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Girls United For England

Crispin Thomas

Friday, September 14th, 2007

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Things we blokes didn’t know about women..and football

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Football is the number one
female participation sport in England.*

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 The Active People survey in 2006
highlighted that 250,000 women
and 1.1 million girls
play some form of football.*

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 FA research has shown
that over 50% of girls
have never taken part in football
and at least 300,000 girls would like to do so. *

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 ok so it’s kicking off at last ..or is it..
and what can we do?
is chauvenism dead on the field and terraces?
how behind are we
isn’t it time to sit up and take note?
Kelly Holmes or Kelly Smith
both run their hearts out
but one with a ball

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 let’s backtrack ninety years..

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 when Englishmen went off to fight World War I in 1914
women were thrown into traditional male roles at home
at work and on the sports field

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 within 3 years the self-formed Dick Kerr Ladies
fronted by the mighty Lily Parr
were playing matches
to crowds of 50,000..honest!
they played abroad as well
enjoying successful trips
to France, Holland and North America
the team were in truth
the first blend of marketing and football
despite the insane objections of the tme
that paying football might be dangerous
in the birth process

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 and so women’s football was born
but where are we now?
busy being reborn
and in the Women’s World Cup
having got there for the first time
and facing no less
the old enemy – Germany
in China!
and another fact…
England’s females
have never beaten Germany
losing 15 of their 16 meetings.
it’s time to get yer flags out for the girls
and don’t they look cool too..

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 so can I be wrong or sexist
to cast an eye
across to overpaid men
and their so often tact-ruled play
and say.. yes
sexy football is back

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 we need a draw at least
but more than that
we need to draw girls
their teachers and parents
into the game

12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 guys
get behind the campaign
Girls United
for England

© CT07

Notes

*All curent factual information listed above and here is taken from the great new Girls United site launched today by the FA at www.thefa.com/GirlsUnited . Check it out.

*The Girls United campaign in conjunction with the World Cup, aims to inspire girls who have never played football before to take up the beautiful game.

Girls United is specifically targeting 9-11 year old girls, their parents and teachers and a print and on-line campaign will drive them to the specially-built interactive website – TheFA.com/GirlsUnited.

Here you can watch video clips, enter a great competition, sign up and get a squad number and send good luck messages direct to the England women’s team. The website contains details of local Women’s and Girls’ teams so the next generation of international stars can find their local club and kick-off their own football career.*
*Taken from Girls United website..
Come On England!

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/girls-united-for-england/