Our 5-a-side team, 5 Stars, have played 3 successful seasons in the Sheffield Powerleague since forming last year. They were due to play their last game on the 10th of March but with both opposing teams pulling out they instead enjoyed a fun kick-about with their Coach Jonny Hodgson who will be moving on from the club after next Monday’s training session.

We would like to thank all women that have been involved and played as part of the 5 Stars. AFC Unity will be having a club break after next Monday’s training session (pending one 11-a-side game left on the 20th of March for our first team) and this will signal the start of many exciting changes happening.

We will be announcing more details of this at a later date but for now let’s reflect and celebrate the successes of the 5 Stars and everyone who has been involved in helping make this happen. A special thank you goes to Jonny Hodgson for all the time he has put into organising the games and training for the women involved in the 5 Stars. The results of the 5 Stars’ last three seasons are included below – why not check them out.

First Season Results

13th of August 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 4 – 27 Greasborough FC (Goals for AFC Unity came from Eliah Ward, Bridie Mayock, Charlotte Pridmore and Rachel Dixon).

20th of August 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 1 – 44 All For The Badge FC (AFC Unity’s goal came from Red Lester)

27th of August 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 5 – 15 Greasborough FC (Goals for AFC Unity came from Bridie Mayock, Charlotte Pidmore and Rachel Dixon *2)

3rd of September 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 2 – 24 All For The Badge FC (AFC Unity’s goals came from Bridie Mayock *2)

3rd of September 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 5 – 21 Chamakh My Pitch Up! (AFC Unity’s goals came from Rebecca Gay, Red Lester, Rachel Dixon and Bridie Mayock *2)

10th of September 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 3 – 13 Socrates (AFC Unity’s goals came from Bridie Mayock *2 and Rachel Dixon)

10th of September 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 3 – 27 Sheffield United Ladies (AFC Unity’s goals came from Jodean Wadsworth *2 and Rachel Dixon)

17th of September 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 4 – 11 Chamakh My Pitch Up! (AFC Unity’s goals came from Rachel Dixon, Bridie Mayock *2 and an own goal)

17th of September 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 5 – 51 Red Army (AFC Unity’s goals came from Rachel Dixon, Bridie Mayock, Eliah Ward *2 and Sophie Wendell)

24th of September 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 3 – 22 Amberazor (AFC Unity’s goals came from Dora Dixon * 2 and Red Lester)

1st of October 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 9 – 21 SGFC (AFC Unity’s goals came from Rachel Dixon *3, Dora Dixon *3 and Bridie Mayock *3)

8th of October 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 9 – 28 SGFC (AFC Unity’s goals came from Rachel Dixon *3, Red Lester, Rebecca Gay * 2, Bridie Mayock and Jodean Wadsworth *2)

15th of October 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 4 – 31 Red Army (AFC Unity’s goals came from Rachel Dixon, Red Lester, Bridie Mayock and Alice Thomas)

15th of October 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 1 – 41 Sheffield United Ladies (AFC Unity’s goal came from Charlotte Pridmore)

Second Season Results

22nd of October 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 3 – 32 Amber Rose (AFC Unity’s goals came from Charlotte Pridmore *2 and Alice Thomas)

29th of October 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 3 – 32 Intominandos (AFC Unity’s goals came from Olivia Johnson *2 and Rachel Dixon)

29th of October 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars win 10 – 0 through default because the other team didn’t turn up.

5th of November 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 6 – 42 Balls of Steel (AFC Unity’s goals came from Ella Rossa *2, Rachel Dixon *2, Rebecca Gay and Bridie Mayock).

12th of November 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 23 – 2 Top Club Ladies (AFC Unity’s goals came from Ella Rossa *7, Bridie Mayock *5, Rachel Dixon *5, Red Lester *4, Alice Thomas and Sophie Wendell).

12th of November 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 10 – 19 SGFC (AFC Unity’s goals came from Ella Rossa *4, Rachel Dixon *3, Alice Thomas *2 and Sophie Wendell).

19th of November 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 14 – 18 Chamakh My Pitch Up (AFC Unity’s goals came from Ella Rossa *5, Dora Dixon *4, Bridie Mayock *3 and Alice Thomas *2).

26th of November 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 13 – 11 Amber Alert (AFC Unity’s goals came from Dora Dixon *2, Bridie Mayock *3, Rebecca Gay, Alice Thomas *4 and Olivia Johnson *3).

3rd of December 2015: AFC Unity 3 – 40 Balls of Steel (AFC Unity’s goals came from Bridie Mayock and Olivia Johnson *2).

10th of December 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars win 10 – 0 through default because the other team didn’t turn up.

10th of December 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 1 – 25 Red Army (AFC Unity’s goal came from Dora Dixon).

17th of December 2015: AFC Unity 5 Stars 5 – 11 Socratites (AFC Unity’s goals came from Ella Rossa *2, Jodean Wadsworth *2 and Red Lester).

Third Season Results

7th of January 2016: AFC Unity 5 Stars 8 – 13 Chamakh My Pitch Up (AFC Unity’s goals came from Ellen Holmes, Ella Rossa *3, Red Lester and Dora Dixon *3).

14th of January 2016: AFC Unity 5 Stars 0 – 26 Into Mi Nandos

14th of January 2016: AFC Unity 5 Stars 3 – 38 Balls of Steel (AFC Unity’s goals came from Olivia Johnson *2 and Red Lester)

21st of January 2016: AFC Unity 5 Stars 10 – 9 Chamakh My Pitch Up (AFC Unity’s goals came from Alice Thomas *5, Olivia Johnson *2, Josie Amery and Ellen Holmes *2)

28th of January 2016: AFC Unity 4 – 28 Into My Nandos (AFC Unity’s goals came from Olivia Johnson, Ella Rossa *2 and Jodean Wadsworth)

4th of February 2016: AFC Unity 8 – 15 Socratites (AFC Unity’s goals came from Ella Rossa *4, Olivia Johnson *3 and Bridie Mayock)

11th of February 2016: AFC Unity 4 – 33 A new team that has yet to choose a name (AFC Unity’s goals came from Eliah Ward, Jodean Wadsworth *2 and Charlotte Pridmore)

18th of February 2016: AFC Unity 4 – 8 Bottom of the League (AFC Unity’s goals came from Alice Thomas *3 and Olivia Johnson)

25th of February 2016: AFC Unity 1 – 42 Balls of Steel (AFC Unity’s goal came from Ellen Holmes)

As the second anniversary of AFC Unity’s formation came to pass this month, vice-captain Sarah Richards revealed her intention to finish her playing days at the end of this current 2015/16 season in the Second Division of the Sheffield & Hallamshire Women’s County Football League.

But the tough-tackling, no-nonsense centre-back has already enjoyed a bonus year playing, due to a reversal of fortunes and – above all – her own grit and determination.

A year ago, the AFC Unity underdogs were leading one-nil at Beighton Magpies when she dislocated her knee and, while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, the referee abandoned the game, forcing a replay that Unity lost.

Told she may not play again, Sarah dedicated herself to rehab, physio, and a great deal of time in the gym in the little spare time she had.

She returned to action in a little over four months, setting an example to other players of what can be overcome with a commitment to recovery after an injury.

‘I can count on one hand the number of players in the squad who were there right at the very beginning,’ said AFC Unity’s manager Jay Baker. ‘Sarah Richards is one of those very few.’

Having previously played for Sheffield FC Ladies, Steel City Wanderers, New Bohemians, and Norton Ladies, she signed up as one of the first “Red Stars” and quickly established herself in Unity’s first season run in 2014/15, soon taking on the vice-captain role; she has led the team on several occasions and, as an ambassador for the organisation, strengthened AFC Unity’s links in the community, through such things as her involvement with Parson Cross Initiative.

To honour this, co-founder and captain Jane Watkinson is giving her the armband to lead the team one more time for the last game of the season at New Bohemians on March 20th.

‘Sarah’s been a real leader on and off the pitch, furthering – and acting on – the alternative ethos and values of the club,’ Jane said. ‘We will miss our rock at the back! But I’m glad I got the chance to play alongside her. We look forward to keeping Sarah engaged in the club after she hangs up her boots, in whatever way she feels best.’

AFC Unity will also be retiring her number four shirt, and holding a testimonial match later in the spring.

‘We were little more than an idea when Sarah joined us, struggling to get off the ground,’ said Baker. ‘Her faith in what we were trying to do and her commitment to the club is all something we really value, and that is why it is important to demonstrate this gratitude to a player such as herself.’

by Libby Comyn

Football has a long and rich history which has seen it develop into the global game it is today. However, the turbulent history of women’s football often remains untold.

Women’s football has long since been the subject of many inequality and sexism debates due to it receiving a much lower profile, profit and support compared to its male counterpart. However, this hasn’t always been the case, and once upon a time women’s football pulled in bigger crowds than many male premier league teams receive today.

Women’s football had been established for a long time but it only really started to flourish in the 1920’s. During the First World War the football league suspended all its matches at the end of the 1914/15 season and so women filling in for male factory jobs also found themselves filling in for them on the pitch. Women working in the factories started informal ‘kick abouts’ during their breaks, which were then encouraged by their bosses as they saw it as a health benefit. As the war progressed, women’s football started to become more formalised and over 150 teams were formed from munition factories.

Initially the novelty of women playing football was used to raise money for war charities but the skill and commitment these women possessed quickly became apparent and so the matches started to become exciting and enjoyable events due to the ability of the women players.

Big teams like the Dick Kerr’s started to establish themselves as a highly respectable team, with their star player Lily Parr becoming a household name. Lily was the first female professional football player and racked in an incredible 1,000 goals during her 31 year career. In which time she was also a part of the first recognised international women’s football match against France, which England won 4-0. She was finally recognised for her footballing achievements in 2002 when she became the first women to be inducted into the National Football Museum’s hall of fame.

Women’s football went from strength to strength during the war. On Christmas Day of 1917 the Dick Kerr’s team held their first official match which brought in a crowd of over 10,000; the Munition Etters cup was then established the August of 1917. Just three years later the Dick Kerr’s played St. Helens ladies on Boxing Day 1920 to an incredible crowd of 53,000 with a further 14,000 locked outside at Everton’s Goodison Park ground. Currently in today’s 2015/6 male Premier League fixtures Everton’s highest attendance to a game is 39,951, which just goes to show the scale and popularity of women’s football at the time.

However their golden era was to be short lived as once the war was over, women found themselves quietly shunned back into domestic life while their game became overshadowed by the return and growth of the male game. The major blow to women’s football came on 5th December 1921 when the Football Association banned women from playing on FA affiliated pitched on the feeble grounds that “The game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.”

Incredibly this ban was not lifted until 1971 after the formation of the Women’s Football Association in 1969 fought for the equal right to play. However it was years until women’s football got back on its feet and the ban is a large reason why women’s football lags behind the men’s game today.

The first TV coverage of women’s football was at the 1971 women’s FA Cup final, which was played at Crystal Palace national sports centre. Now just 44 years on, the most recent women’s FA Cup final was played at Wembley Stadium in front of a 30,719 crowd, which just goes to show the progression, resilience and passion of women’s football.

In recent years women’s football has made incredible progression. Sports England pledged to spend £30 million on developing women’s grassroots football with a focus on getting and keeping girls and women on the pitch. By 2014 football had the highest female participation of any sport in the UK with 2.6 million women and girls getting involved. This growth has then had a direct impact on the coverage of women’s football, which has always been lacking behind that of male football coverage. The 2012 women’s Olympic football final at Wembley saw a crowd of over 83,000 and the recent 2015 women’s World Cup was bigger and better than ever before, with the England vs Germany match attracting a crowd of 55,00. While the overall TV ratings of the women’s World Cup was an incredible 1,278,682.

Of course there is still a long way to go to match that of the male’s game but things are moving quickly in the right direction. Finally nearly 100 years later women are attracting the crowds and attention experienced by their predecessors. Those pioneering women achieved phenomenal success in a time it would have seemed impossible to do so, whilst they also changed the mind-set of a nation. It’s that determination, fire and passion that has been carried through years of women’s football that makes it such a special game and one that should most definitely not be undermined.

By Finola Fitzpatrick.

AFC Unity played Sheffield Wednesday Ladies Development on the 20th December in their final league game before Christmas.

Manager Jay Baker said “It’s the best football AFC Unity has ever played.”

Although Unity was down 1-0 at half-time, there was a general feeling that the team had been unlucky getting goals.

Not to be defeated, every player entered the second half with a fierce determination to bounce back and perform well as a team.

Incredibly Lucy Strutt went on to score two goals in the second half, and at one point it looked like it was going to be a hat trick.

Eliah Ward also scored an impressive goal for Unity, which helped to seal our 3-2 victory.

What made this game special was how everybody really pulled together in the second half.

Win or lose, everyone just wanted to play their best and go away from the pitch knowing they’d given it their all.

It’s great seeing training pay off, because we passed well, countered quickly, and had bad luck in the final third. But we never gave up. The integrity of the team and this club is reflected in the football we play, as well as in the incredible generosity of our football for food campaign. – AFC Unity manager Jay Baker

A blog post by Finola Fitzpatrick.

I am always proud to be a part of AFC Unity football club, but this last week has just been something else.

Truth be told, I am really quite overwhelmed.

AFC Unity is passionately committed to tackling food poverty in Sheffield, and for weeks now we have been collecting food donations at our home games, which are then distributed to food banks across the city via the Sheffield Food Collective.

With Christmas fast approaching, we decided to push for even more donations, as it is a time of year where families are presented with additional pressures to provide.

We decided it was important to deliver a season of giving as well as a season of football.

Sunday was a huge day for us. Not only were we playing Sheffield Wednesday Ladies Development, it was also the culmination of our season of giving.

Nerves were high. But not just your usual pre-match jitters. We knew it was our last opportunity to collect food donations before Christmas, and we wanted to make a difference more than ever.

We laid out the donations box and patiently waited for players and spectators to arrive.

However, there was no need to be patient as, incredibly, some of our players managed to secure donations from local schools and supermarkets which filled our box as quickly as the players had arrived with them.

Players and spectators were not the only guests we had on Sunday. ITV Calendar News very kindly came along to film a TV package about our football for food campaign and season of giving.

I was absolutely overjoyed that they came along as it gave us a real platform to raise awareness of food poverty in Sheffield.

Vice-Captain Sarah Richards was interviewed by Calendar and is one of the players who recently visited the Parson Cross Initiative’s food bank to see first-hand how our collected donations are making a difference to the local community.

It was there she found out that one in three users of the food bank is a child under the age of 18.

She said: “I can’t imagine what it must be like near Christmas, especially with children. It must be hard enough as it is to provide for your family, without it being Christmas where there are additional pressures to provide.”

Speaking about her visit to the Parson Cross Initiative’s food bank, Sarah said: “It makes you realise that you can take things for granted, that you always have food in your cupboard, that you’re not struggling like a lot of people are. Children should have a childhood and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. If you see the work of a food bank first hand, you can take it back to others and spread the word of how important donations are.”

Nick Waterfield, a community worker from the Parson Cross Initiative’s food bank, was also interviewed by Calendar. Nick has been a staunch supporter of AFC Unity’s football for food campaign right from the start, and regularly comes along to our home games.

He said: “The support we get from AFC Unity and other supporters is amazing, because without donations we couldn’t carrying on running a food bank and people would just go hungry. All the food we get is based on donations, and this time especially in the run up to Christmas, every donation counts.”

Amazingly, we have just been told by the Sheffield Food Collective that AFC Unity’s football for food campaign has collected 183kg of food, which is enough to provide 350 meals for families across Sheffield.

At this point I think we should thank everybody who has donated to, or supported our football for food campaign in some way.

I also just want to say how proud I am to be part of a football club that is so passionately committed to making a difference to the community it is part of.

I am extremely excited to see how our football for food campaign develops in the new year, and once again… thank you!!

To watch ITV Calendar’s feature about football for food in full, click here.

Co-founder Jay Baker has resigned from AFC Unity’s Board of Directors in order to open up room for more managerial opportunities within AFC Unity as part of the social enterprise’s ambitious expansion plans.

The move means that, rather uniquely, AFC Unity’s governance is now entirely led by women – while Baker commits to a more formalised managerial position, after initially ‘trying out’ the role, and becoming only the second person ever to receive paid work through AFC Unity, after Jonny Hodgson, Head Coach of Development.

A Fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Jay offers nearly 15 years of experience in the community sector and vows to dedicate more time to taking AFC Unity to the next level.

‘We have a fantastic Board of Directors, and alongside my co-founder Jane Watkinson I will work tirelessly to expand the social enterprise and develop greater revenue streams to make it a more sustainable business, in order to do greater good in the community,’ Baker said.

He will also continue to coach and manage the first team.

‘I had originally anticipated the role to be temporary, but following positive feedback from the Board of Directors and players, I feel that for the foreseeable future it is in the club’s best interests for me to accept the suggestion to continue managing the first team, as well as the organisation as a whole, until such a time as our growth requires duties to be delegated more.’

The Manager’s first task is to map out a strategy for greater development of the organisation, some announcements for which will begin to be released early in the new year.

A blog post by Finola Fitzpatrick

Myself and club co-founder Jane Watkinson recently went along to Sheffield Hallam University to listen to students giving presentations of event ideas for AFC Unity.

As part of their Event Management module, BA Public Relations students were asked to come up with unique and inspired plans for fundraising events that would be compatible with the club’s ethos and values.

It was fantastic to see just how much time, effort and research students had invested in their presentations.

We felt that everyone had a real grasp and understanding of what AFC Unity is all about.

The first group presenting to us came up with the idea of having a film screening of Bend It Like Beckham for AFC Unity players and supporters. The group felt that the selected film conveys a lot of the themes and values AFC Unity aims to promote as a club; such as empowering women, challenging stereotypes and promoting social equality. Eager to implement our football for food campaign, it was also explained that donations of food would be collected at the screening, which would then be distributed to food banks across the city via the Sheffield Food Collective.

Next up was a group pitching the idea of a women’s five-a-side football tournament. 10 teams from across Sheffield would take part- including university, community, and business teams. The aim of the tournament would be to raise the profile of AFC Unity within the community, forming positive links and relations with all participating teams. The group stated that this aim would reaffirm AFC Unity’s commitment to engaging with the local community. Food donations would be collected at the tournament, and medals would be given out to create a sense of achievement for all of the players.

Bubble football is a game which AFC Unity have tried out before, and was something that seemed to go down well with the players. One group presented an event idea with bubble football at its heart, promising something which would be “a little bit difference and engaging for everyone.” The group said their idea for a bubble football tournament would get people of all ages involved, and provide fun for all the family. It was suggested that AFC Unity’s club sponsors Nourish could have a stall at the event, offering healthy snacks for all spectators. Food donations would also be collected on the day.

At this stage Jane and I could already tell just how much the groups had thought about implementing our club’s commitment to tackling food poverty into their event ideas. There was also evidence of careful thought from the groups about planning the events in a way which would promote our brand, core values and ethos appropriately.

Something a bit different again, the next event idea was for an open mic night at The Harley pub located in central Sheffield. The group stressed the importance of the event starting mid-afternoon in order to make it family friendly and more accessible to all. Local bands would take part, offering a platform for emerging talent in Sheffield. There would be a BBQ, a stall selling AFC Unity merchandise, and food donations being collected. Again, we were delighted to hear yet another group was so keen to champion our football for food campaign at their event.

The final idea to be pitched was a formal dinner party evening for AFC Unity. The group branded the event as a highlight in the social calendar for players, club officials and volunteers. They also said it would be a celebration of Unity’s work over the last year, including speeches from manager Jay Baker and other key representatives from the club.

It was a privilege for Jane and I to listen to all of the ideas that the Sheffield Hallam students came up with, and they have given us a lot to go away and think about. We would like to say a big thank you to all of the students who presented to us from Isabel Ruiz Mora’s seminar class- the amount of thought you put into your work was very obvious, and we really enjoyed meeting you all.

By Finola Fitzpatrick

AFC Unity’s Football for Food campaign has taken a new exciting direction. For months now, players, managers and members of the public have been bringing along food donations to home games, which are then distributed to food banks across the city to help tackle food poverty.

But with Christmas fast approaching, AFC Unity is making even more of a push for food donations. With one in five Sheffield households suffering from food poverty, AFC is hoping to deliver a season of giving, as well as football.

Local TV station Sheffield Live came along to our home game on Sunday to interview us about our new season of giving.

Manager Jay Baker and player and director Charlotte Marshall featured on Sunday’s Sheffield Live news bulletin, discussing the importance of giving at this time of year…

[vimeo 145876875 w=500 h=281]

Alternative football club, donate food to tackle food poverty

I also featured on Sheffield Live stressing the vital role of food banks in Sheffield.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB6gN3TRAQ4&w=560&h=315]

AFC Unity recently visited the Parson Cross Initiative’s food bank to see how our collected donations are making a difference to the local community.

Community worker Nick Waterfield told us that donations of food are even more essential during the cold winter months where there are additional pressures for families to provide.

With as much as 50 kilos of food being donated at any one home game, we are keen to continue our efforts and make as much of a difference as possible.

Manager Jay Baker said: “The enthusiasm of our players in tackling food poverty in Sheffield, as well as putting their tackles in on the pitch has just been fantastic.”