Seven age groups, from under-nine to 15 are affected, with the girls' coaches claiming the Borough's youth committee is biased against them.

The new club, Eastbourne Girls FC, will be launched next Thursday evening at its new home at Shinewater Field, off Shinewater Lane.

As a girls section within Eastbourne Borough, the teams played their games at Bishop Bell School, but pleas for an improvement in facilities, they say, have fallen on deaf ears.

Borough recently received a top FA award for being the best community club in the south east region.

But Stuart Tibble, the father of an under-12 player, complained to Herald Sport of the 'inexplicable attitude and sexist views of the boy and First XI bias of Borough's youth committee.'

Mr Tibble said, "The girls had politely requested a review of facilities for players. This include improved changing and toilet facilities, but this request was met with arrogance and complete defiance by the committee headed by Bill Wheatley.

"No explanation has been given and despite revisiting the request again and asking the committee to review the request, they as good as told the girls teams to go away and stop pestering them."

"Borough had a good season but it has ended on a very sour note."
Rachel Scott, the new club's child welfare officer who managed two teams under the Borough set-up, told Herald Sport, "Our girls pay into the club but do not get to use the facilities. We had no control and everything was geared towards the senior club.

"We would have liked to have formed our own sub-committee, but they would not even meet us halfway."

She said Eastbourne Girls FC would be 'an exciting new chapter' for girls' football in the town.

She added, "We will be a dedicated club for the development and promotion of girls football.

"With teams from u-nine to u-15, we hope to sign 100 per cent of the current players by offering improved facilities, the same coaches, the same high quality of football and the prospect of an exciting future as the only all-girls football club in the area."

Eastbourne Youth Section vice-chairman Allan Staples denied that all the girls' coaches had left and claimed the girls section had a seat on the committee but their attendance had been poor.

He agreed the girls' coaches had approached the committee on a number of issues including the lack of access to facilities at their training ground at Bishop Bell School.

Mr Staples insited, "Within 48 hours of a request to improve facilities, a meeting took place with the school who very kindly agreed to allow the club to use internal toilet and changing facilities from the start of next season following some remedial work that the club would fund.

"This information was fed back to the coaches who were then invited to stay with the club and support working to improve the facilities of all players (boys and girls).

"There were, however, also unacceptable requests involving issues of financial structure that would not have been in our members' interest.

"They asked for time to think about whether they wished to remain part of our club given that the committee would not be in a position to grant all their wishes.

"Regrettably a number chose to part company with the club taking a large number of players with them.

"This has left us with a reduced girls section for the coming season. However, we have already put in place a structure to cater for those girls who wish to play their football as part of our club and we welcome current and new members from across the town."