said the 50-year-old, who works for the area’s parish council.

“I joined the COGs about eight months ago. I manage my son’s football team, Ashington Cougars under-13s, and was doing some searching online looking for training drills.

“I just happened upon an article featuring the Crawley Old Girls.

“I watched it and thought ‘how fantastic, this is what I’ve been looking for all my life’. And I went down and I’ve been there ever since – I’ve never looked back.

“Quite frankly I wish I’d found it about 35 years ago – it’s brilliant to know it’s running every week and got enough players to be sustainable and there are more groups setting up to create some competition.

“The FA People’s Cup is great because it gives us the chance for a bit of competitive football - just because we’re slightly older doesn’t mean we don’t want some competition!

“I just wish we’d had this kind of opportunity that the younger girls today have got. It’s wonderful.”

The COGs, who train near Crawley Town’s stadium, reached the finals of last year’s Women’s Vets category – over 35s – and run beginners, intermediate and advanced sessions.

Friday’s skills day also saw under-14 girls and boys, university students, disability players and walking footballers soak up the advice given by coaches and try their hand at a range of skills.

The free-to-enter FA People’s Cup is a symbol of diversity and is open to players of all ages and abilities, with teams able to enter online.

Les Howie, Head of Grassroots Football for The FA, added: “The FA People’s Cup is extremely important to grassroots football in this country, providing a fantastic opportunity for people to play the game we all love.

“With 18 categories welcoming a truly diverse set of entrants, this competition really is for all. And with the added appeal of a final at St. George’s Park, 2018’s tournament is set to be the best yet.”

The FA People’s Cup turns the people’s dreams of lifting a trophy at Wembley Stadium into a reality. Registration for the free-to-enter five-a-side tournament, open to all ages and abilities, is now open. For more information visit www.TheFA.com/FAPeoplesCup