Wigan's female football heroes profiled in creative art

Wigan Council has been involved in a multi-media project to highlight both the triumphs and struggles that women’s football has faced over the last five decades.
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The local authority has teamed up with the art collective We are Willow for the Euro 2022 tournament by giving insight into the women of football living in the borough.

A total of 11 players past and present have come together to share their experiences of the game.

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The work is set to be premiered in time for the first match being hosted at Leigh Sports Village on Saturday July 9, containing some of the most poignant and inspiring stories to emphasise how much, as well as how little has changed in what is a male-dominated sport.

Janet Mayer during her playing daysJanet Mayer during her playing days
Janet Mayer during her playing days
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A range of memorabillia including a match day programme and football shirt on whose design fashion students from Wigan and Leigh College were consulted will accompany the production of film and photography.

Janet Mayer is one of the women involved in telling her story of the beautiful game, having played for England in the final of the inaugural Women’s European Championship competition in 1984 after being drafted for the national team for the first time at the age of just 16.

Janet now teaches in the Wigan area after moving to the borough in 1989.

Now a teacher in Wigan, Janet featured in the first ever Euro's final.Now a teacher in Wigan, Janet featured in the first ever Euro's final.
Now a teacher in Wigan, Janet featured in the first ever Euro's final.
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Ellie Duffy is also involved in the project, who at 11 years old, has already successfully campaigned for equal rights within the sport.

Currently playing for Wigan Athletic she was left bemused after discovering that the girls game being labelled as "grassroots” resulted in fixtures being halted during the pandemic, meanwhile boys were able to continue playing due to being classed as “elite”.

The FA later announced that they would be making adequate changes to give girls of Ellie’s age equal rights within the game.

She has since featured on CBBC Newsround and been a guest presenter for FYI on Sky News.

Ellie Duffy, current Wigan Athletic player.Ellie Duffy, current Wigan Athletic player.
Ellie Duffy, current Wigan Athletic player.
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Chairwoman of Wigan Athletic Supporters Club, Caroline Molyneux, was a key figure when her beloved football club went into administration: her efforts to raise money during the 2020-2021 season helped to ensure Latics could keep operating short-term while attempts were made to find a suitable buyer.

Caroline has witnessed both the riches of the Premier League and the turbulence of a club facing liquidation during her years of devotion.

Football enthusiast Tabeth Mabiza-Nhakaniso fell in love with the game while playing at school in Zimbabwe and 20 years in her new home of Leigh, she hopes to empower local women and girls to get involved in the sport.

Furthermore she co-founded and is the chairperson of the Everything Human Rights community who support residents from around the world who have made their home in Wigan and Leigh.

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Chris Butler, Creative Producer and Co-Founder of We Are Willow, said: “At all levels of football there are personal and broader, socially-significant histories that don’t have anything to do with the 90 minutes players are on the pitch. ‘Around The Match’ was inspired by my own family members.

"All of the interviews we’ve undertaken with female representatives of the game in just this local area have proved how powerful the game is, and can still be, in uniting people and forging remarkable memories.” he added.