A GIRLS’ football team is making sporting history after winning through to the final of a national tournament.

But the success has left the team at Branksome Heath Middle School with a problem – because they are not allowed to wear their prized black-and-pink kit.

Branksome Heath’s year seven squad beat off teams from areas such as the Isle of Wight, Jersey, Portsmouth, Oxford and Newbury to win the South West regional title in the English Schools’ Football Association Under-12 Five-a-Side Cup.

They will go to Derby for the finals on March 5 and are fundraising at school so they can stay overnight ahead of their matches in the morning.

But the girls normally play in a black and pink kit and the FA says only the referees can wear black.

Head teacher Stuart Fox said: “If any local company would like to sponsor us, we’d love to hear from them, otherwise we’re going to have to get out some old shirts.

“The girls love their kit. It was specially made in black with pink, but the FA says you can’t wear black.

“It’s a nice problem to have.”

It is thought to be the first time a team from this part of Dorset has made the national finals. “It’s good for Poole and it’s good for East Dorset,” said Mr Fox.

He said the girls’ success was a credit to them and to their coach, Sue Gillingham, a higher level teaching assistant who has encouraged girls’ sports at the school.

“Miss Gillingham has really built up the girls’ football in the last 10 years. In the last two years, they’ve won the county cup for outdoor football,” he said.

“They’re getting the coaching and encouragement to pursue it and a lot of them are taking it up outside school too, which 10 years ago very few did.

“They’re great as individuals but they play even better as a team.”

The star team are Daisy Marsh, Emily-May Smith, Jessica Wolling-ton, Myah Guscott, Olivia Knott, Lara Jesionowska and Emily Olive.