Camp Hellcats started in 2021 during the Covid19-Pandemic with both women and non binary players participating in five a side matches. The Local team based in Glasgow’s South Side has given women and non binary people the right to play the game.

Now in 2023, Camp Hellcat’s popularity has continued to grow with more than 50 members participating in matches and tournaments on and off twice a week.

Karla Hardy, Megan Thomas and Heather Wilson have been increasingly more involved in organising and running the day to day operations of the club including their social media channel on Instagram – https://instagram.com/camphellcatsfc?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

HellCats Left winger- Megan Thomas has been part of the team since the very beginning and remembers how the club’s journey began during the Covid-19 pandemic:

” I got added to a group chat just called ‘football’ and it was just a kick about organised up here and it was very much still non-contact. It was just to get out and have a run about. Heather had seen a tournament on social media and decided we should enter and off the back of that we needed a name. So we came up with the name CampHill, which is near where we play.”

Megan added that the recent success of the women’s world cup and Women’s English national team has helped raise the bar and popularity in women’s football as teams are becoming more and more competitive:

” Its something that we drive and we’re a non-binary football team. I think watching externally we have to mention the Lionesses and the success that they have had. The scoreline is changing in Women’s football. It used to be you’d watch a game and the scoreline would be 13-0. There was huge margins between these teams and I think the world cup recently has shown that there is investment there, not as much as there needs to be like Jamaica as an example. But I think we’re starting to see that other countries are starting to take it seriously.”

FIFA released a report in 2023 called the ‘ The Women’s Football: Member Associations Survey Report 2023’ showing the number of women and girls playing organised football has risen up to 16.6million ( 2019-2023) The full report is available on- https://www.fifa.com/womens-football/news/fifa-releases-global-womens-football-landscape-survey-report

Hellcats defender-Karla Hardy has been part of the team for a few years and has seen people’s attitudes change in a positive way towards women playing the football as the games popularity has risen over the last few years.

” We’ve been to training before and have had men who’ve been out playing football and they’ll see us and ask if we’ve got a kids team for their daughters to join. I think more teams like this popping up, the more people it will involve.When I was a kid, I didn’t think that Lassie played football and thats why I hadn’t played it before.”

Megan Thomas added that the game of football is ‘changing’ for the better as women’s football across the globe has received more recognition and is proud that football in Scotland is now receiving more backing and support at especially at club level:

” The SFA historically haven’t been behind in supporting women but they have been in touch with us on a personal level and they’ve tried to get us along at Scottish Women’s games to create that support that’s been missing. So they have been trying to make up for that. I hope in Scotland we see what the other countries success are having and we’re starting to see it as its becoming far more accepted. In terms of guys watching us and we’re not feeling pressured. So the world is changing and is becoming so welcoming to the idea that football is for everyone.”