As the UEFA Women’s Euro rolls onto our TV screens this month, here at SoccerDays we believe that females are dominating the field with a fearless nature in one of the nations most loved sports – football!
With such a fantastic turnout of young girls at our football classes, particularly at The Campion School on a Sunday, it’s hard to believe there is such a vast gap between boys and girls in the game. However, with participation in the sport on a steep rise and girls all across the country presenting such speed, skill and resilience within the game, could we be about to see a repeat of history?
When Football Banned Women
It may come as a surprise to be told that 100 years ago, women’s football was attracting crowds of over 50,000 spectators. Almost an unimaginable picture, the sport thrived in the working-class community. A recent Channel 4 Documentary; ‘When Football Banned Women’ tells the story of Dick Kerr’s Ladies FC, a revolutionary group of women who could give the likes of Ronaldo a run for his money! However, the threat of women’s football on the men’s game lead to a disastrous decision by the FA; to ban women’s football, meaning it could only be played at an amateur level. A 50-year freeze on the game could be argued to have compromised football image in the present day. The women’s football drought lasting from 1921 to 1971 is certainly not common knowledge but may tell us a lot about why the sport now struggles to fulfil the status it most certainly deserves.
This Girl Can Campaign
Enormous efforts have recently been made to boost the appreciation and image surrounding women’s footballs. This year, the FA have initiated a three-year ‘Game plan for Growth’ with Disney in hope to double participation and fans of the sport by 2020. The popular campaign, ‘This Girl Can’ continues its pioneering efforts to support girls across the country to pursue any dreams they have in any sport they wish, something we closely replicate here at SoccerDays.
To bring you up to date with the current Women’s Euro competition, England are performing as brilliant as ever. With 2 wins in the group stages against Scotland and Spain – it is looking like qualifying to the quarterfinals is a certain. When the first Euro competition was played in 1984, England reached the final, as they also did in 2009. With role models such as Jill Scott playing for the team, it is hopeful they will score success in the competition this time round.
UEFA have issued the hashtag #WePlayStrong for this year’s competition, send us your photos of your girls doing what they do best and supporting their love for football!
Want to find out more? http://www.channel4.com/programmes/when-football-banned-women/on-demand/66101-001
Give Your Child A Kick-Start in Life with SoccerDays
If this has inspired you to get your children involved with the world of football, we have a number of football classes for toddlers and children available across Essex and East London to get involved with. We also offer 45 minutes of fun for free with no obligation! Find your nearest venue and book a trial today!
