The coach of female football teams in Salford has seen a massive increase in girls joining since the England Lionesses won the 2022 Euros this summer.
Coach, Jay Howarth, originally approached Salford Storm and started a wildcats group – a team that trains but does not play competitive matches.
Salford Storm Whirlwinds were subsequently created in 2019.
Jay said his motivation was to help his daughter play competitive matches.
He said: “She wanted to play games, she wanted to get involved but there’s wasn’t much opportunity.
“It’s not right, in my eyes. That’s why I took it upon myself to do this and start the wildcats and make the team.”
Since the England Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 in extra-time at the European Cup finals this summer, there has been a 196% increase in women’s and girls’ football session bookings through the England Football ‘Find Football’ tool.
The impact on young girls across the country has been massive, especially for the Salford team who have had a huge increase of girls wanting to join.
“We started off as a Salford wildcats’ group based in Salford – all Salford girls,” says Jay.
“At the moment we’ve got a girl from Middleton and a girl from Warrington travelling to come and play for us because of the environment and because of what we do here.”
Jay’s daughter Kendall, who is part of the under-9s team, has significantly benefitted from the all-girls team and the England Lionesses winning the Euros.
“We’ve been to Salford City to watch the men’s games but now it’s turning out that Kendall doesn’t want to watch the men’s game anymore because the girls are on the TV.
“Lucy Bronze and other players, all the role models they are Kendall’s idols now,” says Jay.
“We see this as only the beginning.”
An open letter from our #Lionesses… pic.twitter.com/Ty9kA7zgGa
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 3, 2022
Manchester City goalkeeper, Grace Pomfret, started her career with Salford City women. She has shared how important it is for girl’s football to be more accessible and equal and the significance of role models are for young girls.
“Looking at the Lionesses and professional female footballers I wanted to be like them, especially Karen Bardsley. It allowed me to work hard and achieve goals,” said Grace.
“It allowed me to use building blocks to better myself.”
“I loved every moment and Salford City gave me the experience of what female football is and what it is about at the age of 16 and I played my first ever FA cup match with them.”
Despite this change, more still needs to be done to normalise girls’ football and close the gender gap.
Jay says, “These girls are putting in the same effort, the same thing, training every single day like the boys do but not getting the same for it.
“It’s not fair, if you’re doing the same job as someone else how are you not getting the same pay as someone else, it’s not fair but that will come.”
Hopeful that girls’ football will grow, Jay says: “It’s going to be as big as the boy’s game and why not? You see these girls here, they absolutely love it, they love football, they must do to come out on a freezing cold night like this.”
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