2027 World Cup bidding: Dutch grassroots women’s club says inclusivity is key to growing the game

Insideworldfootball talks exclusively to Annabel van Meeteren, President of SVO VV Pinkenberg to gather her thoughts on the BNG2027 bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 and the positive impact a successful bid could have for the women’s amateur game across The Netherlands.

Q. Please tell us about your club. Where you are from, the club’s history and how it was first established and how women’s football is managed and has become a part of your club

van Meeteren: Our club is called VV Pinkenberg. We are located in the Netherlands, at the top of a small hill in the middle of the Veluwe, which is a beautiful national park. Three clubs are located on that same hill.

For many years these clubs struggled to retain their female players. Especially at a certain age, it was difficult to form teams and provide all the players with what they needed and deserved. So that’s how and why we started VV Pinkenberg. We combined the women’s sections of the three clubs and created a new stand alone women’s club. We are proof that collaboration between different clubs and joining forces can lead to beautiful outcomes.

This has been our first year as our own girls and women’s club and it has been a wonderful one. Of course, we are still finding our way, but we never initially thought it would be this successful. Especially, because as a cooperative, there was an element of risk to work together. But it is amazing to see that we are an example that working together and joining forces can have a positive effect.

The most rewarding feeling is that we can give female players what they truly deserve. We have many teams across different age groups. It does not matter whether our girls play football for fun or are performance and results oriented. We have a place for everyone to grow, develop and above all, have fun! That’s a huge difference between now and the past.

Q. Clubs like yours which sit at the base of the football pyramid are a critical foundation…


Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/05/01/2027-world-cup-bidding-dutch-grassroots-womens-club-says-inclusivity-key-growing-game/

Author : Paul Nicholson

Publish date : 2024-05-01 18:12:50

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