YOUNG footballing stars have been in tears after being told their centre of excellence is being axed.
The Football Association has announced it has dropped Hull College's Girls' Centre Of Excellence.
The FA has cut the number of academies nationally from 50 to 30.
The college has been a centre of excellence for four years and previously received funding from the FA.
But on Thursday, staff were told it would not receive a licence this season.
A parent of one of the girls, who contacted the Mail, said: "It is a devastating blow for the girls and it will also see the centre staff out of work.
"My daughter, who plays there, has been in tears since the news broke."
The aim of the centre, which is based at the KC Stadium, is to identify and train elite players of the future.
Potential England internationals in each age group were given the opportunity to attend regional camps and were promised fixtures that had scouts present.
The camps acted as a focal point for England selection for girls in under-14s and under-16s age ranges.
Another devastated parent said: "The girls are shell-shocked that York has received a licence and Hull hasn't.
"This decision is completely unjustified, given the centre's performance over the past years. Scouts are supposed to attend matches, but they didn't.
"Because of the lack of interest from the FA, one of the players now plays for Ireland and another has been invited for trials at Scotland.
"This is damaging for female football locally."
The nearest centres for young female footballers will now be Sheffield, York, Lincoln and Leeds, which have all received licences for the coming season.
But Hull College director Teresa Chalmers said it is trying to offer an olive branch to players by trying to find a sponsor to help support the teams.
Ms Chalmers said: "Hull College has maintained the Football Association standard for centre of excellence for the past four years, working very positively with them.
"We have jointly celebrated impressive results for the girls team, with many progressing to play at Leeds United and for the Doncaster Rovers Belles.
"We understand the FA is working to reduce costs nationally and we are continuing to work with them to find creative solutions to continue to support the teams.
"These include potential sponsorship opportunities with a range of partners.
"We will keep the girls, their families and supporters full updated on our plans."
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