Towns and cities with the best access to girls' football
Over the past few years, women's football has scored some major goals. Initiatives like the FA’s #LetGirlsPlay campaign, supported by FIFA, encourage schools to get as many girls playing football as possible through its annual Biggest Ever Football Session, boosting their engagement with the sport.
The Lionesses’ 2022 Euros win also massively increased the visibility and recognition of women in football and encouraged a grassroots movement that isn’t just aiming for change, it's hitting the target!
But which UK areas provide girls with the most opportunities to get into football? We’ve analysed the data, looking into the towns and cities with the highest proportion of club football and casual kickabouts for girls. We’ve also looked into the regions with the most elite training opportunities and which Lioness is the most inspirational.
The rise in participation
Over the past few years, women’s participation in football has increased dramatically. Between 2020 and 2024, the number of women and girls playing football rose by more than half (56%). Schools have played a crucial role in encouraging participation, with over three-quarters (76%) offering equal access to the sport last year, meaning young girls are encouraged to get into the sport earlier in life.
The increase in equal access to football in schools could result from the £600 million in government funding after the Lionesses’ victory. This enables schools to splash out on more football equipment, including goals and target sheets.
Participation off the pitch has also increased. The number of female coaches has risen by nearly nine in 10 (88%), and the number of female referees has more than doubled (113%) over the past five years.
Women’s football has also become a lot more inclusive since 2020. The number of players from economically deprived backgrounds has more than doubled (112%), while players from underrepresented groups have risen by more than 1.25 times (127%). This means more young girls from diverse backgrounds have role models to encourage them to get into football.
Between 2021 and 2024, attendance at women’s games has more than tripled (239%), showing that interest in the sport has also risen. Search data also demonstrates this, with searches for women's football and football training quadrupling (374%) the month after the Lionesses won the 2022 Euros. The increased visibility of the sport has helped inspire a new generation of fans, particularly young girls, to get involved in football.
St. Helens is the city that offers the best access to competitive girls’ football clubs in the UK
1. St. Helens: 79.2 club sessions per 1000 10-year-old girls
Along with the physical benefits, playing football as part of a team helps girls build confidence and learn new skills. The Merseyside town of St. Helens takes the top spot for the highest proportion of club sessions for girls at 70.2 per 1000. One of the town’s local teams, St Helens Rovers, also runs sessions for girls under 14 and Little Rovers, teaching reception-aged kids the fundamentals of football.
2. Warrington: 54.3 club sessions per 1000 10-year-old girls
Playing football teaches girls the value of teamwork and leadership, helping them find their voice and support others. Warrington takes second place for club sessions, with 54.3 for every 1000 10-year-old girls in the area. The town also hosts Wildcat sessions at local clubs for girls between five and 11 to develop their footballing skills.
3. Stockport: 53.4 club sessions per 1000 10-year-old girls
Just behind Warrington is another town in the North West, Stockport. The town is home to one of the first non-premiership clubs to set up a women’s team, Stockport County Ladies FC. With 53.4 club sessions per 1000 10-year-old girls, it takes third place.
Wolverhampton leads for fun football – from 11-a-side to casual and adapted games
1. Wolverhampton: 16.2 casual sessions per 100 10-year-old girls
More girls playing casual football breaks down outdated ideas that football is only for boys, empowering girls to pursue their passion for the sport. Wolverhampton has the highest proportion of casual football sessions for girls, at 16.2 per 1000. The city has one of the longest histories of women’s professional football in the top three, with Wolves Women recently celebrating 50 years as a team.
2. Walsall: 15.2 casual sessions per 100 10-year-old girls
Being part of a team, even if it’s just for a casual kickabout, can give girls a sense of belonging regardless of their background or ability level. Walsall in the West Midlands has the second-highest proportion of casual sessions, at 15.2 per 1000 girls. Last year, the town made its mark on women’s football, hosting the 2024 FA Women’s National League Cup Final.
3. St. Helens 14.9 casual sessions per 100 10-year-old girls
Casual football is one of the most accessible sports. All you need is a football and something to act as goalposts, making it easy for girls to participate. St. Helens takes third place with 14.9 casual sessions per 1000 10-year-old girls. The town recently celebrated its legacy of women’s football by erecting a blue plaque in honour of St Helens Ladies FC, the town’s original women’s team.
Inclusive football opportunities for girls
Playing football builds confidence and fosters inclusivity, which is especially important for girls living with disabilities.
Four locations around the country offer casual pan-disability football sessions for ten-year-old girls. Two opportunities, Sheffield and Doncaster, are in South Yorkshire, and the other two, Basildon and Maidstone, are in the South East. This leaves large swathes of the country without access to football sessions catering for girls with disabilities.
The North West is the best region for elite training opportunities
1. North West: 12 talent centres
Home to some of the biggest names in the Premier League, including Liverpool and Manchester United, it's no surprise that the North West is the region with the most emerging talent centres for girls. It tops the list with 12.
2. Midlands: 11 talent centres
As girls face unique challenges in football, elite girls-only training ensures they can fully engage with the sport and grow as players. The Midlands ranks second for training the next generation of female football pros, with 11 regional talent centres.
3. South West: 10 talent centres
More emerging talent centres for women’s football mean girls have more opportunities to learn from female role models. These mentors can inspire and support girls in football, building strong foundations in their self-esteem and career aspirations as footballers. The South West ranks third with 10 talent centres.
Leah Williamson is the most legendary Lioness
1. Leah Williamson: 1.1 million Instagram followers
England captain Leah Williamson is the most legendary female footballer with 1.1 million Instagram followers. The centre back has played her entire professional career at Arsenal, the team she grew up supporting.
2. Chloe Kelly: 918,000 Instagram followers
Up next is Chloe Kelly. The Arsenal forward, currently on loan from Manchester City, scored England’s winning goal at the 2022 Euros after being subbed on in extra time. She has more than 900,000 followers on the platform.
3. Alessia Russo: 870,000 Instagram followers
Third place is another Arsenal forward, Alessia Russo. She holds the record for the fastest hat-trick by an England player, which took her only 11 minutes to complete. She currently has 870,000 Instagram followers.
Methodology
To calculate the proportion of club sessions in the 50 biggest towns and cities in England, we used England Football to find the total number of girls' under-11 and girls' under-12 football teams within a 10-mile radius in each location. We then calculated this per 1000 10-year-old girls in each area and repeated this process for casual sessions. We also took the total number of pan-disability casual sessions across England from this source.
The number of girls’ emergent training centres in each region was taken from England Football.
Statistics on women’s participation in football were taken from The FA.
We used Google Ads to find the percentage change in average monthly Google searches for keywords including “ladies football near me”, “ladies football training near me”, “women's football near me”, and “women's football training near me” between June and August 2022.
We used Instagram to collect each player’s follower count to find the most inspirational female players.
Population figures for 10-year-old girls in 2023 were taken from the ONS.
Data was collected on 07/04/2025 and is correct as of then.