King's Lynn Ladies open up about challenges they've faced as female footballers after England women's Euros win
“Football is football. It’s not women’s and men’s football, it’s just football.”
That was the main message the King’s Lynn Town Ladies team wanted to get across when I visited them at training. With the Lionesses taking home the trophy at the Euros, how are our Lynn Ladies getting on?
Captain Jodie Hopkins and vice captain Fran Peeling have told the Lynn News what they think about the rise in popularity of the women’s game, as well as sharing stories of their struggles growing up without female football role models.
Jodie and Fran sat down with me during a typical training session on a sunny Tuesday evening. Both were glowing with a tan after returning from a ‘footballers’ holiday’ to Portugal just the night before.
They apologised to me if they appeared to be tired or unenthusiastic, but they were quite the opposite.
Both have been playing football since they were little girls – or as Fran said, since she was “out of the womb” – and they mainly played alongside boys.
Both 26 years old, Jodie and Fran described themselves as the grannies of the group, and they said there were already a number of younger girls who are already interested in joining the team when they’re old enough.
“Our social media platforms have encouraged younger people to engage with us. Some girls are as young as 12. We don’t have a team set up for them yet but we do have a couple of 15-year-olds wanting to join us for the next season,” said Jodie.
“We’re already fighting for our places, some of our players are as young as 18, some even 16 too. It’s great for them to learn from us oldies,” added Fran.
The pair went on to tell me about their number one fan, Shayna, who comes to almost every game that the Ladies play and even joined them to watch the Euros finals.
“She’s our biggest fan, we always do things for her when we can, we’ve bought her a shirt and she’s been our mascot too. She’s a goalkeeper and already counting down the days until she’s 16,” said Fran.
“She just can’t wait to become a King’s Lynn Lady.”
When she’s not on the field, Jodie works in a primary school. She’s often found kicking a ball around on lunchtimes after being persuaded by the children to play.
“All the children at school know I play football, I’ve set up clubs for them to play in and during the Euros I set up a girls’ football team too,” she said.
The team have been recognised as role models in our local area, but Jodie and Fran said they had their struggles growing up playing football.
“I was advised that being a girl that played football it was always going to be a struggle, we got those remarks when we were at school and now girls’ football is being encouraged in school,” said Jodie.
With the England women’s team winning the Euros, Fran said: “It won’t affect us massively because we already play football, but for younger girls, it means they won’t experience what we did, I wasn’t allowed to play football with the boys.”
They have also noticed a big change in the mentality of those around them when it comes to women’s football.
“People are noticing women’s football more, the stereotype is massively changing which is amazing,” said Fran.
“It’s a new world for girls and women who play football, it makes me emotional talking about it.”
The Lynn Ladies now have season tickets available to buy and Jodie and Fran said there is a feeling of unity between the men’s and women’s clubs – they now wear the same kit as each other.
“We are one club and we work together,” said Jodie.
And Fran added: “I’m so jealous of girls now because they have so many opportunities.”
“Football is more than a sport and making friends, it’s family,” Jodie said.
The Lynn Ladies kick off their next season playing Luton Town away on Sunday.
Through challenges last season with Covid-19 and injuries, the ladies remain proud of themselves for powering through and look forward to kicking off this season, hopefully with a winning start.
