Paris Saint Germain FC goalkeeper, Mary Earps, has opened a new pitch in her home\u00a0county\u00a0of Nottinghamshire,\u00a0in honour of\u00a0the part she played in the Lionesses lifting the\u00a02022\u00a0UEFA Women\u2019s EUROs\u00a0trophy\u00a0and reaching the 2023\u00a0FIFA Women\u2019s World Cup Final.<\/p>\n
Thanks to a \u00a3660k grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government\u2019s Football Foundation,\u00a0The Mary Earps Pitch\u00a0<\/em>will provide a safe,\u00a0welcoming\u00a0and\u00a0high\u00a0quality\u00a0place to play for the local community in Calverton.<\/p>\n Inspired by the Lionesses triumphant successes, the number of girls\u00a0participating\u00a0in football has more than doubled from 1.2 million in the 2020\/21 season to 2.7 million in 2024\/25.<\/p>\n This pitch\u00a0is one of 35 set to open across the country thanks to\u00a0the\u00a0Lionesses Futures Fund<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 a \u00a330 million cash injection from the Government and The FA to deliver\u00a0state-of-the-art\u00a03G pitches. Like all Lionesses Futures Fund sites, the new pitch at Calverton Miners Welfare FC will\u00a0prioritise\u00a0access for women and girls\u00a0through\u00a0reserved peak-time slots, women and girls-only evenings and priority booking.<\/p>\n Calverton Miners were chosen as the home for this project\u00a0because of\u00a0their excellent\u00a0track record\u00a0at\u00a0providing\u00a0opportunities for women and girls to play, which has earned them\u00a0the\u00a0County Charter Standard Community Club Award\u00a0four times. This project adds to the \u00a3572k the Club has\u00a0previously received\u00a0from the Football Foundation\u00a0over the last 25 years.\u00a0This investment\u00a0delivered\u00a0changing rooms,\u00a0grass pitches\u00a0and goalposts\u00a0that are still used\u00a0alongside\u00a0The Mary Earps Pitch<\/em>\u00a0by the Club\u2019s 25 grassroots teams.<\/p>\n To honour the Lionesses\u2019 legacy and inspire the next generation, the Foundation is naming new facilities like the ones at Calverton Miners after\u00a0each of the Lionesses\u00a0from\u00a0the past three international tournaments, including the second EUROs victory earlier this year.<\/p>\n Mary Earps said:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0an honour\u00a0to have a pitch named after me\u00a0right here in my\u00a0hometown.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was growing up, girls\u00a0where I lived\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0really play football. I would train with my brother\u2019s team,\u00a0but I\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0allowed to play for them in matches.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNow, thanks to this pitch,\u00a0and funding from the Premier League, The FA and Government\u2019s Football Foundation,\u00a0the next generation of\u00a0women and girls\u00a0in this area will have an entirely different experience\u00a0\u2013\u00a0one where they feel welcome and encouraged to\u00a0play football and fall in love with the game\u00a0just\u00a0like I did.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0huge amount of progress which\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0so proud to be a part of.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n John Paul Considine,\u00a0Director at the Football Foundation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe Lionesses have been an inspiration to thousands of women and girls across the country, both on and off the pitch.\u00a0But without\u00a0a great place\u00a0to play, the\u00a0growth\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0seen in demand for the game\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0be translated\u00a0into a meaningful growth in\u00a0women and girls being able to play.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe\u00a0Mary Earps Pitch\u00a0not only honours a\u00a0fantastic\u00a0player, but\u00a0provides\u00a0a\u00a0safe\u00a0and welcoming\u00a0facility\u00a0for women and girls to play, whether\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0lacing up their boots for the first time or playing week in, week out.<\/em><\/p>\n