A top girls football league in England is facing possible sanctions from the FA for not letting a boy play in its matches.
The West Riding Girls Football League has at least 6,000 under-18 girls playing in more than 300 teams.
But the league is reportedly in trouble with the FA after they ignored complaints from a parent who wanted their son to join.
The governing body's gender policy states that girls and boys are entitled to mix in youth football up to a certain age.
They read: “Mixed football is allowed until the U16 age group and under 16’s are entitled to play in boys’ or girls’ teams regardless of their natal sex."
The West Riding Girls Football League denied a boy's appeal to play
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However, organisers of the Yorkshire girls league reportedly fear that letting a boy play would be 'a massive threat to the girls' game'.
According to the Daily Mail, an emergency meeting was held last month with managers voicing their concerns.
It was reported back in October that the parents of the boy who wanted to play in the West Riding Girls League first made the request.
After their plea was declined, the parents are said to have lodged an appeal to the local FA.
The West Riding Girls League have reportedly been told they have no right to refuse the boy's application and face possible sanctions if they continue to do so.
The report goes on to claim that the league could even be shut down over the situation.
The league's secretary sent an email to its members last week, which read: "This is a massive threat to the girls game and we should be mindful that this could be a long struggle should we fight this head on.
"To all intents and purposes we would not just be fighting for the integrity of our girls' league but all girls' leagues in the country."
A manager of one of the teams said: "We've spoken to parents and the girls themselves, a number of them we've 'rescued' from mixed sex leagues where they have been excluded from having the ball passed to them, where they have been tackled and had bones broken.
Boys and girls are allowed to mix in teams up to the age of 16
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"I have also been informed by parents that they would be looking to take their daughters out of the league and the girls themselves saying they would just give it up if boys joined."
Olympic medallist Sharron Davies also weighed in on the topic after it began to gain attention online.
“This is ridiculous and dangerous for these girls, potentially career ending – how utterly negligent of the FA,” Davies said.
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Sharron Davies called it dangerous and negligent from the FA
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“We know girls and women are leaving sport because of this blatant sex discrimination in sport."
She added in another posted: "This is truly disgusting sex discrimination without any consideration to the increased injury risk to the girls. Shame on you @FA.
"Make your disgust known to them & MPs. It really is time to start suing these bias institutions."
