There was a football frenzy on Thursday as 75 children mobbed two members of our Women’s team after the success of England’s Lionesses.
Kelly Highman and Lauren Allen took some time out of their busy pre-season schedule to get involved in the Foundation’s Football Holiday Course at the Aspire Centre in Southfields as they talked tactics, put in a shift on the pitch and signed plenty of autographs!
The course itself is designed to get as many young children from different backgrounds involved in football – with the aim being to have fun, meet others and develop their technical skills.
You can view an interview with our Women's players below on our Official YouTube channel.
After a tournament that spanned several hours the attendees were then treated to a Q&A with Kelly and Lauren, before they were then handed gifts and medals on behalf of the club for their performances throughout the day.
Speaking about the importance of events such as this, Kelly said: “The day has been amazing. It’s so nice to see so many young girls getting involved in sport."
You can also view our highlights below from a memorable community event.
“Wimbledon is a very special club and it does so much for the community. When we get asked to do these things I’m always happy to come down. It’s a great environment to be a part of.”
“It shows you the opportunity that girls have got now. Seeing people play football with a smile underlines the opportunities that the club are offering,” added Lauren.
The impact of England’s Lionesses’ victory in the European Championships Final on Sunday is certainly being felt, with the women expressing just how much it means to them ahead of embarking on their own league campaign.
“It was emotional. It’s something that everyone has worked hard towards,” said Lauren. “The nation supported the women just as well as they supported the men. Going forward I think it’s going to have a massive impact on women’s football and I think we saw that today.
“One thing that attracted me to Wimbledon was the family feel. It is one club. We’re all connected – it doesn’t matter if we’re playing at Plough Lane or at Carshalton. We hope to take the support we are getting and push on.”
“It’s nice to see that they are so interested and engaged off the back of the Women’s Euros. It was a major part of football history in this country,” Kelly reflected. “Pre-season has been going well. We’ve had some good friendlies, we’ve displayed good traits and made some new signings. It’s exciting, so get yourselves down to watch it.”
The holiday courses run from Monday to Thursday (10am to 3pm) at the Aspire Centre, Southfields.
For more information, visit our Foundation's website.
Our Women’s team kick-off their FA Women's National League Division One South East campaign on Sunday 21 August against Hashtag United. This match will take place at Carshalton Athletic, 2pm KO.