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This year, for the first time in its 137-year history, Barnsley Football Club will have a women's team. A simple, yet meaningful feat. Why now? More to the point, why not? We have set our sights on embracing the future of football as a game for all, providing equal opportunities and inspiring a new generation of players, coaches and executives in the football community.

Barnsley is probably best known for its coal mining and glass blowing history, as featured on the town and club crest. As a club we had a short spell in the Premier League and even won the FA Cup over 100 years ago. Recent history has us mainly in the Championship with periods back and forth from League One. Currently we are in League One after losing a hard-fought play-off game at Wembley against local rivals Sheffield Wednesday a couple of weeks ago.

We are a fierce, proud institution and, on the surface, probably not the kind of club one looks at and says: "Yes, they’re inclusive and modern." In fact this season, as we were working behind the scenes to get our women's team positioned, we were fined by the EFL for sexist chanting by a small section of the fans. It seemed at that point that there was a long way to go.

But now we’re here. Fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, nephews and cousins – the men of BFC, as they see the world open up excitingly for female athletes and executives – want to make sure their girls have the opportunity to participate. And as a board of directors and owners, so do we.

Agreeing to add a women's team to our professional line-up means of course money, coaching and sport science resources, the juggling of pitch time, questions about marketing, challenges for our small football club and the big visions we share. It also means another team to support, to cheer on, to share experiences with and to build community – all the things that are traditionally at the heart of why football clubs were created in the first place.

The challenges, though, are within and without. In recent years, Yorkshire has witnessed a surge in women's football, with talented players emerging from the region and making their mark in the professional and international arenas. The likes of Lucy Bronze, Ellen White, and Jill Scott and Bethany England have become household names, representing England and elevating the profile of women's football in the country. There is no doubt that there is talent.

Here’s the thing: women are good at sports. Women belong in professional sport and women make the world of sport a better place. I have had many roles in sport during my life, as an athlete, a team member, an instructor, a trainer, a fan and now director, but my favourite role of all was as a football/soccer mum to my daughter. From under-7 level to national teams and international tournaments, there has been no greater honour and joy than to support my daughter on her athletic journey. I am incredibly proud of her and the woman she has become. She is a warrior. Fierce, loyal, kind, passionate and smart and beautiful. There are glass ceilings to break, and it's time to get busy.  Not because it's 'fair', but because it's right, and it's time.

The next few months will be exciting for us and, I am sure, a little unsettling as the girls move into Oakwell. As a steward of them and the game, it feels both an honour and a responsibility to make sure we get it right. Watch this space. Trials are coming up. If you are reading this and want to join us on our journey, you know where to find us. Oakwell Stadium, Grove Street, Barnsley S71 1ET.

• For more information about Barnsley FC Women please email reception@barnsleyfc.co.uk

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