As we celebrate 40 years of Arsenal in the Community, we look at the origins of Arsenal Women, formed within the department just two years later.
In the mid-1980s, we were one of the first clubs in the country to run dedicated girls-only football sessions as part of work-skills programmes, which offered apprenticeships to young girls through our community team.
These sessions were delivered out of the old JVC Centre at Highbury and supported the development of many of our legends, including Rachel Yankey and Ellen Maggs. This was never about results or trophies, we viewed it as an opportunity for young girls to play football in a safe space.