#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, we will send out a limited-edition football so that each girl can keep playing and growing their passion for the game. To enter, videos should be uploaded to Twitter or Instagram tagging @ManCity and using #SameGoals. *
Manchester City have a long history of driving girls’ participation in grassroots football. In the 2012/13 season – the season before the women’s team was relaunched – 19% of their City in the Community participants were female. Since 2014, this number has been on the rise and by the end of the 2016/17 season it stood at 46%.
However, research has found that on a national scale, the number of girls participating in football is still significantly lower than the participation rates for boys. The FA’s Gameplan for Growth revealed that in the 2016/17 season only 27% of children aged 5-15 who took part in football were female.
Earlier this week, as part of the #SameGoals launch, Manchester City women’s players
On 1 April, the Club will celebrate a dedicated #SameGoals matchday when the women’s team plays Reading at home in FA Women’s Super League.
Commenting on the launch of #SameGoals, “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 are far greater than the differences.
To build on the success of that campaign, Manchester City want to inspire the next generation of players.
Participants can also keep practising by finding a club or programme near them by following any of the following links or visiting their local football association:
City in the Community / The FA Play Football / UEFA Where To Play
