Primary school pupils slammed a sexist Football Association document yesterday which suggests girls could be encouraged into football by using bibs that “smell nice,” having breaks so players can tweet and playing music during sessions.

Children at Lumley Junior School near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, did not believe the “Considerations for increasing participation in women and girls’ football” paper was real when they read it during lessons about gender equality.

Among the advice were tips such as offering stamps and prizes for players to keep attending sessions, allowing girls to wear casual clothing and using colourful bibs — but “make sure they are clean and smell nice.”

The document also suggested to “advertise in places where girls go ie coffee shops or on the back of toilet doors,” and that girls should be allowed to play music during football sessions, the paper suggested, while their games should be indoors in the winter.

The year five and six pupils were encouraged to respond to the FA as part of a writing project and Nancy, aged 10, gave the governing body both barrels.

She wrote: “I am absolutely astonished that you have the nerve to write all of that absolute rubbish about women and girls playing football.

“I am a girl myself, I like playing football and your ‘considerations for increasing participation in women and girls’ football’ is totally wrong.

“We will not go to your training sessions just because you give us stamps.”

And her letter told FA chief executive Martin Glenn in no uncertain terms that girls do not need to constantly update social media.

“Your tone of voice sounds as though you think we are brainless baby Barbies.”

Fellow year six pupil Grace wrote: “We are not fussy about the smell of our bibs — would you be?

“And we are not afraid to get hit by a ball so why would we need light ones; in case we break a nail?”

Deputy head Carol Hughes said the pupils, girls and boys, were struck by the implied sexism of the document.

“We kept thinking, what would they write for boys?” she said.