FOOTBALL is a real family affair for the Woollias'

Phil Woollias has supported Bradford City from being a young boy. His father and brother are also supporters, and since meeting his wife, Michelle, she along with their children, nine-year-old Thomas and Megan, 10, have followed suit.

So it's no surprise that the family being a fans of the beautiful game, Michelle decided to take up the baton when, like her son, her daughter wanted to play football.

Thackley Juniors, the club where Thomas plays in their home city of Bradford didn't have a girls team so Michelle decided she would set one up!

Michelle explains her son began playing in the club's Under six's and her husband, Phil, took on coaching for the team.

Every Friday evening would be spent down at the club but while the boys played the girls were left watching from the sidelines.

Eager to get involved, Megan asked if she could play and, noticing the other girls may also want to give it a go, Michelle decided to look into it.

"Megan asked 'why can't we have a team and play like Thomas?'" recalls Michelle.

"It made sense to do something so that is where the idea came about to set up a girls football club."

"I've always been really sporty, not necessarily in terms of football. I played for a girls football team in middle school one year and that was quite unusual at that time but it must have been a dedicated PE teacher who was running after school activities and football was just one those," explains Michelle.

Pursuing her passion for sport, Michelle's first job was as a tennis coach. "I worked full time for a few years as a tennis coach until I got injured and then I had a massive career change."

Michelle worked her way up from customer services to project manager for the communications company O2.

With her enthusiasm for sport and her background in coaching, Michelle knew she could use her previous expertise to get it up and running.

The club had previously tried to set up a girls team - all they needed to do now was to harness the enthusiasm.

Along with another mum from the club, Michelle pursued the idea. They approached the West Riding County FA who were running a four week 'Join our club campaign' involving football sessions within schools and ended up going into local schools focusing on the prospect of putting a girls team together.

By July 2014 they were able to launch Thackley Girls, which is now very much part of the family at Thackley Juniors FC

"It exploded from there.

"I thought there would be enough for one team and we ended up with enough for two teams," says Michelle, who runs the teams with another Mum.

This season has been the team's first taste of competitive football and they are already showing great promise.

"It's been amazing," says Michelle, referring to the fact they have been promoted up the division.

The girls also participated in the West Riding County FA Football tournament.

Michelle believes while football remains a male dominated sport, women are taking a greater part in it now compared to years ago.

She is conscious about retaining the girls ethos and, to help with coaching, encourages the girls to practice their skills to music, that way they can continue their practice at home on their own if they don't have any lads to play football with.

"Boys will go and practice with other boys on the street but girls don't do that, so putting the football and music together I found they will practice to music. They think they are dancing but they are developing really solid football skills.

"It's also making it unique for the girls and keeping it interesting," says Michelle.

Her dedication and determination to set up a girls football team recently brought her into the celebrity spotlight.

It was husband Phil who put her forward for the McDonald's Football Mum of the Year award which recognises mums who put in countless unpaid hours of hard work so that their children and the local community can enjoy playing football with the support of women like Michelle.

She explains Phil had seen the competition advertised on Twitter and decided to fill in an application form - unbeknown to her!

When Michelle also spotted the advertisement a few weeks later she said to her husband 'I could do that.' He told her he had filled in an application but she didn't realise he was serious until the email arrived saying she had won!

On August 7 Michelle was invited down to Wembley Stadium where she met Coleen Rooney, wife of Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney along with Arsenal ladies footballer, Casey Stoney.

"I was really shocked and obviously meeting inspirational women, who are highly involved in sport it was a bit overwhelming on the day but it was a fantastic day," recalls Michelle.

Setting up the girls' team hasn't only made her family proud, it has also given her a sense of satisfaction too knowing it has given her daughter, and other girls, the opportunity to do something they wanted to do.

But Michelle isn't stopping there. She is now considering setting up a women's team to give the younger girls the opportunity to continue playing when they get older. "It's creating a pathway from the under sevens we have got now to when they get to adults so they can keep playing," she explains.

For her and her family football is a commitment, but it's one they relish and thoroughly enjoy. "It takes up an awful lot of time but it's one of those things that people say 'it must be like a second job.'

"It's like a hobby. It's really rewarding and there is lots of success, not just in terms of winning a trophy or tournament, but seeing all the girls are improving," says Michelle.

Adding: "It's really good fun."

Although there is still a gender barrier, the success of sports women involved in the game is helping to encourage more girls into the sport.

"I think it is still seen as a male game but it definitely has changed and the interest is definitely there," says Michelle.