The “Football Grannies” of Périgord, these women in their sixties who are passionate about football, have become a media phenomenon. Originally from Calès, in Dordogne, they are preparing to compete in the Grandmothers’ World Cup in South Africa. To finance their trip, they published a calendar.
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They would never have imagined such media coverage. For a year, their adventure has been making the rounds on social networks and television. More than fame, those that everyone now calls “football grannies” have won their bet: for some, they have braved loneliness and freed themselves from the routine of daily life.
The “Football Queens” have an average age of 63 and their husbands are their first supporters
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© FRANCE 3 PERIGORDS
Sitting in front of their laptop, a video of themselves in front of them, Joëlle Mayer and Marianne Baisier do not hide their happiness. “We’re still a little surprised by the scale it’s taking, but we find it rather joyful. When I look at the reports, I find that it gives off a new atmosphere and that’s nice”, explains Joëlle.
Marianne thinks she knows why they have become so popular. “The reason why we have this celebrity is for the values of joy, the hope of conviviality, the things that are very close to our hearts”, she says.
Twice a week, they meet in the small town of Calès. That evening, night had already fallen when we found them training. They crisscross the terrain despite the rain and the wind.
Far from the times, not so distant, in July 2023, where there were only eight to share this adventure, today there are 32 women who have joined the Périgord Noir club. Average age: 63 years old. And they all have fun like kids. Most of them, however, had never touched a ball.
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They are between 60 and 85 years old, they are from Périgord and some of them had never played football. However, these “Football Grannies” agreed to take up the challenge. They form the only team of their kind in New Aquitaine.
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©FRANCE 3 PERIGORDS
It was Karine Van den Heyden, a former player who had the idea after raising her five children. “We truly find youthful feelings of freedom! We run even though it’s dark, rainy and despite the wind. These are sensations that we no longer knew. We were in our kitchens, on our sofa, watching TV.” she realizes, amazed. This soft-spoken lady named the club the “Queens of Football”.
With practice, the matter became serious. The tournaments followed one another in the country then in Spain. Soon, they will be in South Africa to compete in the Grandmothers’ World Cup. To finance this expensive trip planned for April 2025, they did not hesitate to free themselves from conventions.
The 60-year-olds posed naked for a calendar. For Bénédicte Anstett, “it was also a challenge to show a woman’s body after 60 years, and when you look, it’s a superb result! As much as we don’t recognize the people, they have no age”, rejoices the retiree.
Today, they form the only team of its kind in New Aquitaine. But they were emulated. Senior women’s clubs have emerged in Aveyron and Franche-Comté.
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