Following the success of the Lionesses in the Women's Football World Cup there has been an increase of women and girls wishing to play football in Richmond, however, there is concern that there will not be enough suitable football pitches and funding to support this. 

The Lionesses reached the final of the Women's World Cup after beating Australia in the semi-finals but were beaten by Spain in the final. 

Louise Roberts, volunteers as the only female member on the board at Richmond and Kew FC, a youth football club in the area. Alongside her daughter and her daughter's friends, she set up a mixed boys and girls team at the club two years ago. 

The team won their league in their first season and got promoted into the premier division of the Greater London Women's Football League and when England played their first World Cup game, against Haiti, the club offered a free hour-long session for girls. Girls were able to play a free, hour-long fun football session, followed by watching the match. 

The watch part created three girls teams. (Photo Credit: Richmond and Kew FC).

From this event, the club recruited three girls' teams so they now have an Under 9s, U11s, and U12S team and they hope to recruit more.

Louise said that the girls' teams are able to use pitches at Richmond and Kew FC on a Saturday morning that would otherwise have gone unused. 

She said: "The club has really good pitches and the club invests in the pitches, on a Saturday the pitches weren't being used and the only people using it on a Saturday afternoon was the men's senior team and the vet's team so we're maximising income and revenue into the club as well as providing football for women and young girls."

A Lack of 3G Pitches:

Louise said that one thing that women and girls teams are struggling with is the lack of available and suitable pitches. 

The teams ideally need 3G, floodlit pitches to train on and whilst Richmond and Kew FC do have this the pitches are not very big.

Louise said that often, women's and girl's teams get left the dregs, at the end of the day or in the evening. 

She said: "One of the things we've struggled with is hiring a 3G pitch to train on, so the only disadvantage to Richmond and Kew is they have very small 3G areas"

"Women are usually the ones that get left to have the last training, for example on a Sunday we train at two in the afternoon and that's when everyone finishes their football, so no one is there and we're the last game on. We're always going to be on the periphery

"If you are a women's or girls' team you need to have a 3G training facility with flood lights, especially in the winter when it gets dark early. There are very few available, there are a lot of hockey pictures but they're full of sand."

"They are short of about 7 pitches to provide everybody to be able to play football, its women who miss out. Richmond is a very leafy area and there's a lot of conservation areas."

She added that the team had been able to hire pitches at St Mary's University over the summer but there are no floodlights.

"There's a definite lack of pitches and women and girls will always be given the dregs at the end of the day, mens teams get there first, their trying to promote women's and girls' football but actually it's easier said than done because you can't set up a team if there's no pitches available and the more teams the harder it's going to be to find a pitch"

"It should be inspiring and it is but if a girl wants to play but then can't find a pitch or a team, people gravitate to the bigger clubs because of this but ordinary grassroots teams don't have access."

A spokesperson from Richmond Council said: "Providing adequate opportunities for exercise is a key part of our health and wellbeing strategy so the Council is committed to making sure facilities are accessible for all. 

Earlier this year we carried out a comprehensive leisure consultation and a new Playing Pitch Strategy will be considered by the Councils Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee later this year. Improvements to pitches, like 3G surfaces and floodlighting are subject to planning permission and must be taken on a case-by-case basis, based on the merits of the application. However, we do work to ensure, when granting permissions, that applications reflect a commitment to improving access to sports for all. 

"Earlier this year, planning permission was granted for a replacement 3G pitch at Hampton and Richmond Borough Football Club, which included a commitment to more women's football. "

Photo Credit: Richmond and Kew FC.

A spokesperson from The Football Foundation said: "The Premier League, The FA and the Government's Football Foundation investment is driven by its Local Football Facility Plans, which have been developed in partnership with local authorities, County FAs and other community stakeholders for every local authority in England.

"These Plans act as a blueprint for providing the grassroots football facility improvements that each community needs and deserves."

They added: "The Foundation has delivered projects to improve grassroots facilities within the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames worth over £11.8 million since 2000. This includes the £1 million 3G football turf pitch at Whitton Sports And Fitness Centre as well as the £2.1 million changing pavilion at Teddington Cricket Club."

Financial Disparities:

Louise and her family have a long history with football, with her daughter playing football at Fulham and her son being a professional footballer. 

She said that the differences between her son's and daughter's experiences were stark: "It's all very well everyone raving about England but those girls didn't have the privileges that the men had within the game. 

"My daughter didn't really want to be a pro footballer because she said she would have to have another job anyway, so they were semi-pro unless you played at one of the bigger academies like Chelsea or Arsenal where they paid more money, so there is a big disparity in money as well"

She added: "Football is driven by money so it will never be the same."

'Its not just a financial disparity, its a feeling'

Louise said that as well as the financial differences it also feels different.

She said: "The amount of sexism is terrible. It's not just a financial disparity, it's a feeling." 

She added: "I don't want to appear too negative. You watch the World Cup and it's great for the country and it's great for women's football but when you're actually in grassroots football and you're trying to find a training ground sometimes it's difficult"

"We have girls' football festivals which have been organised through schools, one of our coaches has just taken a job up with the FA to make sure that girls are able to play football in primary schools, so they are being proactive and so many girls start football in school" 

"It will influence and it has influenced people and getting priority over boys, some of the boys turned up to the free session and they were so put out that it was a girls-only session and this time we gave girls priority.

"Having girls teams will positively impact the boys, seeing them play with show them that football is for girls too and young boys will see that as they grow up and they'll embrace that."

Find out more about Richmond and Kew FC here.