When I was growing up, my dad tried (and failed) to persuade me to go to a Chelsea men’s game with him at Stamford Bridge. No matter how many times he tried to bribe me with promises of half-time chips and sing-alongs with fellow supporters, I had already internalised the idea that football belonged to men and I was doubtful that a football match was a place I would enjoy spending my time.

But flash forward 20 years and I’m no longer being asked to come along to the football – I’m the one doing the asking. Nowadays, you’ll regularly find me rocking up to a stadium for a Saturday afternoon kick-off. 

But it wasn’t the Chelsea men’s team that finally did it for me (sorry, dad). Instead, it was Arsenal women and the sense of community and joy that I got from being a women’s football fan.

This shift didn’t happen overnight. I’ve followed women’s football on and off for around five years, but it wasn’t until the Lionesses won the Euros back in 2022 that I, like many others, became completely hooked. Suddenly, I found myself searching for Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) matches to watch at the weekend and talking to whoever would listen about the state of the title race or my Fantasy WSL line-up. 

At first, I had no club affiliation, but there was something about the mutual respect and admiration between the Arsenal players and fans that made the club unique – and I instantly wanted to be a part of it. Before long, my social media feeds were full of Arsenal fans discussing the latest games and transfer rumours, and the more time I invested in the league, the more I felt a part of the community.

The main reason I love attending BWSL games is because of the talent on display on the pitch, but the atmosphere has to be a close second. If you asked me to draw a ‘women’s football fan’, the crowd at these games would make that task impossible: on your average BWSL game day, you’ll see people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, sexualities and backgrounds coming together to support their team. 

The sense of excitement and sheer fun that radiates from the crowds is something you have to witness to appreciate, so I love nothing more than taking my football novice friends to their first game. So, when my friend Shahed said she’d be keen to join me at the recent North London Derby, I was more than a little excited.  

Once we were done, we began our walk down St Thomas’s Road, where we found ourselves in a sea of fans heading towards the stadium. The atmosphere was already electric, with vendors lining the streets selling hot dogs and unofficial merch. But it was when we made it to the Emirates that the excitement became palpable. We took a quick detour to take a look at the Leah Williamson mural under the Northbanksy tunnel on Hornsey Road before heading to Armoury Square, where we watched a brass band amping up the crowd. By this point, Shahed had already been won over by the Arsenal way of life (my work here was done) and we headed into The Armoury to buy her a scarf before the match got underway.

When I went to my first match, I remember being really daunted by the idea of not fitting in. My wardrobe – full of long, floaty dresses and floral prints – felt out of place at a football ground. I also worried that my inability to understand the offside rule (which I’ve now finally managed to wrap my head around) would make me vulnerable to judgement – as if the confusion on my face would be so obvious that I’d be expelled from the stadium by a horde of angry supporters. These fears were (obviously) unfounded and, as Shahed found, these matches are probably one of the most uplifting and welcoming places you can spend a Sunday afternoon.

The people we were surrounded by as we took our seats were a prime example of this. To our left were a couple taking their toddler to her first match, while to our right were a group of friends chatting about which pub they wanted to go to afterwards. Everyone was enjoying the game in their own way. This sense of joy and camaraderie only grew as the game began and Arsenal made it 2-0 before half-time. It was at this point that I got the chance to introduce Shahed to the joy of a steaming cup of tea on a cold match day. Utter bliss.

The second half passed in a blur, with Arsenal netting three more goals (including an absolute banger from Emily Fox) to win the match 5-0. We even got to witness Chloe Kelly returning to the pitch as an Arsenal player and when the game ended, we stayed and watched as the players did a lap of the pitch, clapping and singing along to Freed From Desire. And once all the excitement was over, so we headed straight to The Tollington Arms for a post-match pint and debrief. 

Shahed’s verdict? She’s hooked. “I thought it was such a brilliant and warm atmosphere,” she tells me. “I got so into the vibes, chants and enthusiasm – I loved it and would 100% go again.”

If you’ve been thinking about going along to your first BWSL match, consider this an encouraging nudge to book your tickets. The football is incredible to watch (I still can’t wrap my head around just how powerful these women are), and with plenty of fixtures still to come this season, there’s no saying how much drama is yet to come. 

There are also plenty of standout players set to make their return from injury – including Chelsea star Sam Kerr and Arsenal midfielder Victoria Pelova – so the stakes on the pitch are only getting higher. 

And that’s not forgetting the fact that going to a match involves so much more than watching 90+ minutes of football. It’s also a chance to spend time with friends and family, enjoy a day out unplugged from your phone and experience the release of screaming at the top of your lungs when your team scores.

On the weekend of 22-23 March, there’s a slew of great fixtures coming up – so now’s the time to act. In London, Arsenal will be hosting Liverpool at the Emirates, while further north, Manchester City will be playing at home against league leaders Chelsea. Everton will also be hosting Crystal Palace – a game which could make or break the latter team’s fight to avoid relegation.

But no matter what match you pick, you’re bound to have a good time – the key is taking the plunge and actually going along. As I said before, the joy of a BWSL game day is something you need to witness to appreciate. Once you’re there, you’ll be hooked. 

To find out more about the BWSL and check out the upcoming fixtures, head to the league website here.