Free kicks for women at FC United's football celebration

PART OF THE TEAM:
Diane Maguire at the
exhibition about women
at FC United

 Source: MEN

 FC United let women in for free as part of a drive to make football more female-friendly. The event, called A Woman’s Place is at the Match, saw women with a special voucher get free admission to the club’s home clash with Buxton.

There was also a photo-exhibition on the history of women’s football, a short documentary about the club’s female supporters, and a specially-themed matchday programme.

FC United volunteer Lucy Pendlebury said: "Women’s football is the fastest growing sport in Britain, with more than one million women and girls playing the game regularly.

"One of the main reasons for this event is to highlight and celebrate the important role that women play in the game and especially at FC United.

"A high proportion of our volunteers are female, so it goes without saying that the club would not function as efficiently without them."

The club – which is moving to a new ground in Moston next year – has a female club secretary and nutritionist, as well as thousands of women fans and volunteers.

FC United club nutritionist Helen Walker said: "This is still a male-dominated sport, even though women’s football is on the rise, and there is a very traditional attitude in some places, particularly at some away grounds. But at FC United I have been very accepted. It is great to see so many women involved with FC and we are welcomed without any question.

"We have women involved at every level of this club – at the top, on the board, physios, programme sellers and turnstile operators, which shows our importance."

FC United manager Karl Marginson added: "I would like to praise the club for the work surrounding the women at football event.

"We have women directly involved with the players with physiotherapy and nutrition and they do an excellent job and are accepted as part of the team, just as the male staff are.

"We wouldn’t even have a team without all those hundreds of volunteers and I want to pass my thanks on to them from us all."

Pamela Welsh April 09, 2012