Norwich City captain Millie Daviss was only five years old when she first started attending games at Carrow Road, and she enjoyed watching Darren Huckerby wow the crowds with his jinking runs forward. Her journey into women’s football, having found an all-girls team near her home in Gorleston, probably presented fewer obstacles than other girls growing up at that time, but it was not without its challenges.
As the theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is 'Breaking The Bias', our official matchday programme OTBC sat down with Millie to chat about her footballing journey and what more can be done to improve the women’s game and get rid of some of the stereotypes and misconceptions that surrounds it.
OTBC: Can you tell us how you first got into football and what is was like for you playing football as a youngster?
MD: I first got into football through watching Norwich City, the men’s team. I used to go with my dad and I was about five years old when I started going. I would sit in the Barclay and I think it was the (Darren) Huckerby days, so a few years ago now. I loved watching it and I then ended up playing the game with a group of boys at Dale Gordon’s Soccer School, in Great Yarmouth. I did that for about two years and then went to play for a youth club, and it was an all-girls team – Bohemians. I played there throughout my whole youth and then when you get to 16, that is the cut off and you go into women’s football. I always played in school as well and we had an all-women’s squad. I think that was quite unique really, to have that in such remote area, and we were quite good, I’m not going to lie. We had a good school team and that was my journey through youth football and then I went to Lowestoft Ladies and played there for two seasons before joining Norwich and, of course, I am still here.
OTBC: During your time growing up playing football, did you face any obstacles or barriers because of your gender and how did you overcome them?
MD: I think at school I potentially did. We used to play in the playground with a little tennis ball when I was in year four and there was only me and another girl who wanted to join in. All our other friends, who were girls, were off doing something else and me and my friend said: ‘okay, we want to join in this game with the boys’ and, even though it was only football in the playground, we never really felt like we could. We were the only two girls there that wanted to join in, and all the rest of the girls were doing other things. We did in the end join in, but then there were still people who would say you are not strong enough to play and things like that.
OTBC: It probably takes a bit of confidence within yourself though to overcome that stereotype and be the first girls in the school to play football in the playground, when people are saying things like that to you?
MD: Yes, confidence is key with that and I urge any young girl to actually just do it and play, if that is what they want to do. You will shock them most of the time, so just go and play.
OTBC: Do you think it is easier or harder for girls to get involved in football today, than it was when you were growing up, and what more do you think can be done in that area?
MD: I think it is a lot easier now. Obviously, there is a lot more media coverage and people know a lot more about women’s football now. You also have better set-ups through academies and things like that. Here at Norwich, at the Community Sports Foundation, we have the PDC programme and the Elite programme, and that is all then leading to playing for a women’s team. I think that allows girls to get involved in football at a young age and to stick with it.
OTBC: When you were growing up playing football did you ever get any comments such as ‘you kick like a girl’, ‘you play like a girl’ and what effect did those comments have on you?
MD: I think there were probably some occasions where that was the case, especially as I mentioned before in that year four environment when boys will happily shove you off the ball. You do feel in that moment, maybe this is not for me; maybe this isn’t my game, maybe I should go and play something else. But, at the same time, it is good to break those stereotypes and those things that people say by just going out there and showing them that you don’t ‘kick like a girl’. It is really important to do that.
OTBC: Did you ever come across in your days growing up and playing football, boys who just assumed they were better than you at football because of their gender, and what were the reactions like when you broke through that bias?
MD: Yes, when I was at university, which was just over a year ago, I used to play with some boys in a social session. A few of us girls would often go and as soon as we turned up you could tell there was a few of them thinking ‘there are three girls playing with us today, I probably don’t want to pick them to be on my team’. And then when you play, they are like ‘actually you can be on my team’. You shock them, in a sense. And it is strange that those biases still exist at those ages as well, but it might just be an unconscious thing. So, it is really important to break those biases and those kinds of stereotypes.
OTBC: You are now captain of Norwich City Women. I wanted to touch on the name first Norwich City Women. At one time the team were called Norwich City Ladies. Why was the name changed to Norwich City Women and why was that important in terms of breaking through and implicit bias within the sport?
MD: Well, you wouldn’t really call the men’s game a gentleman’s game. So, in that respect it is important to change it, so it is the equivalent term in the women’s game. So, it is the women’s team not the ladies’ team, because you wouldn’t call the men’s team the gentleman’s team. Saying Norwich City Ladies doesn’t sound right. It sounds old fashioned and has implied behaviour conduct with in the term ‘ladies’. If you wouldn’t call it the gentleman’s team then you should call it the ladies’ team, because that is not the equivalent term to the men’s game.
OTBC: Norwich City Women have recently come under the umbrella of Norwich City Football Club. How important was that for you and how pleased were you when that happened?
MD: I think it is such a good opportunity for this female team. I think we are going to have so much support now and I think that it is important to push on with the things that are already in place. It will also allow the men’s and women’s team to be this one club. That is really important, and I am so excited to be part of that.
OTBC: Norwich City Women use the facilities at The Nest. What are your overall impressions of the facilities women’s football has as a whole?
MD: I think the facilities at The Nest are brilliant. It was a few weeks ago now that we didn’t have a game on the 3G, so it was Dussindale and another women’s team that got to play on the pitch. I thought that was brilliant that they didn’t just put a men’s team on there, they allowed another women’s team to be able to use the facilities in our absence. Just, in general, as well the facilities here allow for so many more opportunities for young people, and young girls, to get involved in football. There is so many better opportunities now than they used to be for girls and The Nest just facilitates that really well.
OTBC: What are your thoughts on the facilities elsewhere in women’s football?
MD: I think, obviously, when people come to us, they are quite surprised at what we have got. We are very lucky to be able to use these brilliant facilities. Going to away games, you do realise what kind of standard the female game gets. Without sounding snobby, it is not amazing. The showers are not very good, and it is a very Sunday League set up in terms of the facilities most of the women’s teams have. We know we are very lucky to have the facilities that we have at Norwich and we all do really appreciate it.
OTBC: How much does it mean to you to represent Norwich City Women?
MD: I have been a Norwich City fan all my life. So, to be able to represent the club is amazing. I used to look up to female footballers and I know I used to look up to some of the girls that are still here when I was younger. It is so nice to play alongside them now and represent the club because it has been a big part of my life growing up.
OTBC: The women’s team have been included in the kit launches and the media coverage on the club’s website. How important is it, that the club continues to strive for equality in coverage when it comes to both the women’s and men’s team?
MD: I think it is really important. I went to the Arsenal game just after Christmas and I was just walking around, waiting to get into the stand and there was loads and loads of young girls that go to the games. And having that picture of myself and Leilah (Gooding) on the club shop, just allows girls to think ‘I can be on that one day’. I just think that is important. It shows others that that opportunity is there – and when I say others; I mean young girls.
OTBC: We saw a lovely picture on your Instagram of you interacting with a young fan, Evie, who had your name and number on the back of her shirt at the Norwich City Sports Hub. How much does it mean to you to be an inspiration to young female Norwich City fans who are looking to get into football?
MD: Yes, it is so lovely to see that that is actually happening. Evie came into the shop I was working in, the Norwich City club shop. I was on my lunch, but she came in and asked for my name and number of the back of the shirt. I didn’t realise that until I came back from my break. Then, I met her when they came back to collect the shirt. She was star struck and you don’t think that is going to happen, but bless her she loved it. It is so important and I think all the girls in the club, people can look up to every single one of them. That is a credit to all the girls. Their attitudes on the pitch, and everything they do off the pitch as well, is brilliant. I think young people can look up to all of us as role models and it gives young girls the opportunity to look up to someone a bit closer to home if you like.
OTBC: What advice would you give a young female football player if she came to you and said that she had received a comment such as ‘you kick like a girl’?
MD: I think it is important to show people what you can do, while those kinds of comments continue to be a thing. Going out there and showing that you can compete with the boys. That is way we can abolish those biases. It does frustrate me sometimes though, because there is no need for those comments. Everyone just wants to play football and they love the game. I don’t think there is any need for those comments. So, yes, my advice would be to go out there and show them what you are capable of because I am sure most of them would be quite shocked.
Click here to learn more about Norwich City Women, and browse through their fixtures and results here. You can also buy tickets to watch their home games, which take place at The Nest.