Football club holding event to celebrate inclusion

A football club is hosting an event to showcase the inclusivity of the grassroots game.

Longwell Green Sports FC has teamed-up with the campaign group Her Game Too, which was founded in Bristol in 2021 to tackle sexism in sport.

The club will "celebrate inclusion" on Saturday and Sunday with a community event at their ground on Shellards Road in Longwell Green, Bristol.

"We're going to show that football is a sport for all," said coach, Ken Major.

He added: "We're really proud that we have girls and women playing from three years old all the way through the age groups.

"We also have walking football and disability football so everyone can take part."

The event will run from 10:00 GMT on Saturday and Sunday and will begin with training sessions for under-eights, with the men's first team playing Sturminster Newton United at 15:00 on Saturday.

"They'll be doing the warm ups in Her Game Too t-shirts," said Mr Major.

The women's team will also be wearing the t-shirts for a pre-game warm up on Sunday.

Her Game Too representatives will be there on both days with a range of fun activities and flags to give out.

"It's going to be a real celebration of grassroots football," said Lucy Ford, who co-founded the campaign group with Caz May, along with a small team of other female football fans, after suffering abuse in person and online.

They aim to create a safe place where women can talk about football, encourage more girls into sport and boost women's opportunities in the sporting world.

Now, four years after their Her Game Too video went viral, they have expanded into other sports to support women in cricket and rugby.

"Longwell Green FC have a real pathway for young children, both boys and girls play and are the perfect fit for us," Ms Ford added.

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