A NEW study by ticket expert SeatPick has revealed the best areas in England for young girls to play football. 

The research analysed Football Association data regarding football clubs with teams for girls aged 5-19 and ONS population data. It revealed the towns and cities with the most available clubs catering for young female players. The places with the most such clubs per 1,000 girls of the specified age range, within a commutable distance of 20 miles for parents, rank as the best places for girls to get into football. 
 

Wigan ranks as the best place in the UK for girls to get into football. Within 20 miles of the Greater Manchester town there are 709 clubs meeting the criteria of providing football for girls aged 5-19. This includes both disability and non-disability football, as well as leisure and league-based clubs. This results in 103.3 clubs per 1,000 girls in the specified age range, the largest proportion nationwide. 
 

St Albans is the second-best spot for budding young female footballers. Within 20 miles of the Hertfordshire city just north of London, there are 728 football clubs for girls. This comes to 99.8 clubs per 1,000 girls aged 5-19 in St Albans. 
 

Within 20 miles of Bury, Greater Manchester, there are 641 clubs offering girls’ football, 86.9 per 1,000 girls aged 5-19 in the town, the third-highest proportion nationwide. 
 

Fourth is another London-adjacent town. Woking, Surrey, has 548 applicable clubs within a 20-mile radius, which is 84.2 per 1,000 girls. Rounding out the top five is Tamworth, Staffordshire, where there are 477 girls’ football clubs within 20 miles, which is 73.8 per 1,000 girls in the town. 

Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, ranks in sixth. The town has as many as 595 applicable clubs within a 20-mile radius, equating to 70.9 per 1,000 girls in the town. This is closely followed by nearby Watford. Closer to London than sixth-placed Hemel Hempstead, Watford has 851 clubs within 20 miles. Its larger population means this is 70.5 clubs per 1,000 girls.

Harlow, Essex, ranks in eighth place, with 601 clubs for girls’ football within 20 miles. That is 69.1 per 1,000 girls in the town. Royal Sutton Coldfield follows in ninth. The West Midlands town is within 20 miles of 522 applicable clubs, with this equating to 67.7 per 1,000 girls aged 5-19 in the town.

St Helens takes the final top ten spot, with 602 clubs playing girls’ football within a 20-mile radius of the town. This means there are as many as 67.2 clubs per 1,000 girls in St Helens.

Gilad Zilberman, CEO of SeatPick, commented on the study: “The popularity of women’s football has skyrocketed in recent years. Thankfully, the sport is becoming increasingly accessible to girls around the world and particularly in England.

“With this and what it could mean for England’s future female international representation, it’s interesting to see the areas where it’s easiest to get budding young female players on the pitch.”