Grassroots Football Club in Burnley Introduces Period-Friendly Shorts for Girls

Fulledge Colts has introduced 100 pairs of period-integrated football shorts for its female players, a kit change that directly addresses one of the clearest reasons girls stop playing sport during their teenage years.

Research from Women in Sport found that 78% of girls avoid physical activity while on their period, and more than 40% of girls who were sporty in primary school drop out afterwards. For a sport trying to grow its female participation numbers, these numbers are significant: it's one of the single biggest reasons girls disappear from the game altogether during adolescence.

Stefan Wilson, vice chair of Fulledge Colts, said the club had seen the pattern play out directly among its own players. "Girls' participation in football often drops off during their teen years, and a major factor is feeling self-conscious in traditional football kits," he said. "We see the impact of this across the sport where some girls avoid playing during their period, with some stepping away from football altogether."

He added that specialist kit like this carries a real cost, one the club couldn't have covered without Burnley.co.uk funding the full £1,000 needed, enough for 100 pairs covering both current players and new recruits for the 2026/27 season.

For a fix this simple, the impact on individual players has been immediate. Jojo Bond, who plays for Fulledge U14 Purple Girls, said the shorts have changed how she experiences matches. "I think it's good because I feel more comfortable and protected now, and I don't have to worry as much when I'm playing," she said.

Rachel Bayley, Burnley place brand manager, said the benefit of keeping girls in sport reaches well beyond fitness. "Girls staying in sport isn't just about fitness," she said. "It builds confidence, leadership, discipline and resilience. These are the exact traits linked to higher ambition and life outcomes, exactly what we want for young people in Burnley."

Michael Nadal, football development officer at Lancashire FA, said the change showed how a small, practical shift in kit can remove an often insurmountable barrier. "Something as simple as providing girls with a choice of appropriate, comfortable playing kit can help remove a barrier and ensure they can focus on enjoying their football," he said. "It is great to see the club listening to its female players and, with the support of the place brand, taking positive action to create an environment where girls feel comfortable, confident and supported to continue playing."

For other clubs watching participation drop off among teenage girls, Fulledge Colts' approach offers a genuinely replicable model, one that didn't require a major overhaul, just identifying a specific, solvable barrier and finding the funding to remove it.