A women's amateur soccer squad has its first million-pound player.

Among the defensive line-up for Silsden Ladies FC is 20-year-old Louise Hall, the national lottery's 1000th jackpot winner.

Louise of Canal Road, Crossflatts, is among the 24 strong squad which plays amateur games in the district. "I really enjoy it. I've always liked football and I've been a season ticket holder at Leeds United since I was seven.

"I used to play soccer on the streets with friends and joined Silsden because its the nearest women's team. It helps me keep fit and I like the company.''

But Louise will have to hang up her boots this Sunday because she has not been picked for the clash with Burnley. With a squad of 24 women to choose from and to keep the system fair, the girls take turns in joining the team.

In their last game against Skipton they lost 1-3 but in their previous meeting they won 4-3.

Louise, who is an Airedale General Hospital student at Steeton, arrives at matches in her green Escort Cabriolet, bought with her lottery winnings.

She also made her debut on the small screen when she was invited to take part in a TV challenge to pick the winning numbers for the Wednesday lottery draw.

She was up against best-selling author Jackie Collins and TV vet Trude Mosture to see who could push the start button by throwing as many pom-poms as they could to American football cheerleaders. She lost out to Jackie Collins.

Louise won £1.029,331 on a Wednesday draw and became the youngest lottery winner in the district.

She used to spend £10 a week on lottery tickets.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.