The clubs have joined forces with the assistance of West Riding County FA to create a three-star accredited pathway creating opportunity for all ages, genders and disability pathways.

The collaboration has established a complete pathway for women and girls, starting from pre-school at the Mark Duffy Football School.

At the age of 7, they can progress to play for teams at Greetland FC, which offers youth teams up to under 18s.

The final stage is Halifax Friendly FC, with two open-age female teams available from 16 years old.

The Belles team competes in the West Riding Women's Beginner League, focusing on player development, while the Halifax Friendly FC Ladies team participates in the West Riding County Women's Football League.

All clubs involved share a common goal of creating inclusive opportunities within their community. This pathway is the first step towards achieving this goal, with desire to expand and ensure equal representation reflecting that of their surrounding communities.

Lee Ashforth, Senior Football Development Officer at West Riding County FA, expressed his delight saying: "It's fantastic to collaborate with three clubs and achieve three star accreditation. With the support of key club officials, our joint efforts have created opportunities for all ages, genders, and disability pathways."

Mark Duffy, Director at Mark Duffy Football School, shared his excitement: “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with two of Calderdale’s best grassroots organisations in Greetland FC and Halifax Friendly FC. We are excited to see where this partnership goes and look forward to collaborating with both clubs closely on a number of exciting projects in the future. Thank you to Lee at the West Riding County FA for bringing us all together and for putting the foundations in place for this key partnership, which will hopefully strengthen grassroots football in Calderdale.”

Ian Chapman, Chairman of Greetland declared: “It’s an exciting opportunity to partner with two progressive football organisations and support the offer of grassroots football to the widest possible customer base of all ages, genders and abilities.”

David Kinnald, Chairperson of Halifax Friendly FC said: "I'm delighted that we have partnered with two excellent like-minded organisations that would like to create more opportunities for those that are less represented in football. We are excited to see what this partnership can deliver both in the short term and over time. We are proud of what we all stand for together and would like to thank Lee at West Riding County FA for bringing us together."

Ryan West, Secretary and Development Officer at Halifax Friendly FC said: "I'm extremely proud to work with Mark Duffy Football School and Greetland FC to complete this pathway and provide further opportunities for the female game in the local area."

The Mark Duffy Football School, located in West Vale, provides private football sessions to over 350 children weekly, along with group sessions, holiday camps, one-to-one sessions, birthday parties, goalkeeper group sessions, and an over 50's walking football group.

Founded by Mark in 2017 and later joined full-time by his son Sam in 2022, the school's mission is to ensure all children enjoy playing football.

This ethos guides all their sessions throughout the week. Greetland FC caters to over 500 registered players of all ages, genders, and abilities, including disability football sessions.

Celebrating their 50th year in 2022, the club remains committed to providing football opportunities for everyone.

Halifax Friendly FC, established in 2021, was created to enable safe football play during challenging times. Initially focused on recreational football for men, the club expanded into women's football and now boasts 80% female membership.

Their competitive teams were formed in response to women players seeking more structured play.

The club's "Turn Up & Play" sessions on Fridays attract women from Calderdale and beyond, welcoming players of all abilities.

The club won the West Riding County FA's Lioness Award in 2023. All three clubs stand proudly alongside each other with their own fantastic achievements intact and a desire to work together to take these achievements to the next level.