Belles of the Ball

The beautiful game is the nation’s obsession, head to any park on a sunny day, and you are sure to find men kicking a ball around with all the seriousness of a World Cup game rather than a friendly five-a-side. However, for too long, women on the pitch were a rarer sight – women’s football was often an afterthought, invisible on mainstream television channels and barely discussed in the sports section. That was until the Euros last year when the Lionesses seized victory in the Euros and catapulted the women’s game into living rooms across the country. Suddenly, the next generation of Lionesses could see women playing their sport in the media, but what about women who’d grown up without the Lionesses to look up to, with fewer resources, opportunities, and recognition?

The Colne FC Open Age Ladies Football team was set up last year in June 2022, with Sean Howard running the coaching. “The ladies team at Nelson ended, and we were approached to take 14 players,” Sean explains.

Sean started coaching ten years ago and had already coached the junior teams within Colne FC, but the football club had never had a ladies team before. “It’s the next stage for the club,” Sean smiles. “Over the years, ladies have never had the best opportunities to get involved in football; it’s always been netball and other ball sports. It’s great to see how over the years, especially with the success of the Lionesses, the ladies’ game has been brought to the forefront and publicised more. Ladies football has really taken off within the local area, and we’re the only open-age ladies’ team in Pendle.”

While some of the women Sean is working with have played for 15 years, many are new to the game and found football at a later age. “We hope to build this momentum over the next 12 months with The Colne FC Academy.”

The Academy helps train 30-40 children in a fun, supportive environment at their grounds in Colne, known as Holt House. Sean hopes the ladies’ team will inspire the girls within The Academy and hopefully provide an opportunity to get girls into full-time football or at least provide a regular hobby.

It’s certainly true that the ladies’ team is inspiring; despite only setting up last year, they are currently placed third in the Lancashire County’s Women’s Premier League – the top of the county pyramid.

“We’ve had some phenomenal results in very tough games,” Sean says… Over the summer, Sean hopes to establish a reserve team to help women not as established in the sport gain a foothold in the game. “If women want to get into football, this would be perfect for them.”

Ladies football has really taken off within the local area and we’re the only open age ladies’ team in Pendle

Training sessions are open to all women interested in football over the age of 16, regardless of skill. The team trains on a Wednesday and plays games on a Sunday. Head to the Colne FC Facebook page for more information.

Colne FC is now a society for community benefit which means the club is owned by the fans and to continue its fantastic work within the Colne community, the club is looking for donations.

“We are looking to make significant improvements to the Holt House pitch to make the pitch more freely available to the community for wider use,” Sean explains. To donate, go to gofundme.com/f/colnefc

ColneLife Summer 23