The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has teamed up with Manchester City legend Karen Bardsley and the FA to call on schools across the city-region to do more to help girls get into football.
They will be writing to all schools in Greater Manchester urging them to offer at least two hours of PE per week to girls, including more football sessions. Their call has been backed by Manchester United and Lionesses striker Alessia Russo, who scored four goals at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 this summer.
Nationally, only 63 per cent of schools offer girls equal access to football in PE lessons, meaning more than a third are not getting the same opportunity to play the sport in PE as boys. In Greater Manchester, 906 of 1,271 schools are linked to a Barclays and FA Girls’ Football School Partnership by England Football, through which they have access to training, resources and support for girls’ football.
Of these schools, 70 per cent offer equal access to football in curriculum PE lessons for girls, while only 46 per cent offer equal access for girls to extracurricular football activities.
Reflecting on the need to boost that percentage, Mayor Burnham said: “While Gareth Southgate’s team prepares for their World Cup quarter final this weekend, let’s not forget that it was the Lionesses who brought it home first at the Euros. They pledged to use their victory to create a lasting legacy for women’s football, and girls up and down the country will have been inspired to step out onto their school pitch, their local sports centre, or into their back garden and dream of playing for their country.
“That’s an opportunity that not all girls have at the moment, and that’s something we need to change. That’s why we set up the Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board, and why we’ve written to all schools in our city-region calling on them to ensure that all girls are offered at least two hours of PE every week, including football sessions."
The call from the Mayor, Karen Bardsley and te FA, comes in the wake of England’s momentous victory at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, and echoes the letter sent by the Lionesses to the Government asking for girls to have access to a minimum of two hours a week of PE.
The letter also lands ahead of the Women's Manchester derby on Sunday, with City and United set to go head to head at the Ethiad in the Women's Super League, and follows the foundation of the Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board, which was set up in June earlier this year.
Karen Bardsley, former England international and Chair of the Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board, said: “The success of the Lionesses at this summer’s Euro’s marked a major milestone in the evolution of football in this country. So many were inspired by the success of the Lionesses - and here in Greater Manchester we want to capitalise on that success and deliver the legacy the England Women’s Team have championed."
She added: "As our city gears up for a momentous Manchester derby at the Etihad this weekend, I’m proud to be working with Mayor Andy Burnham and the FA to help offer every girl in Greater Manchester the chance to follow in the footsteps of their heroes and become the next generation of Lionesses”
One of the players who will be stepping out on to the turf at the Ethiad this weekend is Manchester United forward Alessia Russo, who is keen to inspire more young girls to get into football.
She said: "As a squad, we’re passionate that our Euro's legacy should be about creating lasting change for women and girls in football.
“The players that came before us paved the way for our squad to be so successful, and now inspire a new generation of girls to follow their own dreams in football.”
“Too many girls are still unable to play football at school and that’s why I’m fully behind Greater Manchester in calling for that to change - and encourage all schools to get on board.”
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