Gals FC, founded by Lorne Magill and Nora Beqaj, started back in September 2022, when the two best friends were feeling “bored with their lives in London” – and decided they wanted to start a new hobby.
They invited a group of women to play football in Clissold Park in Stoke Newington, Hackney – and simply kicked the ball around “without looking up any rules”.
Lorne, Nora, and the other girls had such a good time that they decided to make their sessions a regular activity – and things took off from there.
Now, Gals FC has around 270 members – as well as around 500 people on waiting lists – and one day hopes to become the “leading name in women’s recreational football”.
The recreational women’s group currently hosts sides in London, Brighton, and York and is expanding in Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.
One defining characteristic of Gals FC is its non-competitive nature – namely, that no scores are kept.
Games also don’t have referees – instead there are ‘vibe protectors’ who oversee the match and make sure the club’s “spirit lives on”.
Teams swap positions every five minutes – so nobody has to be the goalkeeper for the entire game – and everyone celebrates goals.
Lorne, 33, said: “When we first started playing in Clissold Park we didn’t really think about it.
“We would just turn up to football and not keep score.
“But we quickly identified it as one of the reasons that people wanted to get involved.
“No one was worried about letting a goal in or missing a ball. It kept things fun and friendly.
“And it meant that everyone was cheering everyone on. When there’s a goal, regardless of which team it is, everyone high fives.
“A lot of people ask us: ‘What’s the point in playing football if you don’t keep score?’ And that’s fair.
“But to those people I would just say, ‘Gals FC isn’t for you.’
“It’s not for everyone but it is for us.”
Most of Gals FC’s games take place on Wednesday evenings and they also offer other community events, such as a book club and running club, and host annual Christmas and summer parties.
Recently, they had a “no-score tournament” – where there were no winners but plenty of prizes to play for.
Lorne added: “We want to be the leading name in women’s recreational football.
“I’ve actually recently quit my job to focus on Gals FC, and we want to get to a place where Nora and I can make a living off of this.
“And I think we can get there as there’s something in this.
“We’ve grown so quickly already and we’ve recently sent out surveys to our members about the effects Gals FC is having on their lives.
“Ninety-one per cent of people said they feel their mental health has improved since joining.
“That’s to do with playing a sport, making new friends, having a community.
“We hope to be playing on 50 pitches across the UK by the end of 2025.”
To find out more about Gals FC, or book to attend a session, visit https://www.galsfc.com/
