A grassroots women’s football team, set up in the wake of the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory, are determined not to be beaten by inequalities within the sport.
This followed almost 1500 new female teams that were set up across the country in the first season after Leah Williamson led England to their first major footballing trophy since the 1966 men’s World Cup.
Hemsworth Miners Welfare Ladies FC were re-established last year and went on to win the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women’s Second Division in their debut season.
But despite the club sharing a name and pitch with their male counterparts, there is little crossover between the teams.
Team captain, Chloe Harrison, 34, said: “There isn’t much cohesion beyond equally splitting funds raised from event raffles, at Christmas and Easter.”
The lack of investment into grassroot football for girls means clubs including Hemsworth Miners Welfare Ladies FC are left struggling to finance basic necessities.
In their debut season, players raised funds to buy their own kits, but they were restricted to shirts and shorts designed for men. A number of the team later used their own money to purchase women’s shorts.
Wing-back, Nim Fenton said: “It was frustrating having done all that fundraising to get that kit in the first place, only to then go and buy your own shorts.”
Hemsworth will be getting female-fitting kits ahead of their 2024/25 campaign, but this is only one of the obstacles they have had to overcome.
Some of the Hemsworth players choose to wear men’s boots. Although this is personal preference, the market for boots designed for women is limited, and therefore expensive.
Beyond the 90 minutes, they also face challenges when it comes to the day-to-day running of the club.
“We don’t train in our usual slot because the men take priority on this pitch,” said Fenton, 26.
There is also discrepancies between the men’s and women’s team when it comes to the logistics of running the club.
“Our captain, Chloe, runs the club’s accounts by herself, so she’s asking everyone for the subs all the time,” said Ell Wright, 22, the social media manager for the club. “Whereas the men have someone who does that for them.”
Despite the restraints they face on and off the pitch, the players say they have never faced any overt sexism as female players.
The team are also hoping success in their debut season can create opportunities to work more closely with their male counterparts.
“It’s our first season together and we’ve come away as champions, and the men haven’t,” said Harrison, the team’s captain. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens.”
