Bolton Wanderers are pleased to announce this weekend’s Family Day fixture against Charlton Athletic will also be a celebration of the Her Game Too campaign.
Her Game Too is a female fan-led movement that aims to foster an ethos of respect and inclusivity for women across the game.
Wanderers, with the support of the Bolton Wanderers Supporters’ Trust, were proud to officially partner with Her Game Too in March of this year. And, working closely with Her Game Too Club Ambassador Emily Parker, hopes this weekend's initiative will bolster that relationship and further support the aims of the campaign.
Since its launch in May 2021, Her Game Too has enjoyed widespread, nationwide support. A growing list of EFL and Premier League clubs have now pledged to ensure women and girls of all ages feel confident and safe sharing their opinion about football both online and in everyday life, without fear of sexist abuse.
A recent survey of 400 female football fans, carried out by the Her Game Too team, discovered that 92.3% had seen sexist abuse online and 62.8% had actually experienced sexist abuse online – a stark indication of why the Her Game Too campaign is necessary and important.
Her Game Too Club Ambassador Emily will be at Saturday's game, along with the club’s Her Game Too Advocates; Angela Abbott, Abbie Morton, Rachel Ryder, Emily Cronshaw and Kelly Thorpe.
As well as the Her Game Too team, almost 200 girls from Bolton Wanderers in the Community’s football Development Centres have been invited to the fixture and Bolton Wanderers Girls & Women FC players will take to the pitch at half time.
In addition, Wanderers players will warm up in Her Game Too t-shirts, all Saturday’s mascots will be female and you’ll see the Her Game Too logo in and around the stadium.
Sharon Brittan, Chairman of Bolton Wanderers said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating the fantastic work of Her Game Too at this Saturday’s fixture. This is an important campaign and we are pleased to play our part in amplifying the visibility and voices of our own female fans.
“Though there is still some way to go, the game has made great strides towards equality in recent years and it’s fantastic to see more and more women now playing key roles across the footballing world. At our own club, women are at the very centre of our operations and that’s something I am personally very proud of.
“I hope every female fan who attends the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday enjoys the game, safe in the knowledge that they are a valued and intrinsic part of our football club.”
Emily Parker, Her Game Too Ambassador for Bolton Wanderers said: "I am so excited that Bolton Wanderers are partnered with HerGameToo, and I am thrilled that they are holding a dedicated fixture to show their continued support in ensuring our club is inclusive.
"I hope this initiative helps women feel comfortable coming and supporting Bolton, in a friendly environment. Bolton Wanderers is already a fantastic football club to support, where I feel welcomed, and this initiative helps ensure all women feel comfortable supporting Bolton and attending games in a friendly environment."
We want everyone to feel welcome at Bolton Wanderers, so should you ever be subject to or witness any incidents of sexism, please report this directly to the ‘One Wanderers’ reporting system via text or WhatsApp on 07542 850902.
You can also contact the Her Game Too team if you are interested in becoming a part of the ever-growing team via email on info@hergametoo.co.uk, on Twitter @BWFC_HerGameToo or on Instagram @BWFC_HerGameToo.
Club Ambassador Emily Parker can be found @emp_21x on Twitter.