We all know that Greater Manchester is the true home of football in the UK but, according to the latest research, the borough of Wigan specifically is also the best place for girls to get into the beautiful game.
That’s right, as the women’s game continues to flourish all over the country and the football-mad world at large, it appears that some of the biggest pioneers are the sport-loving and pie-eating people of Wigan – yet all the more reason to love the old Lancashire town.
According to a new study by leading football prediction site, FootballWhispers.com, Wigan topped the list when it came to the best places in England for young girls to get into football.
Looking at data taken directly from the Football Association (FA) regarding football clubs with teams for girls aged 5-19 and ONS population data, it wasn’t hard for the analysis to pull up a result when it came to the towns and cities with the most available clubs catering for young female players.
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Utilising parameters such as clubs per 1,000 girls of the specified age range and teams within a commutable distance of 20 miles for parents ranked as the best places for girls to get into football, the predictors were able to come up with a score.
That being said, it was found that Wiganranks the highest for helping girls get into football; within 20 miles of the Greater Manchester town, there are a total of 709 clubs that meet the criteria of providing football for girls aged 5-19. Access is key.
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Speaking of: just as importantly, this result also included both disability and non-disability football, as well as leisure and league-based clubs. This came out as an average of 103.3 clubs per 1,000 girls within the specified age range – the largest proportion of any area nationwide.
This is only further backed up by the recent launch of Wigan Athletic Women, with 2024 marking the first year that the Latics have fielded a female football team.
Elsewhere in the study, the likes of St Albans came in just shy of Wigan as the second-best spot for budding young female footballers.
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However, the data only gets better for Greater Manchester as Bury came in at number three, boasting 641 clubs offering girls’ football – a score of 86.9 per 1,000 girls aged 5-19 in the town.
You can see the rest of the top 10 down below:
Rank
Town/City
Clubs within 20-mile radius
Clubs per 1,000 girls aged 5-19
1
Wigan
709
103.3
2
St Albans
728
99.8
3
Bury
641
86.9
4
Woking
548
84.2
5
Tamworth
477
73.8
6
Hemel Hempstead
595
70.9
7
Watford
851
70.5
8
Harlow
601
69.1
9
Royal Sutton Coldfield
522
67.7
10
St Helens
602
67.2
Just like in the Super League, Wigan are the top of the table.
Julien Josset, CEO of Football Whispers, 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.”
So, if you or someone you know is a young girl looking to get into football, they won’t go far wrong looking around Wigan way.
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Rest assured, the beautiful game is alive and well, and spreading among a new generation over in the likes of WN. You love to see it.
Inside Manchester’s new padel club with a Pot Kettle Black cafe and courtside cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and it’s really picking up speed in Manchester now too with another city centre club opening this month.
The Pollen Club is a little different to the others, in that it’s fully undercover and protected from Manchester’s less-than-favourable weather.
And another thing that makes it a must-visit is the cafe attached to it – a third site for the beloved Pot Kettle Black.
The Pollen Club and Pot Kettle Black have both taken over a prominent city centre spot just off Deansgate, at the foot of the recently-opened Treehouse Hotel.
There are two state-of-the-art padel courts inside, with a mezzanine terrace for enjoy Pot Kettle Black’s offerings.
In summer, there are plans to launch a bar downstairs too, where you can sip spritzes courtside from loungers and swing seats.
The exciting new Manchester padel club will host pop up events, DJ takeovers and an extended evening food offering.
Pot Kettle Black are part of the new padel clubInside Manchester’s new padel club, The Pollen ClubPot Kettle Black are part of the new padel club
And even if you’re not heading inside The Pollen Club, Pot Kettle Black has a grab-and-go hatch facing onto Blackfriars Street, making their delicious coffees, sandwiches and pastries (from their own bakery Half Dozen Other) even more accessible.
Commenting on the opening of the new site, Pot Kettle Black co-owner, Mark Flanagan said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have opened our third Pot Kettle Black site at The Padel Club. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.
“After ten years in the city we’ve been enjoying seeing some familiar faces stopping by for a coffee and we can’t wait to get started on our programme of summer events!”
Local Olympian Keely Hodgkinson named as official starter of the 2025 Great Manchester Run
Danny Jones
One of our very own is getting ready to get thousands of racers underway as local Olympian, Keely Hodgkinson MBE, has been named as the official starter for the 2025 Great Manchester Run.
Atherton’s very own generational trackstar, who picked up gold at Paris 2024 and has earned several other medals, not to mention smashing multiple British records, will be leading the hordes of runners taking on the annual AJ Bell challenge through central Manchester next month.
We couldn’t think of anyone better suited to fly the flag for Greater Manchester.
HUGE NEWS incoming… 👀🔥
We’re super excited to announce that Olympic champion @keelyhodgkinson will be the official race starter for this year’s AJ Bell Great Manchester Run! 🏃♀️💥👏🐝 pic.twitter.com/aHHxeaMQ9p
Hyping up the news on social media, the Great Run company went on to add: “A true hometown hero, an Olympic champion, and now, kicking off Manchester’s best running party of the year – the BIGGEST in a decade! We’re proper BUZZZZZING! Let’s have it, Manchester!”
Safe to say they’re pretty ecstatic with the news, and so are we, as Keely Hodgkinson becomes the latest Team GB member to bring their pedigree to the event, following in the very fast footsteps of Sir Mo Farah, Kelly Holmes, Amir Khan and many more.
Although the 800m specialist is yet to comment on the announcement directly, the magic of getting to put the hard yards in front of a home crowd won’t be lost on her, and it goes without saying that she’ll get an unreal reception from the Manc spectators – of which there are expected to be more than 100,000.
Better yet, over 35,000 participants are set to take on the Great Manchester Run this year, therefore teeing potentially record-breaking crowds for the event.
2025 marks the 22nd edition of the event, and the atmosphere throughout the city centre, as well as out into East Manchester and Trafford, is always spectacular. There are still places left if you’re tempted…
Undoubtedly one of the very best athletes to ever come out of the underdog borough that is Wigan, whether you argue the case for old Lancashire or not, surely we can all be proud to call her a Greater Mancunian this spring, just as we did back in the summer?
Once again, it isn’t long before the annual race day kicks off as the Great Manchester Run arrives on Sunday, 18 May, with Keely Hodgkinson beckoning everyone towards their own hero moments.
There are still places left for both the 10k and half marathon distances, and now we’ve seen the medal design for this year, we might just have to sign up again ourselves.
You can find out more and decide for yourself HERE.
Danny Jones -
23rd September 2024 
