Rochdale Football Club is delighted to announce that Richard O’Donnell has become the first ever player to sign up as an official ‘Her Game Too’ Advocate.
The Dale goalkeeper has joined the Rochdale Her Game Too team and will work alongside the club’s Ambassador Charlotte Cromarty to help promote the campaign.
As part of his role, O’Donnell has pledged to use his social media presence to share key messaging, assist the club with their work around promoting an inclusive environment at the Crown Oil Arena, and he will show his support for the Rochdale AFC Ladies teams.
Charlotte said: “I am absolutely over the moon that my club, Rochdale AFC, are leading the way with their support of Her Game Too.
“I contacted the club over the weekend with my idea and by Monday afternoon we had a player as an Advocate. I am so thankful and grateful for the club’s continued support.
“For someone like Richard, who has been in the game for a number of years, to join us as an Advocate is amazing. I believe he’s the perfect role model - you can tell from his social media posts that he’s a great guy and is always looking to help other people when he can. He’s also very family orientated and has a daughter, and I know he feels very strongly about equal opportunities. To have a first team player from our club as an official Advocate, championing Her Game Too, is just amazing and I’m so excited.”
On taking up the role, O’Donnell commented: “I am very proud to have become the first player to join Her Game Too as an Advocate. When I got offered the chance to represent the club and support the campaign, it was something that I was really keen to do.
“Hopefully more players at other clubs will now come on board and do the same sort of thing. Most clubs have either got women’s football teams and/ or women working within the club, so I think it’s really important that there’s a commitment from the playing side as well that we’re all together and that we all support the key messages of Her Game Too.
“I’m in a privileged position as a football player, and I’m also on social media where people look at what you’re saying. From my point of view I want to use my voice and my social media presence to put across key messages and do anything I can to help others also have a say. That’s really important to me.
“And, for me, it’s not just about women’s football, it’s about discrimination in general and about having equal opportunities. I feel quite strongly about that, having my wife, my mum and a daughter, and I think those conversations are really important.”
Saturday’s game vs Salford City at the Crown Oil Arena is the club’s Her Game Too dedicated fixture. The club and Rochdale AFC Community Trust are offering free tickets to all local female grassroots teams. Click HERE for more information.