Brighton Up Your Life
Jess Grant, England
Jess Grant is the Founder of Spice Goals FC, a grassroots football team based in Brighton, and the Goals Allowed community space. The team is open to women, non-binary and trans people and was formed in September 2018 due to a severe lack of women’s beginner level football in the area. The end of 2019 saw Spice Goals help to launch the only women’s five a side league in Brighton. Goals Allowed is a free open practice once a week that welcomes all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life?
I am Jess Grant, the Founder of Spice Goals FC and the Goals Allowed community space. I grew up surrounded by football, it is very well loved in our family and is responsible for many bonding experiences and disputes. However, I was always just a bystander - supporting, attending football games, and taking part in the fantasy football league. I never played football simply because I was not confident enough.
When I was younger, football was not a sport that celebrated women and I was insecure about liking football, but not being able to play it. I had a strong overwhelming feeling of football fan imposter syndrome and would worry that if quizzed I would not be able to clearly explain the offside rule or who scored a header in the 89th minute on 26th March 2001. I then grew up, realised what a load of rubbish that is and Spice Goals was born!
I decided to start playing football on a sunny day in July 2018, following England vs Belgium during the Men’s World Cup. A friend from our group planned to meet his football team to have a kick around by the seafront. To start our footballing journey by playing with a men’s Sunday League team was intimidating to say the least. We hardly touched the ball and received a bit of resistance from some of the team for being there, but that just made us want to be there even more.
Following this we discovered a severe lack of beginner level spaces for women to play football in Brighton. We decided to set up a football team with our friends that was aimed at complete beginners. Enter Spice Goals FC.
Some players preferred the social safe space we were providing while some players wanted to concentrate on improving and becoming competitive. There was a desire to have two spaces to meet these different needs. We worked on developing a safe and inclusive space for women, non-binary, and trans people to play football in Brighton. Enter Goals Allowed.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
The photos are of some of the wonderful players that are part of Spice Goals and Goals Allowed in various green spots around Brighton.
I wanted to show the connections formed and relationships built from the two spaces and how football can reveal us to be so unapologetically ourselves. I think to successfully play football in a team with other people you need to feel comfortable with the people you are with and the environment you are in, and that comes with feeling safe. To some reading this it might not seem much, but the reality is the feeling of safety while playing football is not a privilege self-identifying women and non-binary people experience.
Just showing up can be a challenge and so I am in complete admiration of the players who join our space, especially when they have no previous experience in football. It is so brave, and I hope we can continue to inspire people to want to come along. The main aim of Spice Goals and Goals Allowed is to create safe and inclusive spaces to play, and if we are able to do that then we are well on our way to breaking down those barriers.
What is your favourite photo?
One photo is a typical representation of us as a group of players and it makes me smile. We all are guilty of apologising profusely if we think we have had anything to do with someone else falling over. We even do this in matches and players from the opposition are up and off before we have even finished apologising - and suddenly the person you are meant to be marking has scored a goal. We used to joke about having a ‘sorry jar’ to put money in every time someone apologised and planned to use the savings to fund a social event - but we gave that up and decided to accept it as part of our charm (and because we would have all lost a lot of money to the ‘sorry jar’ otherwise).
What are the opportunities for female grassroots footballers in Brighton and the UK?
Unfortunately, in Brighton there are not that many opportunities, especially compared to London. London has so many opportunities, whether in the form of competitive leagues or casual social groups, so it is the place to be for grassroots women’s football. There has become a buzz around grassroots women’s football in the UK in the last few years, which is exciting. I have lots of friends interested in what we are doing with Spice Goals and Goals Allowed, and asking for information about any teams local to them who are doing the same thing because they want to get involved.
What role does football play in your community and region?
Generally, whether you like it or not, football is a big part of communities. It brings people together, it tears people apart, it makes lots of money, it loses lots of money, but ultimately, it is the shared experience that makes it so special. Everyone can relate to the contagious buzz of an England match!
We aim to create the same shared experience and the sense of nostalgia and belonging to something important, but on a smaller scale in communities that may not have had that experience with football when growing up.
What does football mean to you?
Football has become my life! I have gained some wonderful friendships through playing football and for that I will be forever grateful. Some of my fondest memories involve football. Watching my big brother and dad play in our driveway; taking our youngest brother to his first ever Chelsea match and having to tell him to never repeat the words he hears at Stamford Bridge; having a kick about with a big group of friends on a warm Easter Sunday; and holding the Lionesses flag at Wembley before an England vs Germany match - it was chucking it down with rain and ‘Right Here, Right Now’ by Fatboy Slim was blasting through the whole stadium. I do not think I have ever felt so excited.
Are there any other good stories connected with the people or teams you photographed?
I am being biased here but I think a pretty good story is told by a photo my teammate took of me. It shows me breastfeeding my 5-week-old baby during half-time of a kickabout (I was not playing competitive football 5 weeks after birth!). I look at it and feel so fulfilled. I would love more than anything to show this photo to a younger me, who was never confident enough to play football and always dreamed of being a mother. Not only am I kitted up in football gear, but I am also feeding my baby. Smashing the patriarchy and nurturing new life all at the same time is a cool story to tell.
What impact has Spice Goals made on you and others in your local community?
Spice Goals and Goals Allowed is something I am incredibly proud of. However it can be super stressful, and it requires a lot of time and effort - so it can be all consuming. In those moments my partner always helps me to realise why I do it and that I can only ever do the best I can, and to not get down when I cannot do more. He has been such an integral part of why the spaces exist.
The aim of Goals Allowed is to reach different communities in Brighton and provide them with the sense of belonging that football creates. Although at a small scale, we have achieved this. There are members of the team that are keen to develop Goals Allowed to reach more communities and share the benefits of a safe and social team sport. It is very exciting to work alongside your friends, and to share ideas and use everyone’s strengths to work towards achieving this. Watch this space!
What is the future for women's football in the UK?
Overall, I am optimistic for the future of women’s football in the UK, but a lot of changes need to be made. It really comes down to the attitudes of others and I feel frustrated when I think about how inherently toxic football culture in the UK is, and the setbacks which that brings to women’s football.
I do think the UK has still got a bit of catching up to do in terms of attitudes and support. It deserves so much more focus, time, and attention, which would help highlight women’s football and grow talent. I think there is so much to come though and we are heading in the right direction. The WSL has become an incredibly competitive and major league for women’s elite football with world class players signed to English teams. There was also a lot of hype around the Women’s World Cup 2019 and there will be for the Euros too, increasing the attention that women’s football deserves!
