A Short History of Early Women’s Football: A Reflection following the Lionesses’ Momentous Win
“Wouldn’t any woman kick a football if she found it in her path?” Nearly 3 years ago, I started writing my university dissertation on the implications of the 1921 ban on the development of women’s football. Despite all the change that I had already seen in the women’s football space over the years, the general…
Anita Neil – Britain’s First Female Black Olympian
Through doing The Level Playing Field, I’ve been so fortunate to speak to amazing athletes across the globe. But it struck me when I was talking to a family friend who suggested I get in touch with Anita Neil. Not only was she an Olympian and a European and Commonwealth medallist, but she was also…
Gendered Sport: Tackling Inclusion from the Ground Up
Charlotte Greenwood writes for The Level Playing Field about how gendered separation in school sport can have a lasting impact on sport more generally, and our perception of women within it. I won’t admit that I am an expert in this field, nor am I going to suggest that the whole sporting curriculum is turned…
Has football progressed at all since the tragic case of Justin Fashanu?
Just over 30 years ago, footballer Justin Fashanu became the first professional player to come out as gay. When we talk about ‘firsts’ in breaking down identity barriers, we think of pioneers such as Billie Jean King. She was the first prominent professional female athlete to publicly come out about her sexuality in 1981. Since…
Deborah Fleming
I recently spoke to the England Sevens Rugby player, Deborah Fleming, all about her unique way of getting into the sport through the Power2Podium program, her Olympic dream, her strong Christian faith and how that intersects with her sport, whether she considers herself a role model for young women of colour and most topically, how…
The Art of the Pole Vault – with Jess Robinson
I spoke to 21-year-old GB athlete, Jess Robinson, all about Pole Vaulting. It’s a particular discipline of Athletics that we all watch once every 4 years, but perhaps know little about outside of that. Jess shares what drew her to the fairly dangerous sport in the first place as well as how she is aiming…
Sustainability and Sport: An Interview with Claudia MacDonald
Coreen Grant talks to Claudia MacDonald about how the worlds of sport and sustainability intersect, and what we can do to educate ourselves on how to make the world a greener place. The sustainability of sport isn’t a subject you hear talked about much. For many of us, playing or watching sport is a release:…
Harassment whilst Running – is catcalling really that innocent?
In this article, we explore the prolific nature of harassment whilst running and we hear first hand from those who have experienced it. It is interesting as I edit this article, following the recent release of a BBC article about the harassment of female athletes. I wrote this article a couple of weeks before that…
‘Deaf Football’ with Fil Kamps
Too frequently we singularly think of disability in its literal form – dis-abled. However, Fil Kamps, has sought to completely defy that assumption and prove that just like everyone else, “working hard, dreaming big and staying humble” pays off. As a decorated retired international footballer and an Olympian, Fil talked to us about his journey…
Women’s Bodies: Powerhouses for Performance Over Aesthetics
Nathalie Rappaport on ‘Challenging Feminine Beauty’… What sort of images does the word ‘feminine’ evoke for you? It is a subjective term, of course and has recently become a huge talking point for influencers, celebrities and politicians. Due to these conversations, female body ‘ideals’ are a concept that are almost on the brink of being…
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The Level Playing Field 