Football For All

Sophie Page, England

Sophie Page is Club Secretary and defender for Brockwell United FC in London, a club she credits with igniting her love of football. Sophie tells the story of her personal journey in football, the spirit of Brockwell United, and the growth in interest since England won the Women’s Euros. 

Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us how you got involved in football? 

My name is Sophie Page, I am from South West London and work in campaigns and communications for a membership organisation. My role at Brockwell United FC is Club Secretary and Social Media Manager. 

I heard about Brockwell United through a friend in 2018 and joined as a complete beginner. At that point the club was finding its feet and just getting started, but from the beginning the club was so welcoming and had a truly beginner-focused ethos. It did not matter that I had not properly played football before and that I did not watch football – all that mattered was my enthusiasm to play and learn. There were not any judgements made and, if anything, I apologised way too much. I notice that with new players who join the team now, constantly saying sorry for defending or being the tiniest bit aggressive. I think it sadly points to a wider societal issue, that women often feel like they have to apologise. 

What has your football journey been like up until now? 

At school football was never really seen as a sport for girls, and the stigma set in from a young age. At secondary school there was a yearly mixed football tournament but I felt out of my depth and self-conscious. There was a girls' football team, but damaging stereotypes and little encouragement from teachers meant I never considered joining it. 

Growing up, any football I was exposed to was men's. At school I did not see football as a sport I could actively get involved with and the stigma set in from a young age. I found Brockwell United because I wanted to play a team sport, and I had tried and failed to play mixed tag ruby. I found it difficult playing with men - they never passed even though women got double the points if they scored and it felt like a pressurised environment. 

So when I found Brockwell it felt like a breath of fresh air. Even though I still felt nervous at the start, nobody ever judged me on my ability. I feel like I have come a long way since that point, gradually improving, and I have also grown and evolved with the team as a person, gaining confidence which I can take into other parts of my life.

The club was founded in 2017 by husband and wife Ximene and Andrew Weaver-Gilbert, after Ximene struggled to find a beginners friendly football team, they joked about starting their own. Andrew hatched a bet: if Ximene could get a team together within two weeks, he would coach. Good marketing, great friends and trusting local players meant that, to Andrew’s surprise, Brockwell United was born. Ximene and Andrew have since moved to Bournemouth, but are still chairs of the club.

Brockwell United celebrated our fifth birthday this year with a kit launch at Dulwich Hamlet. It was so exciting to see all the coverage and recognition for the team; having people message us asking to buy our shirt felt so surreal. One message stood out in particular.  A grandparent messaged us from the USA asking to buy the shirt for their trans grandchild - it felt like our message of inclusivity had resonated. The new kit is hugely important to the club and represents that community spirit and empowerment as well as our growth – starting out as a small group of friends to being one of the biggest South-East London grassroots football clubs.

We also went to the EURO 2022 final at Wembley. Seeing the Lionesses bring it home with 30 Brockwell players and the pure elation we all felt, some of our players were in tears. 

What did you try to capture with your photos? Was there a wider meaning with the photos? 

Photos were taken at different matches in the leagues our teams play in and also from our training sessions on Monday nights in Stockwell. One of the leagues is Clubs United in Haggerston, which we finished second in! Another league we play in is Ladies Super Liga in Southwark.

I tried to capture our day to day with the leagues, training, and socials. I think you can see the friendly, relaxed attitude the team has. You can see lots of genuine smiles. 

One photo is from before the start of a Clubs United tournament we played in. I remember we lost every game that day, but we did not let it get us down and we went to the pub afterwards. Winning has never been the focus for our team, our focus is on having fun and playing well together. As one of our players highlighted after playing their first match with us: "It was the last game before Christmas and we had pitchside Prosecco and mince pies afterwards. I will always remember that game for so much more than the final score."

We train every Monday night - rain or shine - and it provides exercise, community and the ability to switch off from life for an hour and a half. You can also see our Head Coach, Rose. We are proud to have Rose as our Head Coach, we need more female coaches and role models in football.  

What are the opportunities for women's and non-binary players to participate in your community?

Brockwell United recognise that women and non-binary people have faced extra barriers to enter the sport, so our ‘Removing Barriers to Entry’ commitment aims to make it easier for women and non-binary people to play. The commitment includes discounted spaces for those on Universal Credit. The club works around our players' busy personal and work schedules and does not put pressure on players to attend a certain number of training sessions or games. 

As a club we have always struggled to find a reliable, big, good quality pitch space for training. In the time I have been part of the team we have moved to 4-5 different spaces and then have had to move on due to there not being any more slots for us or most recently, the need to resurface it. 

The school pitch we play on now has been a lifesaver but it is tiny (we can only fit 14 people on it) and is extremely hard ground. 

We are excited to have finally found a pitch at the City of London Academy in Southwark, which is good quality and we could block-book for a year, giving us the security we need. It means we can actually open up to new people for the first time in years as this pitch can cater to 30 players. It is another turning point for the team and the result of a lot of hard work. 

What role does football play in your life and in your community?

For me, it is more than just being part of a football team. It is the solidarity and the support system it provides, seeing the joy on our players' faces and feeling a responsibility to deliver for them. I like completely switching off from whatever else is going on in life – all that matters is supporting your team and playing your best. 

I never used to think football was a space for me, yet now I play football, help organise the team and feel inspired by all of the Lionesses. I am ashamed to say I did not know some of them at the start of the Euros, but by the end I was a huge supporter of all of them and now have an Ella Toone Manchester United top. I still do not get the offside rule or all the lingo, but it does not matter! 

What impact has Brockwell United had on you? What is special about the club? 

Over my time with Brockwell I have loved seeing the team develop from a group of 20 players to around 80, and being so oversubscribed that we have a waiting list. I have also grown as a person while being part of the team. Joining the committee in 2019 as Social Media Manager and then becoming Club Secretary means I have gained skills beyond just football.

What ambitions do you have for the future?

I am ambitious for the club and hope that with the new pitch we can actually advertise for new players to join us for the first time in years as the pitch can cater for 30 players.

There is so much exciting grassroots football going on in East London, but my ambition would be to have a huge midweek league in South London for all the teams based around here, giving teams the chance to play competitively in a SE or SW postcode. 

What do you think the future looks like for football in your community? What would you like to change? 

The growth of the team is down to a lot of hard work from everyone involved in the club, but also down to the growth we have seen in the women’s game at a professional level, especially now that the Lionesses have won the Euros. Since England won, we have been inundated with messages from people wanting to join the team. Visibility truly matters, and if women and non-binary people see themselves being represented and valued at a national level then you will see that slowly trickle down to grassroots level, although we still have a very long way to go for parity in the game. We need to particularly ensure those from BAME backgrounds and trans people are included in the growth of the sport.

I would hope the future of women's football is a lot brighter, but we do need to see change on a huge scale, from access to football at school, to changing deep-rooted attitudes, to brands designing football boots that are actually catered to women's feet, and better/fairer pathways for girls to become professional. 

We recently coached a group of young girls as part of our charity partnership with Baytree Centre and one 11-year-old girl stood out as really good. I asked her if she played for a team, she said no, but she watches her dad coaching her brother. It made me think about the fact that her potential was huge but not necessarily being explored. Another girl came up to us afterwards and said 'Can I join your team?' Of course, we do not allow 10 year olds to join our team but where else can she develop as a beginner when her school does not take it seriously?

Things people can do: support your local team, go to Women's Super League (WSL) games or your local women’s team. Talk about women's football with your friends, encourage them to join a team and play and be part of the movement! We need to see investment at the grassroots level, particularly in pitch space and reserving spaces for women's and non binary teams. We have to ensure this is a turning point and a moment of change.