CPD Merched Porthmadog are one of three North Wales football clubs that will represent their country on Britain's most famous street on Saturday, 12 July when they join the Big Football Day celebration on the Coronation Street cobbles—just 24 hours before Wales face England at the UEFA Women's Euro 2025.

Porthmadog, Buckley Town FC and Northop Hall Girls FC will showcase the grassroots transformation that has helped build the foundation for Wales' first-ever appearance at a major women's tournament in Switzerland.

The celebration comes as the finale of the FAW's ‘Chwarae FOR HER’ week-long national celebration (5-13 July), which has seen over 50 clubs and local authorities deliver football activities across Wales to inspire women and girls to get involved in the game. ‘Chwarae FOR HER’ showcases the power of the game for women and girls across Wales.

CPD Merched Porthmadog represents remarkable growth from nothing.

What began as informal sessions in 2016 has become a thriving club with 100 registered players across five age groups.

The club has produced Cadi Rodgers, who now plays for Chelsea and represents Wales at Under-19 level. "The most important thing is that we want all the players to enjoy the game, bond and make friends on and off the pitch," explains chairman Gethin Jones.

Emma Iball of Buckley Town FC embodies Wales's footballing transformation. Told she couldn't train with boys in 1983, she has created the North East Wales Girls' Football League, serving 250 primary school girls across the region through monthly sessions at National Lottery-funded facilities.

"Now there's not going to be another girl disappointed like I was," says Emma, whose dedication earned her FAW Volunteer of the Year in 2020.

Northop Hall Girls FC, founded in 2008, has become Wales's third-largest female football club with over 200 players. The club has received over £20,000 in National Lottery grants and produced notable alumni including Liverpool's Mia Parry and Wales international Elise Hughes.

The transformation reflects significant National Lottery investment in Welsh women's football. In 2024/25 alone, women's and girls' football in Wales received £332,972 in National Lottery funding, helping the FAW double its investment in female participation.

This support has enabled the FAW to launch programmes including Huddle—fun, friendly sessions where girls aged 4-11 fall in love with football—and BE.FC, a community built by teenage girls for teenage girls, providing relaxed football sessions for 12-16-year-olds.

Additional National Lottery funding includes £750,000 for the National Football Centre in Cardiff and £250,000 for the Elite Centre in Wrexham (Colliers Park).

The event will feature six interactive zones with former Wales international Katie Sherwood and former England star Jill Scott, alongside Coronation Street actors Jenny McAlpine (Fizz) and Alan Halsall (Tyrone).

The 48 young footballers aged 12-16 from National Lottery-supported clubs across England and Wales will experience freestyle skills sessions, team challenges, and meet-and-greet opportunities on the iconic set.

As the FAW stated: "While Wales and England will meet in competition tomorrow, we are excited to encourage unity and inspire girls across Wales by showing them they are welcome in the game."

The event embodies the "unity before rivalry" spirit, celebrating how National Lottery investment has created pathways from grassroots clubs to international tournaments, enabling Wales's historic qualification for Euro 2025.

As excitement builds for Wales’ groundbreaking tournament debut, the three North Wales clubs represent the community foundation that made this achievement possible.

Their presence on the Coronation Street cobbles celebrates how far Welsh women's football has come through initiatives like ‘Chwarae FOR HER’ and the opportunities now available for the next generation.

From Emma Iball's determination to transform disappointment into opportunity, to young players now dreaming of following Cadi Rodgers and Elise Hughes to the professional game, the grassroots revolution in Wales continues to build momentum.

The National Lottery's ongoing investment—with players raising £30 million weekly for good causes throughout the UK—ensures that Wales's Euro 2025 debut is just the beginning of the story.

Cymru v Netherlands, Saturday, 5 July (5pm); France v Cymru, Wednesday, 9 July (8pm); England v Cymru, Sunday, 13 July (8pm)