The annual Women at the Game event is taking place today for the Fleetwood game with a group of women and girls watching the game on iFollow.
Due to the unique circumstances presented by this year, it is being staged as an online activity. Organisers therefore believe that we are the first club in the UK to host Women at the Game online, so we are blazing a trail! To make things a little more interesting, participants will also be taking part in some fun, interactive activities organised by Kasha Petit from AFC Wimbledon Foundation.
To give the participants a chance to know each other before the game, the Diversity and Inclusion Group, together with AFC Wimbledon Foundation, hosted an initial get-together on 30 March. During this meeting the participants were also given some information about the Club, the history behind Women at the Game, and not least how to take part in the activities and access the game using iFollow!
To round off the whole experience, participants have been invited to take part in a follow-up meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 6th April at 6pm).
This will be an opportunity to share their thoughts and feedback about the game. Moreover, we hope to build on the friendships created and a bond that will help make watching AFC Wimbledon matches more appealing for women in the future, especially when we can all physically be together watching games at Plough Lane.
Women at the Game is an initiative which was set up by Jacqui Forster RIP in 2015, formerly of Supporters Direct – now part of the Football Supporters Association, which also runs the Fans for Diversity campaign. The aim is to give women and girls their first taste of live football in a welcoming and friendly environment. At AFC Wimbledon we aim to continue Jacqui's legacy by making this an annual event. We are committed to inclusivity and we strive to make watching football more accessible and enjoyable to all, regardless of their age, gender or background.
In this spirit, we extend a warm welcome to today's participants, and we hope this will be the first of many enjoyable games we can watch together, hopefully together in person before too long! For more details about Women at the Game, send an email to watgafcwimbledon@gmail.com.