Rebekah Grassby has played football since the age of 9, and through her youth teams was lucky to attend several women’s games in the mid-2000s, a time which Rebekah says seems so distant compared to how developed the game is today.
As a fan, Rebekah has been carried along with the progress of the women’s game and now considers herself equally a fan of women’s football as the men’s game. The World Cup in 2015 was a major turning point; Rebekah feels she used to have a passing interest in the game but partly due to greater investment and better coverage, and the success of the England women’s team, she is now a dedicated fan and advocate for the women’s game.
Rebekah has been to matches all around the UK and travelled to the Netherlands for the Women’s Euros in 2017. She has a large collection of tickets and souvenirs!
In 2017, Rebekah was club captain for Sheffield Medics Women’s FC. The club took two full teams to compete at their annual 11-a side tournament against other medical school teams. The squad referred to this as the “Two Team Dream”, something which they have continued to uphold.
Now 28, Rebekah continues to play – for Football For Foodbanks, a football-based charity in Sheffield – and coaches at amateur level. She also writes a blog about Chelsea FC Women, and helps to moderate an online forum on Reddit about the club.
If you’d like to learn more about Rebekah’s passion and involvement in football:
Football For Foodbanks: Website & Sheffield Facebook Group
Rebekah’s Chelsea Blog: The Kingsmeadow Chronicles
Sheffield Medics Football Club: Facebook @SheffieldMedicsFC
In this Oral History recording produced in the run up to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, Rebekah Grassby shares her footballing story, and joy that girls of today can fulfill their footballing dreams.
Rebekah celebrates how times have changed, and how the increasing visibility and coverage of Women’s football means young girls can finally dream of a life in football, and follow inspirational players in the women’s game, in a way that didn’t exist 20 years ago.
Rebekah shares her love for the sport and how a move to Sheffield as a student saw her return to the pitch with the Sheffield Medics Football Club, and more recently with Football for Foodbanks, both of which have inclusivity at their heart and believe “Anyone Can Play.”
Rebekah looks forward to this summer’s tournament and celebrates the historic significance and positive decision to make the footballing home of Sheffield a host city
