Kings Hill Girls Reach Wembley in National League U11s Cup Final

What began as a distant dream became an unimaginable and incredibly exciting journey.
Five Kings Hill players — Summer Keeper, Isla Lidsey, Abbey Blunderfield, Daisy Cope and Maeve Grimes, along with former player Maddie Ash, proudly represented The Discovery School in the National League U11s Cup.
This year’s competition featured an impressive 49 National League clubs, more than 900 school teams and over 7,000 players from across the country.

Their journey began on 20th November 2025 at a tournament hosted by Tonbridge Angels at the Yeoman’s Community Stadium. Representing The Discovery School, the girls were outstanding, winning the tournament without conceding a single goal or suffering defeat. Their success earned them a place in the next round, hosted by Maidstone United at the Gallagher Stadium on 23rd March. This time representing Tonbridge Angels, they reached the final before narrowly losing to Southend United, their first defeat across two tournaments. However, with two teams progressing, their remarkable journey continued.

Their third tournament took place on 21st April, hosted by Walton & Hersham at the Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub. The girls responded brilliantly, gaining revenge over Southend United in their opening game before going unbeaten throughout the tournament. They held their nerve to win both the semi-final and final on penalties in truly nail-biting fashion.

This incredible achievement crowned them the number one girls’ school football team in the South of England. As a result, they were invited to represent the South in a national final against the North, played at Wembley Stadium on 10th May against Hartlepool United.

Although they narrowly lost the final 2–1, the girls performed brilliantly and should be immensely proud of everything they achieved. A special mention goes to Daisy for scoring at Wembley, an unforgettable moment and a fantastic strike. Across the entire competition, the team won 21 of their 23 matches. More importantly, their friendships grew stronger, they embraced every challenge and, in the eyes of everyone supporting them, they were true winners.

For us as parents, it was a privilege to share such a special moment with them at Wembley. It is an experience they will never forget and one that will hopefully give them the confidence and belief to continue achieving great things both on and off the pitch.