More Than a Game

A four-page feature on the rapid growth of recreational football for women aged 35 and over, told through four founders who built clubs because none existed for them. Carol Bates started Crawley Old Girls in 2015 and now has around 150 members across six sessions a week; Sally Butler’s Soccer Mums FC in Stafford grew from a sideline kickabout to over 100 players; Jo Treharne launched Canterbury Old Bags after seeing Bates interviewed on the BBC; and Casey Lynchey’s Bury FC Recreational helped establish a Manchester recreational league. The piece also covers the shortage of 3G pitches, the Lionesses Future Fund, the free EE Playmaker course, and the sharp rise in female coaches and referees.