Billericay Town women's football coach: "The sport needs support, marketing and funding "
The Women's National League South kicks off today
The Women's National League South kicks off today with local team Billericay Women playing at 2PM.
After getting promoted last season, they'll be facing the London Bees on home turf at the AGP Arena, complete with new signings including former Charlton Athletic Women's player Jess King.
Billericay head coach Scott Chickelday says it'll be a big day for the team: "It's a historic day, which will go down in the club's history as it's the highest level we've ever played at. Everyone's very excited.
"We had a really good journey last season. A few lows, but mostly highs and we ended up winning the league on the last day of the season.
"We've brought some new players in so we just want to take what we've learnt from last season into this league and be as competitive as we can."
Despite England's Euros success, Scott says women's football still needs more investment: "I made the step three years ago from the men's game to the women's game because I was just blown away by the talent from the younger years right through to the senior level.
"I think it's only going to keep getting better, but it needs support, marketing and funding.
"There has to be money put into the game at the top level, which will then filter through to lower tiers as well."
He says female players face problems no professional male footballer does: "I know players that play in the Championship who've had to stop playing because they can't afford to play.
"The clubs go full time and offer a full time wage but a lot of the players already have good jobs and can't afford to take pay cuts - sometimes around 50% - to play football.
"It's such a shame and something that would never happen in the men's game."
He still believes the future can, and will be, be bright for women's football, but wants more to be done to get girls into the sport from a young age: "The Euros were great and did a lot, but women's football was already on the up.
"Now we need to see schools and youth clubs doing a little bit more. Football clubs don't all have a girl's section. I know it's difficult because you have to get coaches in and girls who want to play, but start off with soccer schools, leaflet local schools. We just need to get inclusion up and get them interested early."