The Lionesses of England have received massive support in their opening two games for Euro 2022 but future generations of female soccer players still face shocking levels of grassroots sexism.
Photos taken at a West London Branch of five-on-five football chain Goals, which runs FA-backed Weetabix Wildcats sessions for girls aged five to 11, shows dangerous facilities for women getting ready for matches – with a dressing room often filled with junk and connected to a open utility room with several fuse boxes.
Taken over several months by parents of girls attending regular sessions, the images show shower facilities being used as a dump for helium gas cylinders, a gas barbecue and a pallet, while chairs are covered with various items, including metal grilles and an industrial leaf blower.
Vacuum cleaners, a closet, large billboards, black bags of trash and other items have also been spotted in the locker room, while photos of the male locker rooms next door, about three times larger in size, show facilities in pristine condition.
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Photos taken over several months by parents of girls attending the FA’s Weetabix Wildcat sessions – targeting girls ages 5 to 11 – at a Goals facility in west London highlight substandard facilities, with the ladies changing room being used as storage area with a door to a cabinet with open fuse boxes
Meanwhile in the men’s locker room; the much larger facility is kept clean and orderly
Shower facilities for girls attending Wildcats sessions are stocked with junk, including a gas BBQ, helium balloon canister and wooden pallet
Contrast: One of two large shower rooms in the men’s changing room at the West London site
An initial complaint from parents in December saw Goals, owned by Northwind 5s Limited, pledge to resolve the issues, admitting that the women’s facilities are being used as storage space “obviously not acceptable”.
Parents say their complaints were defended by the company saying that “the changing rooms are used very rarely.” Weetabix Wildcats sessions currently take place at the venue on a weekly basis.
Goals, which has 44 locations in the UK, has not responded to MailOnline’s requests for comment.
The Football Association currently offers Wildcats sessions with over 1,600 providers in the UK.
An FA spokesperson told MailOnline it is committed to supporting young female players, saying: “The FA is passionate about growing the game at grassroots level and one of our top strategic priorities is to ensure equal opportunities for every girl .’
Goals, owned by Northwind 5s Limited, offers five-on-five pitches across 44 locations across the UK
Previous complaints from parents saw five-to-one chain Goals say changing rooms were ‘rarely used’, despite sessions being weekly (Pictured: An adjacent room with electrical boxes is often left open)
In the dressing room, among other things, a cupboard and two advertising boards were dumped
The location’s female locker room is much smaller than the adjacent male facilities – and images document a variety of items stored, rendering them unusable for young girls visiting the branch
The photos taken over several months at the West London Goals site show vacuum cleaners, industrial leaf blowers, bin bags and boxes covering the seating area
Shower facilities for girls attending Wildcats sessions are stocked with junk, including a gas BBQ, helium balloon canister and wooden pallet
“Any local organization applying for Football Foundation funding for facilities must demonstrate equality by committing to the facilities for women and girls.
“All Weetabix Wildcats providers receive mandatory pre-session training, which is funded by the FA and includes assistance to ensure the environment is suitable for girls.”
The organization said it also provided training to venues, including “a toolkit with examples of best practices, changing environments and fair pitch assignments for girls and women’s teams.”
A BBC documentary, Alex Scott: The Future of Women’s Football, released on the occasion of the Women’s Euros, which is currently taking place in stadiums across the UK, sees current England captain Leah Williamson discuss sexism in football.
The England and Arsenal midfielder told the program that criticism of the women’s game after its increasing fame has been frustrating for players.
She said: ‘I think female footballers take the patronage’ [comments] personal. It’s my game and I’m here to protect it.
“I don’t really like watching screens, but I don’t tweet to say I don’t. If you don’t like it, it means it can’t exist. Why? Because they are women. If it were a men’s sport, it wouldn’t be talked about like that.’
England captain Leah Williamson told a new BBC documentary hosted by Alex Scott that players are often told by opponents online not to play football at all
She told BBC football pundit Alex Scott on The Future of Women’s Football programme: ‘If you don’t like it, it means it can’t exist. Why? Because they are women. If it were a men’s sport, it wouldn’t be talked about like that.’
The athlete added: ‘If you’re a football fan and not a rugby fan, you don’t want rugby to exist – you just think football is better. But if it’s women, we have to remove it. We’re not going anywhere.’
Earlier, the England player, who led her team 8-0 to Norway in their last game on Monday, spoke about the online abuse that players have faced.