This Fan Girl set up the first Leicester based women’s grassroots team Vicky Park Queens after lockdown restrictions were lifted in April. With the help of Kitlocker, they’re releasing their first kit this week with a percentage of profits reinvested in growing the women’s football space in Leicester.

During the pandemic, near constant restrictions were imposed on Leicester as the city was locked down for longer than any other in the country. After 12 months of being indoors, This Fan Girl founder Amy Drucquer wanted to set up some casual kickabouts where women could go back to football basics. Having never played football before, she knew there was a knowledge and experience gap that could put people off, so the sessions were aimed at beginners.

From 9 women attending the first session in April, the club now has 40 women who play during the twice weekly sessions with new faces joining the Queens every week. Open to women and non binary people over the age of 18, players come from as far as Birmingham to join the sessions. The club has also partnered with Leicester based St Martins Coffee Roasters who have supported by paying subs for players who may not otherwise be able to afford, and with city centre gym East St Fitness to provide subsidised workouts to VPQ players.

Made possible by Kitlocker, the shirt features Vicky Park Queens logo created by local artist Olivia Domingos and Queens text across the front. “Women’s grassroots football in Leicester is still so new and hard to find, so we wanted the kit to be as loud and bright as possible, so you can’t miss it anymore”. The shirt is available in two colours, turquoise + vibrant orange and profits will go back to VPQ to pay for coaching qualifications for Leicester based players, putting on additional sessions for the wider community and supporting the wider growth of women's football in Leicester.

“I was searching for a long time for opportunities to play football as a beginner in Leicester, and nothing for my experience level existed. Whilst the grassroots scene in London is thriving, the growth of women’s grassroots around the UK has been moving more slowly. I searched on the FA Just Play site, the closest place for me to have played would have been 22 miles away in Derby, which just wasn’t realistic. So, I thought it might be easier to set something up instead. We’ve been blown away by the interest and the numbers of women who’ve come to our sessions. It just proves that appetite is there to play, it just needs to be accessible.

The next year for women’s football is so exciting. We have the Euro’s just around the corner and we have no doubt more women in Leicester will start looking for opportunities to play recreationally, and that’s what we’re here for. This Fan Girl has been passionate about creating opportunities outside of London since our inception and this is just the beginning!”

– Amy, This Fan Girl founder and VPQ manager

“We’re always excited to hear from like minded individuals making grassroots sport more accessible. It’s something that should be available to all, and what Amy has done locally will hopefully signal a shift in mindset nationally. If there isn’t a women’s and non-binary team in your area, set one up, there’ll probably be more interest than you think! Moreover, we LOVE making shirts, especially when they’re as beautiful as this. We can’t wait for the wider public to be able to get their own, because ultimately you’ll be helping the sustainability of one fantastic club.”

– Oli, Marketing Manager at Kitlocker

The shirt is available to buy via Kitlocker here and will retail at £29.95 with a proportion of the profits shared with VPQ. VPQ will also be playing their first game in kit on Tuesday 16th November - contact the club directly on vickyparkqueens@gmail.com if you’d like to come and watch our first game.