Wigan tops list of spots in England for girls to get into football
A new study has revealed the best areas in England for young girls to play football – with Wigan coming out top of the pile!
The research – conducted by football prediction site FootballWhispers.com – analysed Football Association data regarding football clubs with teams for girls aged 5-19 and ONS population data.
It revealed the towns and cities with the most available clubs catering for young female players.
The places with the most such clubs per 1,000 girls of the specified age range, within a commutable distance of 20 miles for parents, rank as the best places for girls to get into football.
And Wigan ranks as the best place in the UK for girls to get into football. Within 20 miles of the town there are 709 clubs meeting the criteria of providing football for girls aged 5-19.
This includes both disability and non-disability football, as well as leisure and league-based clubs, and results in 103.3 clubs per 1,000 girls in the specified age range.
St Albans is the second-best spot for budding young female footballers. Within 20 miles of the Hertfordshire city just north of London, there are 728 football clubs for girls (99.8 clubs per 1,000 girls aged 5-19).
Within 20 miles of Bury, there are 641 clubs offering girls' football, 86.9 per 1,000 girls aged 5-19 in the town, the third-highest proportion nationwide.
Fourth is another London-adjacent town in Woking, Surrey, where there are 548 applicable clubs within a 20-mile radius (84.2 per 1,000 girls).
Rounding out the top five is Tamworth, Staffordshire, where there are 477 girls’ football clubs within 20 miles, (73.8 per 1,000 girls).
Completing the top 10 are Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Harlow, Royal Sutton Coldfield and St Helens, where there are 602 clubs playing girls’ football within a 20-mile radius of the town (67.2 clubs per 1,000 girls.
Julien Josset, CEO of FootballWhispers.com, commented on the study: “The popularity of women’s football has skyrocketed in recent years. Thankfully, the sport is becoming increasingly accessible to girls around the world and particularly in England.
“With this and what it could mean for England’s future female international representation, it’s interesting to see the areas where it’s easiest to get budding young female players on the pitch.”