On International Women’s Day, FPL Family’s Sam gives us a special ‘pre-match preamble’ talking about her own experiences of working in the football sector and this year’s message: Accelerate Action.
Often people ask me what it’s like to be the only woman on the core team at Fantasy Football Scout. My answer is always that I never really notice. Here, my gender doesn’t matter. My team are so supportive and we work together to achieve our goals. Gender lines don’t come into it.
I am well aware that I am very lucky. This is not the case for all women, especially in the football world.
Earlier this season, I stood on stage at the Football Content Awards and accepted the Hall of Fame award on behalf of the Scout team. My first thought after accepting the award and walking off stage was, “My gosh, how incredible for my children to see me do this”.
I knew both would be so proud to see the trophy sitting on my bookcase in my office the next morning (no Spurs jokes please!). But even more deeply than this, I thought about my daughter. How I hope my achievements inspire her. How I hope they make her chase her goals that little bit harder. My son is unlikely to be faced with glass ceilings; I want my daughter to believe that she won’t be either. Being a parent, my children’s happiness is the most important thing. Creating a world where they can achieve anything is so important.
Working with Spurs
When I first started making content with Lee as FPL Family, my brother-in-law asked me where I wanted this to take me. My response: working with Spurs.
This was a dream that I thought more about standing in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium accepting that award. I took myself out into the bowl that night and I sat all on my own thinking one day maybe they’ll notice I exist!
Just ahead of the Gameweek 27 match between Spurs and Man City, I got a phone call that I always hoped would come.
Last year on International Women’s Day, one of my friends was pivotal in the establishment of the Women of the Lane (WOTL) supporters group. WOTL is the first Spurs supporters group for women and people who define themselves as non-binary.
WOTL aims to bring women fans of the Spurs men’s team together to enhance the matchday experience. The group provides a touchpoint for fans to meet up on matchdays, watch games together and connect online. When Bee told me about the group, I knew this was an organisation I wanted to be part of.
Through WOTL, the Spurs Official Content Team reached out and we produced a video around my match day experience. As part of the video, I went pitch side, met a Spurs legend and recorded my in-game reactions.
Creating content with Spurs was a life goal. The reaction of my children when I was sending photos and videos home on the night made this mean even more to me than I originally thought it would.
Accelerate Action
This year’s International Women’s Day message is Accelerate Action.
The aim of this campaign is to highlight the importance of swift steps to increase momentum and urgency in addressing the personal and professional barriers facing women.
At the current rate of progress for gender equality, it will take until 2158 to reach full gender parity. That is roughly five generations – my daughter’s great-granddaughter’s generation.
Creating parity is something that we should all be looking to accelerate around the world. Be that in our homes, on the sports fields or in our places of work.
Since the first women’s recorded game was played in May 1881, things have progressed massively. Women’s football is now selling out big international stadiums, female pundits and commentators are becoming more commonplace, and ordinary women like me are achieving things that I wouldn’t have dreamed possible sitting in the stands at Spurs 30 years ago.
Pushing for parity and accelerating action will only ever be a positive thing for all. Hopefully by pushing to accelerate the action our daughters will have access to the same opportunities as our sons, and we won’t have to wait five generations to see parity.
