Beth Mead, professional footballer for the England national team and Women’s Super League club Arsenal, is no stranger to awards. To date, she has won several awards and accolades, including UEFA Player of the Year, the Golden Boot, Player of the Tournament, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year – this being an extra special achievement for Beth, as no woman had been awarded this before.
Beth’s love of football began at age 6, and she was later forced to play for the boys’ team at her primary school, as there was no girls’ team. However, it did encourage other girls to join the team and Beth was made captain.
A sporty child, Beth took part in many sports, but football was always her true passion. Her dedication to her sport paid off, gaining her a place on the WSL Arsenal and England team.
Most recently – and famously – Beth and her England teammates won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, sparking what has no doubt been a positive and exciting boost to women’s football in the UK.
Are attitudes towards women’s football changing?
According to an article by Dr Chris Macktinosh, “a great example of how much the women’s game is booming at the moment and how healthy it is – we are seeing some great stuff, which has been demonstrated by the reception and popularity of this tournament” (click here to read more).
More and more girls are being inspired by the likes of Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Sam Kerr and Alexia Putellas to join (or start!) their local clubs and make football a more inclusive space – something we at Future Sports feel very passionately about.
However, there is still a way to go to – if you were to Google the top football scorer of all time, you would initially see Cristiano Ronaldo’s name, but he would actually only be 7th if women were included! Canadian footballer, Christine Sinclair, currently holds the record for international goal scoring with 190 goals in 319 games vs Ronaldo’s 118 goals in 196 games.
We hope the popularity of all-inclusive football continues as women and girls deserve a place on the pitch just as much as anyone else.
Pictures are abstract art created by AI
