Bucks football club says 'more facilities' needed to support the growth of the women's game
It's as the Lionesses success a week ago has already boosted the uptake of girls and women's football
The continued success of England’s Lionesses is having an impact far beyond stadium crowds and television ratings, with grassroots football clubs across the country seeing demand rise.
At Aylesbury United Women FC, club secretary and team manager Catriona Cameron says the effects are being felt week in, week out.
“They’ve done so well over the last sort of 10 years,” Ms Cameron said, reflecting on England’s Euros win a week ago. “The growth in the game because of how well they're doing is just amazing.”
Founded 11 seasons ago, Aylesbury United Women began as a single open-age team, formed from a handful of smaller local sides.
Today, the club has grown to 20 teams, catering to hundreds of women and girls from the local area — a shift Ms Cameron attributes directly to the Lionesses' rising visibility.
“After the Euros in 2022, we had a massive uptake,” she explained. “We're getting phone calls now from people coming to our social team on a Wednesday night, which is for over-16s. It’s a drop-in session, and we’re getting 40- and 50-year-old women coming along and just wanting to have a kickabout.”
For many of these women, it’s the first time they’ve had the chance to play in an inclusive and structured environment.
“Those people that didn’t have the option when they were at school are now coming along, kicking the ball around and just having fun,” said Ms Cameron.
That enthusiasm is mirrored among younger players too — particularly with local Lionesses like Leah Williamson providing a clear example of what’s possible. “It’s all about visibility,” she added. “They can see somebody that’s come from their area.”
Catriona Cameron’s own journey in football, spanning more than three decades, highlights the progress of women's football from a time when opportunities were far fewer to what the game is today.
“When I was younger, you couldn’t play in boys’ teams after you turned 11,” she said. “So at the age of 14, I managed to join an adult team — but at 14, playing fully grown women, it was tough.”
Back then, the game lacked the visibility it enjoys today. “The only game that used to be on TV was the FA Cup final. You’d go into a pub and say, ‘Oh, do you want to put the football on?’ and you’d get laughed at.”
Now, she sees her role as helping create the opportunities she never had. “It’s massively important for me that those little 11-year-olds that are now coming through have got teams they can play for... and enjoy it, which is the opportunity I didn’t get. I’m very proud of the fact that in Aylesbury, we are giving that to them.”
But progress, she says, is not without its challenges.
One of the biggest barriers facing the club today is access to facilities. The club hosts 300 women and girls each weak, a number the club is increasingly struggling to support.
“There probably is still a bit of a pecking order when you go to get grounds — the men get priority, then the boys, and then it comes down to the girls,” she added. “We’re fighting that, and it’s getting better every day,” Ms Cameron added.
Even where facilities exist, the quality and appropriateness can vary widely.
At the club and beyond, the mission will be to ride on the success of the women's game and push for a positive change - making football more equal and accessible.