Banned from cup for being female

Alyshia is captain of Fauldhouse Foxes and their top scorer

Alyshia Walker has been told she will not be able to join the Fauldhouse Foxes Under 13s on the pitch when they battle it out to be named the best in the UK.

Bathgate Academy pupil Alyshia, 13, who is her team's top scorer, has been left "devastated" by the news, especially as she was named player of the match when her team won the final of the youth Scottish Cup to qualify for the national competition.

But because the Tesco Cup takes place in England, it is governed by the English Football Association rules, which prevent girls being part of a boys team if they are over 11.

The decision was today branded "discrimination" by club bosses, while Scotland's national footballing body said it may quit the competition next year if the rules are not changed.

The best teams from all over Britain compete for the cup at St Andrew's stadium, home of Birmingham City, on May 22.

Fauldhouse Foxes' management has been working with the Scottish Youth Football Association (SYFA) to try to get the decision overturned.

They are also trying to persuade competition organiser Tesco to step in.

"I'm pretty gutted that I don't get to play, especially because I'm the captain," Alyshia said.

"It would be one of the biggest games of my career so I'm really disappointed, but hopefully something can be done before the final."

Her mother, Christine Walker, 44, from Blackburn, West Lothian, said: "I'm angry because she has played with this team for a long time.

"She was crying when they won the Scottish Cup because she was so happy and she thought she would be going for the British Cup."

Fauldhouse Foxes coach James McAllister said: "Tesco are going with the English FA's rules saying that she can't play, but Tesco has the right to overturn the rule.

"It's discrimination. She is the first girl to win the Scottish Cup with a boys' team. It's a joke."

David Little, national secretary of the SYFA, said the association was "100 per cent" behind Alyshia and her team.

He added: "The difficulty we have is that the English FA rules are not as enlightened as the SYFA's rules in that in Scotland we can have mixed participation up to and including 15.

"I really feel for Alyshia. Had the club made the decision not to attend (the tournament], as an association, we were going to boycott the event.

"The English FA are putting a rule change up to their annual general meeting but if the change does not go through for next season's competition, we will either not participate or we would ask that the tournament is held in Scotland with the more enlightened rules."

The English FA is understood to be looking into the request to allow Alyshia to play.

A Tesco spokesman added: "Whilst we would be very happy for Alyshia to play, this needs to be a decision for the English FA."