The Rise of Girl’s Grassroots Football: A New Era in Women’s Sports
Written by Matt Haldane
After the recent success of the Lionesses’ football team at the Euros and other major tournaments, girls' grassroots football has nearly doubled in the number of active teams over the last seven years, gaining a further 129,000 players in over the last four years.
(Image Credit: Football Foundation)
The increase in girls' grassroots football can be seen through the increasing popularity of elite female football being televised and funded by the FA. A good example of this rise in popularity can be seen on social media platforms.
On TikTok, the England Football account has 9.5 million followers, and a large amount of their content is of the Lionesses.
According to a study conducted in 2023, almost 50% of kids aged 4-18 use TikTok daily. Within this group, young girls take up a large portion of that. This increased exposure to the Lionesses and the excitement of girls' football heavily influences this young audience to take up the sport as they may be influenced by the content of the Lionesses or may feel represented by it.
Speaking to Claire Finn, Oxfordshire Girls Football League secretary, she also agrees that social media has played a huge role in the increase in girls' grassroots football, saying: “Lionesses are really big on Tiktok and Instagram, and they do quite a lot to get girls to follow them. As their profiles have grown, the lionesses have become so important as role models that I think they seem much more approachable for young girls”.
(Image Credit: The Independent)
This rise in girls' grassroots football has also been seen through the increase in funding by the FA and the revenue women's football makes. In January 2024, the average revenue of the top 15 women's teams in Europe grew by 61% up to £3.7 million, with England team Manchester United ranking within the top 3, earning an average revenue of £6.8 million. The FA has now also said that they are aiming to invest one billion euros into girls' football over the next six years to make it even more accessible.
Despite this increase in revenue and funding by the FA, some experts believe more can be done to improve the rise in girl’s football. Writer for The Women's Football Magazine, Clare McEwen, believes that an increase in female coaches would help to boost numbers; “I think it would help girls to see more female coaches. [...] I guess making it clear that football knowledge is not the major factor in grassroots coaching, and the people skills that mums and women have are more important”.
(Image Credit: Chelsea Football Club)
Speaking to the BBC, former Chelsea women's manager Emma Hayes also backed up the idea that there is a lack of female coaches, saying that it is "a massive issue" and is urging the FA to “come up with a creative way to address it”.
Despite some work still needing to be done to improve the inclusivity of football for girls and boys, this rise in girls' grassroots football is still something to celebrate and is a good indication for the future of the game.