Ahead of International Women’s Day, the English Football League (EFL) and EFL clubs will be celebrating female supporters in dedicated activity across England and Wales.
Over 2.9m female supporters attend EFL matches per season with an average of 64,000 female supporters per EFL matchday, whilst the most recent EFL supporters survey revealed:
- 91% of female supporters stated nothing can beat the live football matchday experience
- 87% of female respondents said they enjoy the atmosphere in the stadium amongst fellow fans
- 84% said football is an important part of family life
- 71% suggested going to watch football is a big part of their usual weekly routine
- 61% said that football is more than about just winning but about feeling a sense of belonging to their town / city’s football club
With an ever-growing female fanbase, throughout the weekend, Clubs will be profiling female supporters and some of the initiatives that are being delivered to attract more women and girls to EFL matches.
With the aim of giving a new generation of fans a taste of life in the EFL, the League’s partner, eBay has also gifted hundreds of tickets to local female fan groups of clubs such as asylum seekers, refugees and migrants from Migrants Organise who will be attending Queens Park Rangers’ fixture with Cardiff City.
Ahead of the weekend, the EFL have produced a video featuring some of those dedicated supporters groups including Lincoln City’s Lady Imps Supporters Association, the Amber Belles from Cambridge United and Huddersfield Town fans who are behind their ‘Women at the Game’ initiative.
In the video the fans discuss their individual experiences, how more women are attending matches, and how the love for their Clubs and football is the only demographic that matters.
Next week, Huddersfield Town will also launch a steering group of female stakeholders to support their ‘Women at the Game’ initiative which invites females to experience a matchday for the first time.
The EFL’s Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, David McArdle, said: “This weekend the EFL and its Clubs will be celebrating female fans across England and Wales, to champion the message that watching football is a passion that everyone can enjoy.
“In recent years Clubs and supporters’ groups have undertaken great initiatives to enhance the matchday experience and the League will continue to explore how this can be improved further to help inspire a new generation of women and girls into the game we love.”
EFL Clubs and Club Community Organisations have also organised additional activity to support the campaign this weekend, including Newport County introducing all-female commentators and announcers for their fixture versus Bristol Rovers this Saturday.