Former Lioness Jill Scott calls for investment in girls' football

Invest in Lionesses of the future, says Jill Scott

As England's men's team prepare for their World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday, a new campaign has warned that many girls in London and beyond were struggling to find opportunities to play football, despite the success of the Lionesses.

Former Lioness Jill Scott visited Holland Park School in west London to highlight what campaigners described as a growing funding crisis facing grassroots girls' football.

The Kick On initiative, backed by Starling Bank, aims to encourage local businesses to sponsor grassroots clubs and help provide more opportunities for young female players.

The campaign comes at a time when women's football in England is enjoying unprecedented success.

The Lionesses transformed the profile of the women's game after they won Euro 2022, retained their European crown at Euro 2025 and reached their first-ever Women's World Cup final in 2023.

Despite the team inspiring a generation of young players, many girls said the opportunities available to them had not kept pace with demand.

At Holland Park School, girls aged between 11 and 14 said they had faced difficulty finding clubs, teams and opportunities outside school.

Sofia, 13, said she had attended several football trials but was waiting to find "the right team".

"I'd really like to play football but sometimes there just aren't the right opportunities," she told BBC London.

Natalie, also 13, said she had struggled to find clubs that catered for girls.

"I've been looking for clubs but most of them are boys only," she said. "It's kind of frustrating because there aren't a lot of girls' clubs that are open."

Emilia, 14, said some girls had been unable to join clubs because teams were full or lacked sufficient coaching support.

"Some of my friends have tried to get into football teams, but haven't been able to because spaces have been filled up or there aren't enough coaches there to help people," she said.

Another pupil, Amelia, captains a grassroots team. She said girls still did not receive the same opportunities as boys.

"For boys it's really easy to get scouted, they've got tournaments and matches, but for girls it's not really that easy," she said.

"It makes me sad, some of the girls I know are better than the boys. I can tell girls really do love football. I want girls to show their talent and show what they're made of."

The concerns raised by the pupils mirrored the findings of new research commissioned by Starling Bank.

The study found that 97% of coaches involved in girls' and women's football believed they needed more funding, while nine in 10 said additional investment would have allowed them to provide more opportunities for players.

It also found that one in five grassroots clubs had been forced to turn players away because of a lack of resources, while 76% of players said they would consider giving up football if their club could not secure more funding within the next five years.

Scott, who was part of the Lionesses squad that lifted the European Championship trophy in 2022, said the consequences of underfunding could be devastating for young players.

"You're not just closing a club, you're closing all these girls' dreams of becoming a Lioness or playing at a higher level," she said. "It's a really big issue.

"We're trying to get more girls into the game, but clubs need the resources to provide a safe space, provide kit and provide equipment."

Scott said grassroots football was vital to her own journey into the game.

"Grassroots football means everything to me," she said.

"Everyone watching the men's World Cup now, everyone who watched the Lionesses win the Euros – every one of those players relied on grassroots football and relied on volunteers.

"Without my grassroots club, I would never have gone on to play for England."

Scott said participation in girls' football had surged following the Lionesses' success, but she warned that many clubs were struggling to cope with demand.

At Holland Park School, PE teacher Megan Abbott said the challenges identified by the girls reflected what she saw every day.

"There are quite a few girls who would like the opportunity to play outside school and cannot find the right team," she said.

"We have so many talented footballers here.

"The more players we have in the game, the better chance we have of producing future Lionesses."

The campaign is encouraging businesses to sponsor grassroots teams.

Scott's own coffee shop in Manchester is backing a girls' side this season.

"I think people thought it was about £1,300 to sponsor a local team and it works out at about £850," she said.

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