Barnsley Football Club is proud to announce that our upcoming home match against Blackpool FC on Saturday 8 March, will be dedicated to celebrating International Women's Day. In partnership with the 'Her Game Too' campaign, this fixture aims to promote inclusivity and highlight the vital role women play in football. The Reds welcome Blackpool to Oakwell on Saturday, kicking off at 3pm in Sky Bet League One. 'Her Game Too' is a nationwide initiative dedicated to tackling sexism in football and ensuring a welcoming environment for all fans, regardless of gender. Barnsley FC has been an active supporter of this movement, with fans and club representatives sharing their experiences and advocating for positive change. Research conducted by Kick it Out found that 52% of women had experienced sexist behaviour in a football setting, and 85% of women who had experienced or witnessed sexism did not report it because they didn’t think it would be taken seriously. In advance of International Women’s Day this Saturday, we want to raise further awareness. Her Game Too are heading into their fourth year of establishment after being created by a group of female fans who were like-minded, wanting to tackle sexism and misogyny in the world of football. Her Game Too are rapidly expanding with football clubs both professional and grassroots choosing to strike up a partnership and showing their support for women and girls. Her Game Too have had many successes over these years including the expansion to other sports including rugby and cricket. Her Game Too has a very strong team of over 100+ like-minded people who want to see a change in the way women and girls are treated in male dominated sports. "I have been the Her Game Too ambassador for Barnsley FC for almost three years now," said Lucy Thorpe. "My role has been relatively straightforward. We are lucky at Barnsley that we do not encounter too many difficulties in terms of sexism and misogyny although this does not mean that it does not exist in our club. An ambassador typically liaises with the club where required, and ensures that communication is smooth, and where a report does come in to us, it is dealt with through HGT and other relevant authorities. "HGT dedicated fixtures are arranged each season, ensuring that the message of what we are about are put into the spotlight. An Ambassador will support their club in ensuring the dedicated fixture is carried out; support is provided with the planning of events to occur on game day. We meet regularly with team directors/leaders to share our successes, and to find solutions to any difficulties we encounter, but we all liaise with each other on a mostly daily basis, supporting each other where the need arises; there is always someone who can offer support! You will find that most clubs will have some visibility of HGT and this is thanks to the ambassadors that work hard in the background; a lot of ambassador’s work is background work! You might not always see it, but we are always working hard behind the scenes. “Her Game Too is super important to me. I feel so lucky and privileged to be a small part of a large team of people who all have the same aim. It isn’t always easy, and I have faced many challenges in my time as ambassador. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for myself as ambassador, for our HGT Barnsley FC partnership and for us as a campaign at Her Game Too. Together, we are stronger.” At Barnsley FC we strive to ensure that everyone who attends our matches or events has a positive experience free from the worry of being targeted by abuse or intimidation. We operate a zero-tolerance approach to all discriminatory and abusive behaviour based on race, ethnicity, heritage, gender, age, disability, health condition, neurodiversity, religion, sexuality, or self-expression. On a home matchday at Oakwell Stadium, you can report ANY incidents or concerns to a steward or use the Kick It Out app. Alternatively, you can report any incidents or concerns directly to Barnsley FC's Match Control. You must start your text with ALERT, then your message and send to 60777. Please include as much information as possible, including the Stand, Row, seat number and names of where the incident or your concern occurred. We ask fans to join us in creating a positive environment and atmosphere at Oakwell on matchday. Continue reading...