History set to be made at trailblazing Women's Super League North London derby

History will be made in the Barclays Women’s Super League North London derby when an all-female grounds team prepare the Emirates Stadium pitch.

The fixture will be a landmark moment for women working across the game when Arsenal face Tottenham on Sunday 3 ^{March, with more than 50,000 tickets already sold. The Women’s Super League and Women in Football have collaborated with the Grounds Management Association and Arsenal FC to help 13 grounds professionals become the first all-female team to work across a Women’s Super League match.}

The trailblazing team will help shine a spotlight on women's vital contribution to sport to encourage more to consider a role in ground management. Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison said: «Football could not exist without a pitch to play on, and the game as we know and love it depends on the vital contributions made by women in every area.

»Today and every day, let’s celebrate the female workforce in football right across our sporting ecosystem, starting right here with the 13 talented female grounds staff laying the foundations for a massive fixture in the Barclays Women’s Super League."

Despite an uplift of women playing sport across all levels, only 2 per cent of the grounds management sector is female. Arsenal groundsperson Tara Sandford will lead the team of 13, who come from different venues across a variety of sporting and educational facilities.

Sandford will kick off proceedings when she works on Arsenal’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle United on Saturday, alongside colleague and apprentice groundsperson Bobbie Murphy. Sandford said: «Being a part of the first all-women grounds team to prepare a Barclays Women’s Super League match has been hugely exciting for me on both a