Richmond’s most promising female footballers are campaigning against being left without a club after the Football Association’s ‘crushing’ decision to overhaul the way it trains top young players.

The FA announced the re-structuring of the ‘female player talent pathway’, implementing strict new requirements on facilities and staffing and asking county FAs and clubs to re-apply for one of its 35 licenses.

Middlesex FA, which has run elite girls’ teams for the past eight years, has decided not to re-apply.

Peter Clayton, Middlesex FA chief executive, said: “Sadly, after considerable reflection, we felt that we were unable to meet the stricter requirements.

“Reluctantly, we had to decide that we had no option other than to not apply and this information was advised to our players in January of this year.

“We recognise that this decision came as a great disappointment to the girls.”

Because Fulham Football Club has also withdrawn its application, as has Watford Football Club, there are only a small number of clubs for Richmond’s most talented to turn to.

They will have to travel for hours to join new teams with Charlton, Southampton, Brighton or Chelsea at their complex in Cobham – or play at a much lower level, harming their chances of making it to the top.

Middlesex under-13s, each with ambitions to play for England, wrote letters to the FA about what impact the move would have on their careers, imploring it to reverse its decision.

Clara John, from Hampton, wrote: “Football is everything to me – it’s the first thing I think about in the morning and it cheers me up when I am down.

“If there is no Centre of Excellence I don’t know what I would do.”

Lauren Pickup wrote: “I might not have anywhere to play at the same standard. What will happen to my dream of playing for England?

“All of my friends who are boys don’t seem to have this problem.

“I don’t think it’s fair.”

Edie Sunman said: “Over the past two seasons I have played for Middlesex I have made more friends than I can count.

“I am deeply gutted that I will no longer be able to play for Middlesex – I will miss my friends, my coaches and, most importantly, my team.

“I can’t believe a body like the FA doesn’t have the money to keep supporting a team that I love.”

The FA says the strategy for girls’ football will become clearer when the 35 licenses across three tiers are awarded.