Abu Dhabi’s Thistle Football Club has kicked their way up the rankings to become the only girl’s team from the UAE competing in the World Youth Cup, held in Gothenburg, Sweden. The U15 team is comprised of players from around the world, from Malaysia to the USA, and is helmed by volunteer fathers and coaches Patrick Dempsey, Ryan Lindborg, and Chris Gerrard. The Gothia Cup runs from the 15th to the 21st of July and will see Thistle vying for a top spot against 1,700 teams from over 80 nations.
“It’s tough competition. Some of the best youth teams in the world will take part. Our girls will need to play their best all week long and that takes a lot of training and stamina. It will be an outstanding experience for our girls and hopefully, our story will help raise interest in more girls playing football in Abu Dhabi,” explained Coach Lindborg.
Thistle Football Club was founded in 2006 by Archie Young and Ally Macdonald, named for the flowers in their native Scotland. The UK-style amateur football club is completely volunteer run and is focused on providing competitive football in a friendly and fun environment. The team has previous competed in tournaments held in Bahrain, Spain, and Scotland.
