Women's Football Board calls on schools to offer more football for girls

By GreaterSport | 20 December 2022 | TAGS: "girls football"], Hayley Lever, Football

GreaterSport CEO Hayley Lever has joined Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and former England footballer Karen Bardsley in calling for schools to do more to help girls get into football.

Hayley is a proud member of the newly established GM Women’s Football Board which is writing to all schools in the city region encouraging them to offer at least two hours a week of PE to girls, including football.

An array of past and present Lionesses were at a women’s football reception in The National Football Museum to support the launch including Alessia Russo and Steph Houghton.

Sport England’s Active Lives survey – conducted prior to the Lionesses European Championship success at Wembley this summer - found that 100,000 more girls are now playing football, compared to 2017.

However, only 63 per cent of schools across England offer girls equal access to football in PE lessons meaning a third aren’t getting the same level of opportunity as the boys.

In Greater Manchester, 906 of 1,271 schools are linked to a Barclays and FA Girls’ Football School Partnership through which they have access to training, resources and support for girls’ football.

Of these schools, 70% offer equal access to football in curriculum PE lessons for girls, while under half (46%) offer equal access for girls to extracurricular football activities.

The Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board was set up in June, ahead of the start of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, to develop women’s and girls’ football at all levels across the city-region.

This includes increasing participation from players and newcomers at grassroots level, through to supporting teams in the FA Women’s Football pyramid.

The second-largest crowd in Women's Super League history (44,259) were at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month, to see a 1-1 draw between local rivals Manchester City and Manchester United.

Hayley Lever, CEO of Greater Sport and GM Women’s Football Board member, said:

“The Lionesses inspired a nation with their thrilling victory at Wembley in the summer and we must utilise these moments to ensure every girl has the opportunity to play football.

“It is fantastic that we have seen children’s physical activity levels rise above pre-pandemic levels and a diverse, high-quality PE offer for all is critical to this.

“Equality of opportunity to play football is part of an important culture shift in the way women and girls sport is perceived, provided and enjoyed. We can all work together to to enable all girls to enjoy the benefits of an active life.”

Karen Bardsley, Chair of the Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board, said:

“Every girl in Greater Manchester deserves the chance to play football at school and we’re determined to make that a reality here.

“From speaking to girls across the city-region I know how much confidence and enjoyment the sport can give, even leading to better attendance and performance in school.

“I’m proud to be working with Mayor Andy Burnham and the FA to help offer every girl in Greater Manchester the chance to follow in the footsteps of their heroes and become the next generation of Lionesses”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:

“The Lionesses pledged to use their victory to create a lasting legacy for women’s football, and girls up and down the country will have been inspired to step out onto their school pitch, their local sports centre, or into their back garden and dream of playing for their country.

“That’s an opportunity that not all girls have at the moment, and that’s something we need to change

“If we want Greater Manchester to be the home of even more footballing success for generations to come, let’s level the playing field and make sure every girl has the chance to play football and achieve their own dreams.”

Read the full letter to schools here.