The countdown is on to this year’s National Sporting Heritage Day and people are being asked to get involved on the 30th September by celebrating the long history of UK sport and its power to engage and inspire everyone, particularly those from under-represented communities.
Sporting Heritage Ambassador Joanie Evans
The ‘Diversity in Sport’ theme for this year’s annual event aims to celebrate not only the history of the wide variety of sporting activities and events, but also those from diverse communities who have played an important role in the heritage of our sport and continue to inspire change and engage others from diverse backgrounds.
Backing the campaign is the newly appointed Sporting Heritage Ambassador, Joanie Evans, a former women’s footballer who is now the Co-President of the Federation of Gay Games. Ms. Evans said:
“I am so delighted to join the Sporting Heritage Ambassador family and support this year’s National Sporting Heritage Day. Growing up, I didn’t see many black women playing football, or people from the LGBT+ community being celebrated in sport and that is something I have spent my sporting life changing and ensuring the next generation has a heritage they can learn from and be inspired by.”
Here she writes an open letter to her fellow female players ahead of the day.
This year the nation will come together to celebrate the Women’s Euros, playing to sell-out crowds across the country, thousands of column inches dedicated, and record viewing figures expected.
This history defining moment is down to you. This is your legacy and your future.
It’s so rewarding to see how far women’s football has developed in my lifetime and it’s starting to get the recognition of the dedication of the women who have kept the game going all these years.
When I first started playing football in the 1990s, we were given the worst of everything…the pitches were dry and bumpy, some even had holes. We sometimes didn’t have changing rooms, or the men would take too long and we had to change on the side of the pitch. I envy the lush pitches and the facilities the teams have now. Crowds and support were thin on the ground except the loyal few and there was little to no coverage or support in the media. But that was my journey, filled with amazing friendships and experiences. During that time, many of us were challenging the status quo of the game, looking for parity and acknowledgement of the skills and talent of female football players.
As a young black girl who grew up in Birmingham in the 1960s there were no opportunities for me to pursue my love of sports. It still frustrates me now that so many superb sports people have been lost because they were never given the tools or encouragement to find what they could excel at. Today that should never be the case. Luckily for me my love of sport remained, and in my 20s found that I could play football. This came at a pivotal, and life defining time as I came out to a community that was welcoming of me, which has now led to me being the Co-President of the Federation of Gay Games, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Football provides a hugely inclusive space – no matter who you are, your race, religion, sexual orientation - we’re all equal on and off the pitch.
So much has changed in the last 30 years since my career began and it’s important not to forget where we started as it’s ultimately what keeps us going. I look in admiration at the women who played the game before the FA banned women’s football in 1921 and those who have picked up the mantel ever since.
We need to keep the heritage of the game alive, especially women and girl’s heritage and contribution to football. As a Sporting Heritage Ambassador, I will do all I can to ensure future generations believe what they can achieve by learning and celebrating the past. You can get involved too on 30th September with National Sporting Heritage Day, and this year’s theme Celebrating Diversity in Sport- something we can all support for the future of the football.
Play your part. The game is yours.
Joanie
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