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Her Game too have today announced the newest member of its family, with Holly Aitkenhead becoming the new Swindon Town Ambassador.
From growing back into the game by taking her little boy along to the County Ground, to her first ever away game being a highlight, Holly also wants Her Game Too’s Dedicated Fixtures to become a sight in SN1.
Heading all the way back to her first footballing memory, Holly speaks on how she felt when she first saw the pitch for the very first time, to then playing on it in a tournament!
“My favourite memory comes from a feeling I experience at most games, the feeling you get when you walk up the steps from the concourse and then step out to see the pitch on a match day is a feeling like no other! From a long time ago, I can remember playing a school tournament at the County Ground and the most amazing feeling to play on Swindon’s pitch!
“More recently being in the Junior Reds room enjoying the entertainment, listening to lots of the supporters’ podcasts and understanding more about the amazing history of the club."
At the age of 16, Holly admits that sadly, she fell away from the game she loved and has grown up being able to see on the tele, but is able to tell us of her reason for starting to head to Swindon games again!
“Football has always been a way of life in my family, I played when I was younger and have grown up with it being on the TV all the time. I loved playing at school but fell away from the game at the age of 16, I play netball now and love it, but looking back I think if there had been the opportunities there are today, I may well have carried on!
“So, I came back to football and to supporting Swindon recently, I wanted to take my little boy to his first game, so thought the best place was the local team! And from then on I fell in love with the atmosphere and the people in the stands, the community feel I experienced was so warm I wanted to come back every week…and haven’t been able to stay away since!
‘Football for me has become so much more than I ever imagined it could be. Swindon has a rich history and a huge sense of community and that’s why I love spending my Saturday afternoons at the County Ground."
Everyone has that one highlight from following their club up and down the country, whether it’s a derby win, seeing your team be promoted or survive being relegated, for Holly, she talks us through her first away game as her highlight.
“My highlight is my first away game!! Mansfield away, I’d been up North visiting family and bought my tickets as a bit of a last minute spontaneous idea! I had no idea where I was going or what to expect, having never been to an away game! But with some help and advice from the twitter community I made it. And to top it off, we won 5-2!”
As with many of our team here at Her Game Too, Holly shares the ambitions and the wishes of making football the safest, most inclusive place that she can , she reaffirms this by speaking about an event she attended at the club, which highiighted discrimi8nation and promoted her, to want to make a difference.
“I think it’s a great time for women and football, and feel passionate that Swindon is an inclusive club, there’s always more to do though, and I would really like to be a part of the change. Recently I attended an event at the club that highlighted discrimination in football and I felt I wanted to make a difference and feel empowered to be able to promote inclusivity in the game.
"I also want to make it easier for women and families to enjoy both local and national football, you learn from experience going to games but I want to support those who are new or nervous about visiting, and generally make the experience easier for people."
Her Game Too’s Dedicated Fixtures are becoming more and more prominent in the footballing calendar, with Holly making it one of her primary goals, to get one of these up and running at Swindon Town.
“Working with the club to increase the Her Game Too partnership and make it feel known at the club and supporting organisations, to get a dedicated fixture organised for both the men’s and women’s team for this season is my first priority!”
Swindon Town have echoed Holly's excitement, stating "Swindon Town are pleased to announce Holly Aitkenhead has been named as the Club’s new official Her Game Too Ambassador.This exciting appointment aims to promote inclusivity and support for female fans within the football community. Her Game Too is a campaign dedicated to addressing sexism in football and creating a welcoming environment for women in the sport. As an Ambassador, Holly will work closely with Swindon Town FC to raise awareness of these important issues and foster a culture of respect and equality among fans.
Holly will support the ongoing efforts of improving the match day experience and inclusivity around The Nigel Eady County Ground on match day whilst playing a part in the growing emphasis of Swindon Town Women and Swindon Town Women Development too."
Finally, Holly touches on how she sees the next five years unfolding with Her Game Too, with increasing support, and ultimately, letting people know that the campaign is there for them.
“The next 5 years are a really exciting opportunity, the presence is ever growing and I think having all clubs partnered would be a great outcome and increasing the growing international presence. But increasing the valuable existing support and letting people know there is a huge amount of support for women already would be great for more and more people to know about. And increasing the positive impact the campaign is having in grassroots football.”