The Women's Football Hub - Chewing It Over with Carolyn Kent

In this episode of Chewing It Over, host Jack Chew speaks with Carolyn Kent, founder and director of the Women’s Football Hub, about the history, culture, health, and future of women’s football. Kent explains that her passion is rooted both in a love for the game and in a desire to address historical injustices, particularly the 1921 ban on women’s football that continues to shape attitudes today. Drawing on her background as a former player, physiotherapist, academic, and practitioner within elite football, she describes how the sport shaped her career while also exposing persistent barriers faced by women.

Kent outlines the vision behind the Women’s Football Hub: a deliberately broad, multidisciplinary platform that combines sport science, health, sociology, business, and lived experience. Rather than focusing narrowly on injuries or feminism alone, the Hub aims to engage women who are “football curious” and to close widespread knowledge gaps, particularly around female health. She emphasises the importance of teamwork and diverse perspectives in building the Hub, noting that its success depends on contributors who often remain behind the scenes.

The conversation also explores key differences between men’s and women’s football, including fan culture, safety, marketing strategies, and media narratives. Kent argues that women’s football should not simply replicate the men’s model, but instead develop approaches that reflect its unique audiences and values. She also addresses misconceptions around injuries, highlighting that while ACL injuries receive disproportionate attention, hamstring and MCL injuries are more common, and that inadequate training environments play a major role.

Ultimately, Kent frames women’s football as a powerful social, public health, and cultural intervention. Looking ahead, she hopes to reduce participation barriers, encourage more women to play for enjoyment, and shift the conversation from education alone toward implementation and meaningful behaviour change.