An all-female team of grounds professionals made history at the weekend as Arsenal claimed bragging rights in the north London derby with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a second-half goal from Alessia Russo.
The Women’s Professional Game and Women in Football collaborated with the Grounds Management Association and Arsenal FC to help 13 grounds professionals become the first all-female grounds team to work across a WSL game.
Tongue said: “Showcasing the all-female ground team at the Emirates has been so important.
“There will have been people here today who aspire to work in football but do not necessarily know what other roles are out there.
“Women in Football have always been passionate about shining a light on these roles and supporting women in the industry to feel that these roles are available to them.
“As an organisation, it is imperative that we keep showcasing, highlighting, and encouraging women to speak about themselves and their jobs.
“We want to help as many women within the industry as possible through our training and leadership courses to help them feel confident to be able to apply for those roles.
“When I was growing up, I could never have known I could be an agent and it’s really lovely when I can walk into clubs and see other females in the same job.”
Yesterday an all-female team of 13 grounds staff prepared the Emirates pitch for today’s @BarclaysWSL sell-out North London Derby.#WomeninFootball work across every area of the game – today’s @ArsenalWFC v @SpursWomen match with @thegma_ celebrates that.
Live on BBC2 12:30 k-o pic.twitter.com/P7BiAVBV0o
— Women in Football (@WomeninFootball) March 3, 2024
Arsenal also fielded an all-female technical team on the day while a female Police Commander took charge of overseeing matchday.
Despite an uplift of women playing sport across all levels, only 2% of the grounds management sector, which is responsible for maintaining the nation’s pitches, is female.
With the spotlight on the role model grounds team, it is hoped more women will be inspired to enter the rewarding profession.
Grounds Management Association CEO Geoff Webb said: “Our profession often goes under the radar when it comes to jobs in sport.
“This will benchmark what you can do beyond being a player in sport and open up more opportunities to young girls watching the game.
“We’ve got an incredible group of 13 women in the profession here today doing a fantastic job.
“The next point for us is to go from the breakthrough moment to making it a constant, that’s the challenge.”
https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/24177954.north-london-derby-can-empower-women-enter-industry/
