We Make Footballers Girls was established in 2017, with its roots established from the FA Wildcats programme. From this, we were able to set up a group of motivated, enthusiastic and keen young female footballers who would progress to help launch WMF Girls.
At We Make Footballers, we run a girls' football programme which consists of weekly sessions during the school term time and holiday camps during the half-term weeks to optimise our player’s development.
The Rise of Female Football
According to the FA, women’s football has a longer history than most would expect. In the 1980s, a north London game attracted a crowd of around 10,000 fans at Crouch End. By the 1920s a match between the famous Dick Kerr ladies and St Helens ladies hosted a crowd of 53,000 at Goodison Park. The FA then proceeded to ban women’s football as it was deemed to be ‘unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged’. Despite this claim, this attitude began to change and towards the end of the 1960s, the Women’s FA (WFA) was formed. Progressing at a rapid speed, women’s county committees were formed and the first international and FA cup games were played. In 1997, the FA highlighted the need for a plan to develop women’s football from grassroots to elite level, and the household name of Hope Powell was assigned the position of England Women’s national coach. Due to this increase in attention, football had become the top participation sport for girls and women in England by 2002 and the rest, as they say, is history…
The 21st Century
Women’s football escalated during the 21st century with the 2005 Women’s Championship played in England. The opening match saw nearly 3 million people watching live on TV whilst a further 30,000 spectators watched in the stands. The tournament hosted around 115,000 fans across the 15 matches. With the Olympics being held in London, England in 2012, a huge audience was attracted to watch the women’s game with Team GB highlighting how far women have progressed within football. Another key milestone arose in 2014 when England women played Germany at the new Wembley stadium with a crowd of 45,619 watching the game. However, despite this, the most significant increase in women’s football came in 2015 when the Lionesses won bronze at the world cup. Along with the trophy came inspiration, motivation and a surge of young female players getting involved in the game.
Female Role Models
Kelly Smith
Renowned as one of the country’s most technically gifted and prolific finishers, Kelly Smith is considered one of the greatest players ever to pull on an England shirt. On the international stage, Smith was every bit as clinical. Just months after completing her GCSEs, the 17-year-old netted her first ever England goal and went on to score 45 more over the next twenty years, leading the line for the Lionesses at three European Championships and two World Cups. She currently tops England Women's all-time goalscoring charts; only Lineker, Charlton, and Rooney have scored more for the men's side.
“Kelly is one of those players who come along only once or twice in a lifetime. In the men’s game you’d think of Diego Maradona or Messi, players with a unique talent, and that’s what Kelly has” (Hope Powell on Kelly Smith) 
Steph Houghton
The 30-year-old defender has achieved a huge amount up to this point, with her CV featuring a multitude of trophies won with Arsenal and City, plus third place with England at the 2015 World Cup. Houghton became a UEFA women's football development ambassador in March 2016, which was shortly after she received an MBE and 18 months on from her becoming the first woman to appear on the cover of Shoot magazine. Houghton is in a position to inspire, and being a role model is something the Durham-born center-back is passionate about.
“I’d like to leave a legacy so it’s easier for young girls to get into football at the grassroots. I believe that it’s up to me to inspire the next generation to want to play football and encourage them to live their dreams” (Steph Houghton)
Alex Scott
Alex Scott MBE is an English television presenter, pundit, and former professional footballer who mostly played as a right-back for Arsenal in the FA WSL. She made 140 appearances for the England women's national football team and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Alex Scott is a pioneer for women’s football and a role model to young sportsmen and women everywhere as the first female commentator for the FIFA video games series, and before that, the first female host of Football Focus.
“I see I'm changing the game and opening doors for others, from my beginning from the east end of London. It's not a sob story; it made me the person I am today. It's seeing kids from any area or background you're from. There's a chance; you can make it” (Alex Scott)
Lucy Bronze
Her agility and athleticism make her the ideal full-back and no one in her position recorded more assists throughout 2020, while she’s remained a more than a solid defender. Named BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year, Bronze definitely remains one of the very best female footballers by winning three UEFA Women's Champions League titles with Olympique Lyonnais as well as three FA Women's Super League titles with Liverpool and Manchester City. These team awards are in addition to individual accolades including in 2018 and 2020, being named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year. In 2019, she became the first English footballer to win the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award and was named The Best FIFA Women's Player in December 2020.
“It's a rite of passage for all women to make sure the next generation is in a better place than you. I will play my part”
Alex Morgan
Footballer Alex Morgan has starred for the U.S. national teams that won Olympic gold and the FIFA Women's World Cup. In 2012, Alex Morgan signed a deal with Simon & Schuster to write a series of soccer-themed books for young audiences. The first, The Kicks: Saving the Team (2013), became a New York Times bestseller, and The Kicks was adapted for a 10-episode run on Amazon in 2015 while also publishing a memoir, Breakaway: Beyond the Goal. In March 2016, Morgan joined several of her teammates to file a complaint of wage discrimination against U.S. Soccer, citing inequities between its compensation for players on the women's and men's national teams. The matter escalated in March 2019, Morgan was among the 28 women's national team members to file a gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer.
“Always work hard, never give up, and fight until the end because it's never really over until the whistle blows” (Alex Morgan)
