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.
Erling Haaland sets another Premier League record with new Manchester City contract
Danny Jones
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has signed a new long-term contract with the English champions and set another Premier League record in the process.
Haaland only joined City back in 2022 on a lucrative five-year deal and it took no time at all for him to hit the ground running and become a Golden Boot winner in his debut season and smash numerous records in the process, but the club are clearly looking to lock down the generational forward even further.
The prolific Scandinavian striker has already scored 111 goals in 125 games for the Blues, so it’s just common sense to tie him down for as long as they possibly can – and when we say long…
Putting pen to paper on a new nine-and-a-half-year deal revealed on Friday, 17 January, Haaland has now committed to his future at the Etihad until 2034, which is a record for the lengthiest contract in Premier League history.
Man City may have rounded up to 10 in their official announcement but either way, a seven-year extension on an existing contract which is unquestionably already one of if not the highest-paying in the division is quite the statement from both parties.
Haaland’s new terms see him surpass former City youth product Cole Palmer, whose switch to Chelsea on a nine-year deal was already groundbreaking for the league, having signed more than half a dozen players on contracts spanning seven years in 2023.
The big Norwegian number nine – who became a boyhood Blue during his dad’s playing days at the club – is set to earn a basic wage of approximately £500,000 a week, which is thought to make him the new highest earner after teammate Kevin De Bruyne (£400k).
This means that not only is the 24-year-old forward tacking on another seven years but also a further £125kpw reported figures are accurate.
City also shared multiple videos celebrating the news and the often humourous Haaland has certainly relished the pageantry of it all:
Reflecting on his new deal, Haaland said in an official statement: “I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great Club.
“Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.
“I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what.
“I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, who is set to leave at the end of this season, added: “Everyone at the Club is absolutely delighted that Erling has signed his new contract. The fact he signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player and his love of this club.
“He has made an incredible impact already in his time here and his amazing numbers and records speak for themselves. But in addition to his outstanding natural talent and ability, Erling’s dedication, professionalism, humility and desire to keep getting better sum up what we all strive to achieve at Manchester City.
“He is one of the finest strikers in world football, but Erling is still very young and will only continue to improve working under Pep and his coaching team. If he works hard, which I know he will, he will create an incredible legacy at this football club.”
Featured Images — Manchester City/Jacek Stanislawek (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Trafford FC appoint sports editor and journalist Andy Mitten as new honorary vice president
Danny Jones
Local non-league side Trafford FC have named revered Manchester author, editor and sports journalist Andy Mitten as their new vice president.
Founder of and chief editor of the long-standing fanzine, United We Stand (UWS), editor-at-large for FourFourTwo and a regular contributor in the likes of The Athletic and The National, he’s one of the foremost football writers in the country.
Best known for his coverage of Manchester United, having followed them all around the world from a young age and written about them in UWS since 1989 – one of if not the biggest fanzine of its kind in the country – he has been a regular face at Trafford FC for several seasons.
As a result of his continued support and advice over the years, club officials have decided to appoint Mitten as the new honorary VP.
I’ve been a regular at non-league matches since watching dad from the age of four. It’s important to support clubs like @FCTrafford who are at the heart of their communities and run by volunteers. Delighted to accept this…and will be pushing to triple ticket prices forthwith. https://t.co/5zSNmBDgQO
Although the position is an honorary one, his decades of experience as a match-goer, knowledge of the football industry at large and media pedigree will no doubt make him a valuable member of the team, providing key insight into how best to run a club from a fan perspective, most crucially.
Making an official announcement on the club site, a short statement on behalf of the board reads: “Trafford Football Club is delighted to announce that Andy Mitten has accepted an offer to become honorary vice-president of the club.
“Journalist and author Andy is often seen at our Shawe View Stadium whenever he is in Manchester, and in recent seasons has taken in a few away games too.
“He has been a great source of advice, ideas, and support for the club for several years now, and being from the locality, Andy wants to help Trafford FC grow in its community in the north of the Borough of Trafford. I’m sure everyone will wish Andy all the best as he takes on his latest role!”
As you can see, resharing to the official announcement on social media, the 51-year-old responded in typically dry wit with a quip regarding ticket prices – a subject he’s been decried very vocally following the recent concession saga at Old Trafford.
Safe to say ticket prices are considerably higher at Man United this season…
Based over in Flixton, Trafford FC has only been going since 1990, when they were originally known as North Trafford, being set up by fellow locals David Brown, John Harrison, David Law, and Bill Whitten.
Cut to 2025 and the Northern Premier League side has seen significant investment and development, with the stands being updated, a new perimeter wall, proper floodlighting and more facilities being installed/improved.
Director Dave Law, who was one of the founding members, is still helping out at the age of 72, selling golden goal tickets on matchdays, writing match reports and plastering posters around the local area, which has seen the club’s following steadily grow over time.
Trafford FC’s next fixtures are in the West Divison against Witton Albion at 3pm on Saturday, 18 January before they take on Avro FC the following Wednesday (22 Jan).
Danny Jones -
23rd September 2024 
