Becky Deeks’ Good for a Girl portrayed how women’s football grapples with massive issues through the prism of a simple dressing room at the fictional Queensgate AFC.
Touring across the Midlands from the 19th of February to the 8th of March, the play stars Saskia Davis (playing the young rising star Gabi), Elizabeth Hope (the captain – Kim), April Nerissa Hudson (the new addition to the club – Naomi), Gina Jamieson (new mum Courtney) and Molly Walker (Liv, who suffers an ACL).
The play encapsulated what every fan of the women’s game spends endless hours ranting about, which is exactly what the play had set out to achieve. In the words of Deeks herself:
“The play came from a place of anger, a need to challenge what was going on, not only in football but also in the wider world.”
Whilst Deeks started writing the play in 2019, the parallels of recent news headlines are a stark reminder of the dire need for stories like Good for a Girl showcasing the hostility of women in sports. Its debut coincided with the WTA Tournament in Dubai, where Emma Raducanu faced not just a stalker, forcing her to take legal measures for the second time in three years, but also a wave of misogynistic abuse and criticism of her performance, which was clearly affected as she was rattled by the incident.
The play followed a cyclical structure, opening and closing with the girls belting out ‘freed from desire, mind and senses purified’ at the top of their lungs. At the beginning, the song was used to celebrate hope for their FA Cup journey, symbolising the promise of a brighter future, and offering exposure and much-needed funding. As the team advanced to the final round of the Women’s FA Cup, giving an impressive performance and still seeing the shutting down of the women’s club, the repetition of the song carried at the end a bittersweet weight. However, the spirit of celebration persisted, not for what was lost, but for the sisterhood the players had gained and the shared determination to keep playing, no matter what.
But the play is more than just an FA Cup journey; its interconnected themes grow increasingly intense.
Act One introduces the players’ struggles as they juggle work, family, and training. Each woman’s journey is unique yet intertwined, painting a complex picture of their challenges. These issues feel even more severe when we recognise that Queensgate AFC’s management neglects the women’s team, repeatedly reminding the players that a portion of their pay is deducted to fund the resources they receive. This put extra pressure on the women’s team to perform and feel like burdens as ‘the subs were being paid with income brought from the men’s team’. Sound familiar? A real-life parallel emerged recently when Sir Jim Ratcliffe admitted his future planning for the Manchester United Women’s team was taking a backseat as ‘‘Out of our £650 million of income, £640 million comes from the men’s team, £10 million comes from the women’s team’, reflecting the harsh realities of football as it is increasingly seen as a commodity, taking the spark away from what it is football stands for.
The second act came as a curve ball but, unfortunately, not an unfamiliar story. We find out the manager of the women’s team was abusive and predatory through Courtney’s character, who had been hiding how she had conceived her child for over a year. Once again, Good for a Girl holds a mirror to reality, proving that the issues it explores are all too real. Time and time again, powerful men in positions of authority have exploited their status to take advantage of women in sports, often without consequence. The world saw this played out on the biggest stage during the Women’s World Cup final when Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed Jenni Hermoso. Despite global outrage, he refused to take accountability, dismissing the incident as ‘mutual’ while those in power failed to act decisively. His eventual resignation only came after relentless pressure, highlighting the exhausting battle women must fight just to be heard. Good for a Girl underscores the urgent need for institutions to prioritise women’s safety and respect, not just in football but across all industries.
Beyond its major themes, the play also exposes institutional failings, from the lack of sanitary bins in the club toilets to the gender pay gap, financial disparities and inadequate medical research into the female anatomy, particularly regarding ACL injuries and the menstrual cycle’s impact.
The play delivers a powerful representation of the changes needed in the women’s game, offering a striking visual portrayal of the realities of women’s football while advocating for institutional and structural reform. Designed to be accessible to all, whether policymakers, football industry professionals, passionate fans, or even those less familiar with the sport, it drives home a compelling message that anyone has the power to make a difference.
