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Manchester City has launched #SameGoals, a social media campaign to encourage more girls to play football whatever their background.
#SameGoals kicks off today with a social media video encouraging girls to send in footage that shows them scoring – or saving – a goal. The goal can be scored, or saved, anywhere using any kind of ball. For every video the club receives, they will send out a limited-edition football.
According to the club, in the 2012/13 season – the season before the women’s team was relaunched – 19% of their City in the Community participants were female and in the 2016/17 season it stood at 46%.
The FA’s Gameplan for Growth revealed that in the 2016/17 season only 27% of children aged five to 15 who took part in football were female.
Earlier this week, as part of the #SameGoals launch, Manchester City women’s players Georgia Stanway and Claire Emslie visited St. Kentigern’s Primary School to deliver a goal scoring masterclass and take part in a Q&A with students about their goals and what it takes to achieve your dreams.
On 1st April, the club will celebrate a dedicated #SameGoals matchday when the women’s team plays Reading at home in FA Women’s Super League.
Steph Houghton, Manchester City captain, said: “My first memories of football are kicking a ball about on the playground. You really can play anywhere once you have a ball, which is why Same Goals is such an exciting initiative. We’re getting girls to give football a try and providing them with a ball so they can keep practising.
“Inspiring the next generation of players is important to us as a team, to be considered role models is an honour and we hope what we do today can make a difference. It all begins with a ball and from there anything is possible.”
Gavin Makel, head of women’s football, added: “With the launch of Same Goals, we want to ensure girls have access to the one tool they need to practise every day and to show them that they too can dream of one day pulling on that sky blue shirt and becoming a professional footballer.
“Manchester City have a longstanding commitment to growing girls’ participation in football and when we re-launched the women’s team in 2014, grassroots and youth development was outlined as one of our key objectives. We have made a lot of strides in that area, both through our City in the Community programmes and with the establishment of our girls’ academy in 2016. We are delighted that with Same Goals we have the opportunity to inspire even more young girls to get involved in football.”
In January, the club launched Same City, Same Passion to promote women’s football and highlight that the similarities between men’s and women’s football.
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