National shortage of female football coaches threatens the next generation of Lionesses

• Coaches and players fear there’s a shortage of female coaches and want more at their club or school 

• Female coaches help women and girls to stay in the game longer and see a career path in the sport

• Starling Bank and Jill Scott MBE launch Kick On, a national campaign to inspire and recruit the next generation of female coaches 

Tuesday 30th September 2025: The UK’s failure to produce enough female football coaches may threaten the pipeline of future Lionesses, according to new research from Starling.

The vast majority of coaches (90%) and female players (85%) surveyed by the bank say there’s a national shortage of female football coaches, even as Sarina Wiegman and the Lionesses’ EURO 2025 victory inspire a new generation of girls to take up the game. Nine in ten (89%) female players and 84% of coaches want more female coaches at their club or school, while 46% of players say having the right coach is one of the biggest factors influencing their involvement in football.

Starling commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 grassroots football coaches and 2,000 female football players to determine the barriers women and girls face in the sport. In response to these findings, the bank is on a mission to spark a surge in female coaching numbers with the launch of its Kick On initiative, offering free kit, coaching vouchers and equipment to more than 300 clubs.

Jill Scott MBE, former Lioness and current Starling Bank ambassador, said: “Having the right coach is so important to the success of any sports team, but their impact on young female players in particular is something that shouldn’t be underestimated. Right now, there’s a shortage of female coaches across the UK, which means many girls miss out on seeing role models who could inspire them to stay in the game or even dream of a career in sport. With the Kick On initiative, we want to change that and help nurture the next generation of Sarina Wiegmans who can lead teams to success, both on and off the pitch.”

Three-quarters (76%) of the women players surveyed revealed that a female coach positively impacted their decision to join their team, while a quarter (24%) wouldn’t have joined without one. They believe female coaches are valuable role models (88%), help them see a career path in the sport (86%), and help men see that girls belong in football (85%). 

While both genders agree that it’s important for girls’ teams to have female coaches, women players have additional reasons for saying so. Two thirds (67%) with a male coach feel they can’t discuss body confidence issues as much as they would like, and that team camaraderie is affected by a lack of locker room interactions (57%).

It’s time to Kick On 

With three in five (63%) coaches struggling to attract female coaches to their club or school, they believe authorities need to take action to address this disparity, including developing a clear pathway from playing to coaching (22%) and providing financial support for coaching qualification training (16%). 

In addition to offering free kit, coaching vouchers and equipment to more than 300 clubs, beneficiaries of Starling’s 2025-2026 Kick On initiative will receive access to Sport Session Planner, a dedicated coaching platform, full of training tools and tips to make coaches’ lives easier.

Ellie Cross, women’s football advocate at Starling, adds: “Since launching the first Kick On campaign in 2023, we’ve highlighted a range of issues in the women’s game, from unequal pitch access to the drop in participation during girls’ adolescent years. Now, we’re aiming to help more women take the first step towards becoming a coach, so that they can help more girls enjoy football and boost this country’s pipeline of sporting talent.”

Chloe Morfey-Greenberg, founder of Beyond the Ball adds: “Football should be for everyone; it’s about empowerment, inclusion, and community. Coaching is no different. I would encourage any woman who has thought about stepping into coaching but not yet taken the leap to go for it. You are more capable than you realise, and you belong here. Stepping into coaching not only enriches your own journey but also strengthens the wider community.”

Clubs can apply for the scheme on the Kick On with Starling page. The campaign forms part of Starling’s mission to level the playing field for women and girls. The bank is Arsenal FC’s Official Retail Banking Partner, and is front of shirt sponsor for Southampton Women’s FC.