Lotte Wubben-Moy explains wider impact of equal access to football in UK schools
Arsenal and England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy has said she hopes the next step after the UK government pledged to create equal opportunities to sport in schools for girls is to see ‘future Lionesses in every playground’.
Following England’s triumph at Euro 2022, Wubben-Moy was a leading figure in lobbying the next prime minister – then either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak – to give girls the same chances as boy to participate in football and other sports while at school.
An open letter was published, signed by all 23 members of the victorious Lionesses squad.
On International Women’s Day, that £600m government promise was announced.
Describing herself as ‘indebted’ to football because of the impact on her life, Wubben-Moy penned another open letter published by BBC Sport.
“We were determined to ensure every young girl across the nation has equal access to football when they go to school,” she explained. “To ensure that our European Championship win could leave a legacy past last summer's blurry few days of celebration and hoarsely singing 'It's Coming Home' in Trafalgar Square.”
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The 24-year-old painted an image of the effect this momentous day could have.
“Picture a playground full of young girls kicking footballs around in London and pick out a future Lauren James. A playground in Cumbria - pick out that future Georgia Stanway. A playground in Wigan - who is the future Ella Toone?” she said.
“Imagine how many future Lionesses you could pick out in every playground across the nation with every school now offering equal access to football. Well, that is now the reality the Lionesses squad of 2022 dreamed of.”
Wubben-Moy also went on to explain that there is actually so much more to gain than simply unearthing the next generation of elite talent because of all the other benefits that come with participation in sport at any level.
“It is the camaraderie, the adrenaline and the endorphins that I felt as a young girl. It is the teamwork, the social networking and the lifelong friends made on the pitch. It is the beautiful game that I know so well,” the Gunners star enthused.
“By making girls' football more accessible, we have opened a crucial door for the growth of women's football as a whole. And if we want to look at our Lionesses and see a team that represent the whole nation, this is one among many key steps to ensuring our national team become more diverse, stronger, and more successful many years into the future.”