Huddle is expanding to Bridgend after the increased popularity of women and young girls getting into football.
Football Association of Wales (FAW) launched Huddle in 2019 with an aim to increase the opportunities for girls to try football at a younger age. The FAW programme helps encourage girls between four and eleven to try football often for the first time in a safe and supportive environment.
Last December saw the FAW pushing for more clubs to get involved in the programme. Now clubs like Coity Chiefs in Bridgend have joined. They will begin offering sessions from the 1st of May. In 2023 there was 65 Huddle providers, and that number is increasing– the official number this year is currently unconfirmed.
Huddle encourages local football clubs to get involved in creating a safe space for young girls. Emphasising the importance of offering a relaxed, sociable, and friendly place for a positive first experience for girl’s football. Many clubs offer it as a stepping stone for girls who may want to advance to a more serious team.
Girl’s football is expanding globally with UEFA seeing growth in women’s youth teams from 21,285 (2013) to 35,183 (2017). The FAW and Huddle claim to have seen an astounding growth of over 100% of girls playing football between these ages across Wales since its beginning.
Gareth Hickman, from Evans & Williams FC in Llanelli, explained the positive response Huddle had: “As a club, we’ve been blown away by the response to our Huddle programme. What Huddle has brought to our club is beyond anything that we could ever have imagined.” Bethan Woolley National Women & Girls Participation Manager has also supported how Huddle has been vital in the ‘significant growth’ in demand for girls’ football.
Carys Rickett’s twin daughters go to Huddle at Talgarth Girls FC. She said there was a lack of opportunities for girls in sports, especially coming from a rural area. She explains the confidence boost Huddle had on her daughters: ‘Since we've come to Huddle they've really enjoyed coming independently, they're much more confident, they're more open, they talk to people more. They're happier coming to the sport. It's been really good.’
It’s not just young girls getting into football but there is an increased popularity with fans in Women’s football. New league records are being set as 1,426 fans turned up to watch Swansea City beat Cardiff Met at the Swansea.com Stadium in November 2022. There is also a higher demand for players with professional and semi-professional players having more than doubled in four years, from 1,680 (2013) to 3,572 (2017).
It's clear that the success of Women and Girls football is growing as the demand for programmes like Huddle grows across Wales.
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