Ahead of her Ballers’ Banquet viewing party, we spoke to the former England midfielder about changes in football
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY DAILY PAPER (PROVIDED) / JUST EAT
Football fever has officially begun. Around the world, millions of people are watching as some of the best women’s football teams battle it out to take home the ultimate trophy. Taking place across Switzerland, the UEFA Women’s EURO has already captivated our hearts, minds and televisions. The question on everyone’s lips: is it coming home?
One person who’s certainly not missing any of this year’s matches is Fara Williams, aka England’s highest-capped player ever. This Sunday (13 July), Fara will be hosting the Ballers’ Banquet in Soho with Just Eat to watch the England v Wales game. With exclusive football-themed cocktails and pizza from Franco Manca, fans can watch the game with one of England’s best players.
It’s hard to put into words how incredible Fara’s career has been. Signing for Everton in 2004, Fara earned 172 caps for the England women’s team across her career. The midfielder made waves in women’s football, both for her skill and openness about her personal life. Candidly discussing her experiences of being homeless, Fara became an inspiration to many.
As we start our call, we quickly begin talking about the Euro matches that have taken over our screens. “It was a slow start but now the tournaments started to come alive,” she tells me. Back when Fara used to don the Lioness kit, she tells me that her teammates would call her a “granny” because she could always be found with a cup of tea before a big match. She recalls the 2005 Euros which were hosted in the UK. When she saw the crowd of 30,000 people she froze. “It was a bit daunting. I was gobsmacked by the number of people who came out to support us,” she admits. “I eventually found a way of using the energy of the crowd in my performance.”
It’s no secret that the Lionesses’ Euro win in 2022 has catapulted women’s football into the spotlight. For the Women’s World Cup final in 2023, 12 million people tuned into the BBC to catch a glimpse of Spain and England play. But two decades ago, when Fara first started playing, things were different.
“The biggest thing that’s changed is the visibility of the game,” Fara tells me. “There’s more broadcasting. More brand partners. Investment has more visibility. There have been some great changes, but there are difficult changes too like football becoming very expensive to take part in. When I was growing up, football was a working-class sport. I think it’s great what brands like Just Eat are doing to help fund grassroots teams.”
As part of the Ballers’ Banquet this weekend, Just Eat has pledged to donate the event ticket sales and £25,000 to its Feed the Game fund which will help provide teams with much-needed kit and equipment. Just Eat’s Feed the Game fund provides training equipment for over 950 grassroots girls’ and women’s teams
For Fara, this is vital for getting more young girls into the game. These grassroots teams have often become places for LGBTQIA+ players to be their authentic selves. “My entry into football was very open. The LGBTQIA+ community has always felt safe and accepted within the women’s game,” Fara says. “When I first came into the game, lots of people hid themselves and only spoke about those things with their team.”
While Fara has been open about being LGBTQIA+, she tells me that she did have reservations about being out in her early years. “I grew up on an estate in London. It wasn’t something that was accepted. I hid it then.”
Fara cites her upbringing as one of the most important drivers in her career. She tells me about how she used to kick a ball around the football cages near her estate, having no idea where those skills could take her. It gives me goosebumps for her to describe her younger self playing with the boys, thinking she was the only girl who played football, and then going on to represent England in front of tens of thousands of people.
In her career, Fara has been open about the obstacles she has faced. One that has resonated with many is her experience of homelessness at the start of her career. Opening up about that time has inspired many, and challenged people’s perception of what being homeless looks like. “It helped me be open-minded,” she says when I ask how it shaped her as a player. “We all have a perception of what homelessness looks like. We have a perception about whether women should play football. Having those experiences taught me to see things in a different way. In sport you need resilience, in life you need resilience.”
What advice would Fara give to LGBTQIA+ athletes trying to make it? “It’s important not to lose who you are in any environment. Own your identity, and don’t shy away from it.”
You can get your ticket to the Ballers’ Banquet on 13 July here.
Teams can apply for funding for their clubs from Sunday 13 July at justeat-101.co.uk
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