The state of the female game across Surrey
With the Women’s world cup kicking off in Australia and New Zealand on the 20th of July, we are celebrating the incredible strides made in women’s football across the county since the Lionesses EUROS win last summer.
Since Chloe Kelly’s 110th-minute winner secured the WEURO trophy last July, Surrey has seen incredible growth in female participation across all sections of the game.
In comparison to the 2021/22 season, this season we have seen 49 new female teams formed, with 460 teams now scattered across the county. With more opportunities now available we have seen an increase of 20.5% in players across all formats of the game, with 7,178 players, up from 5,958.
We have also seen incredible participation across our events with 148 women attending our Walking Football Showcase and 506 attending a Recreational Football Tournament back in March. The increased appetite for female football has also seen 48 people attend our Equal Game Workshops, which are designed to help clubs to start or grow their female provisions. Due to this demand, three new Equal Game Ambassadors have been appointed by Surrey FA, to support grassroots clubs to create more accessible opportunities for women and girls.
The Lionesses’ win has also left a lasting legacy, inspiring the next generation of players as more girls have accessed the talent pathway. Here in Surrey, we saw 189 girls attend talent events, with 51 girls being referred into the England Talent pathway.
Education has also seen growth across female participation, with 77 new female referees registered for the 2022/23 season and as an organisation, we have part-funded 17 coaches who went on to achieve a formal FA coaching qualification.
Find out more about how we are supporting the female game by clicking the button below.
