England Lioness opens pitch carrying her name in Milton Keynes

Leah Williamson at Newport Pagnell FC with the Football Foundation. Pic: Jed LeicesterLeah Williamson at Newport Pagnell FC with the Football Foundation. Pic: Jed Leicester
Leah Williamson at Newport Pagnell FC with the Football Foundation. Pic: Jed Leicester | Jed Leicester
The Lioness skipper returned to her roots to unveil the pitch named after her

Arsenal defender and Lionesses captain Leah Williamson returned to her hometown to celebrate The Leah Williamson Pitch at Newport Pagnell Town - one of the first half of sites to receive Lionesses Futures Fund grants.

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The £30m cash injection from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation was announced last year to recognise the trailblazing success of the Lionesses. The grants will help to provide women and girls across the country with gold standard facilities and experiences, with priority access for women and girls through reserved peak-time slots and welcoming changing rooms.

Leah Williamson at Newport Pagnell FC with the Football Foundation. Pic: Jed LeicesterLeah Williamson at Newport Pagnell FC with the Football Foundation. Pic: Jed Leicester
Leah Williamson at Newport Pagnell FC with the Football Foundation. Pic: Jed Leicester | Jed Leicester

Since the Lionesses lifted the EURO trophy in 2022, 68,000 more girls are playing football compared to before the tournament. However, too often, badly lit pitches, unsuitable changing facilities and late-night kick-off times put women and girls off taking to the pitch.

To celebrate the Lionesses roaring to victory at the 2022 UEFA EUROs and their achievement of making the final at FIFA World Cup 2023, £25m from the Government and £5m from The FA was committed to supporting the improvement of at least 30 facilities across the country.

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The Leah Williamson Pitch is just one of 15 sites across the country from Oldham to the New Forest and Suffolk to Somerset who have been awarded a Lionesses Futures Fund grant. By January 2025, further sites will be in place to provide every women and girl the facilities they need and deserve.

Williamson, who cut the ribbon at Willen Road on Monday, said: “It is such an honour to be here to see one of the first Lionesses Futures Fund pitches come to life. Something I know the squad is incredibly proud of. This pitch will provide the very best playing experience for local women and girls, ensuring they can play at decent times and on a state-of-the-art pitch. 

“To meet some of the players who will get the opportunity to lace up their boots to play on this great pitch has been magic! I feel so proud to be a Lioness and proud of the whole team for inspiring women and girls to play football.”

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