Former Lioness Jill Scott is helping bring women’s football to a new generation with a brand-new children’s book series from British Gas.
Former England Lioness and Euro 2022 winner Jill Scott is helping inspire the next generation of football fans with the launch of The Things’ Football Adventures, a new children’s book series celebrating women’s football.
Created by British Gas in partnership with the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL), the illustrated series aims to encourage families to discover the women’s game, whether that means heading to a local match or following the action from home.
The launch comes as the new 2026/27 Barclays WSL season gets underway, with the competition entering a new era and continuing to build on the huge growth in popularity surrounding women’s football.
Jill Scott Fronts New Football Book Series
Scott has written the foreword for the first book in the series and narrates an accompanying reading, bringing her own experience of the game to the project.
The debut title, Match Day Mix-Up!, follows the Thing family as they attend a Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion match.
The book features a unique ‘flip it over’ format, with two front covers representing each team before the stories meet in the middle – a playful way of introducing young readers to the excitement of a football matchday.
The digital book is available alongside a video of Jill Scott reading the story, giving families another way to experience the series.
Download The Things’ Football Adventures and watch Jill Scott’s reading
Why Representation In Children’s Stories Matters
The launch follows new research commissioned by British Gas, which highlights the importance of visible female role models for children.
According to the research, 97% of adults believe it is important for children to grow up seeing female role models, while 34% believe there aren’t enough women in prominent public roles today.
That lack of representation extends into children’s entertainment, with 60% of people saying children’s books, TV shows and films don’t show enough girls aspiring to be successful, passionate and ambitious. The figure rises to 66% among women.
The research also suggests that sport could play a major role in changing that.
A huge 92% of respondents believe seeing female footballers in books, television or other media could encourage more girls to take up football or sport, while 96% would like to see more children’s stories featuring girls as footballers, athletes and sporting heroes.
Jill Scott: “Representation Matters”
For Scott, who grew up playing and watching football, the opportunity to become part of a children’s series centred around women’s football has a personal significance.
Speaking about the project, the former Lioness highlighted the importance of young people being able to recognise themselves in the stories they read and the sporting heroes they admire.
Scott’s own journey began at a young age, eventually seeing her become one of England’s most decorated footballers. She helped the Lionesses win UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 before retiring from professional football later that year.
Her career included spells with Sunderland, Everton and Manchester City, as well as 161 England appearances.
Sport’s Female Role Models Continue To Inspire
The British Gas research also highlighted the popularity of female sporting stars among the public.
Olympic heptathlon champion Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill topped the list of most admired female role models, with 37% of respondents choosing her.
She was followed by fellow sporting icons Dame Kelly Holmes (34%), Alex Scott (32%) and Jill Scott (29%).
The list also featured entertainers including Adele and Emma Watson, demonstrating the broad range of women who can influence and inspire younger generations.
For British Gas, The Things’ Football Adventures is intended to take that idea one step further by putting female football and matchday experiences directly into children’s stories.
Discover The Barclays WSL
British Gas is encouraging families to take their first step into women’s football by visiting their local club and experiencing a matchday for themselves.
The Barclays WSL is the top tier of women’s domestic football in England and features some of the biggest clubs and players in the women’s game. The 2026/27 season runs from September through May, with the league continuing to grow its audience and reach.
Explore the official Barclays WSL website
Families can also find information about fixtures and tickets through the official WSL website, making it easier to turn an introduction to women’s football into a full matchday experience.
Find Barclays WSL tickets and fixtures
British Gas has been an official partner of the WSL and says its partnership is focused on helping more families connect with the women’s game. The company has previously worked with Jill Scott on initiatives designed to introduce families to their first live WSL match.
Learn more about British Gas’ football partnerships
Inspiring Tomorrow’s Football Fans
With women’s football continuing to attract new audiences, projects such as The Things’ Football Adventures aim to make the game feel accessible to children before they ever step inside a stadium.
For young readers, seeing footballers and sporting heroes reflected in the stories they enjoy could be an important first step towards picking up a football themselves.
And with Jill Scott helping lead the way, British Gas hopes the series can turn today’s young readers into tomorrow’s women’s football fans.
Ready to discover the Barclays WSL? Head to your local club, experience a matchday and download The Things’ Football Adventures here.
