A new Watford supporter's group has been launched with the aim of giving women a greater voice within the club.

Women of Watford FC, or WOW, was started by supporter Kate Lewers ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Kate was approached by the club to find out how they could make female supporters feel safer, which eventually resulted in the group's formation.

Speaking to the club website, Kate explained the aims of the group, which include giving women more of a voice within the club, encouraging and promoting a more diverse fanbase, and inspiring and empowering future generations of female fans.

“In March I appeared on Hive Live to celebrate International Women's Day and discuss being a female fan," she said. "One question I was asked really made me think: how do I feel as a woman attending away games? I suddenly realised I had never, and most likely never would, go to an away game by myself.

“I don't pretend to speak for all females here by any means, we all have different journeys, but for the most part feeling unsafe in the streets is a common-lived experience for a lot of us.

“That same week saw the death of Sarah Everard at the hands of a stranger as she was walking home in the dark, prompting many women to share their own stories of being followed or simply not doing something they would like to out of fear for their own safety.

“To say that was a heavy week would be an understatement. But, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, something brilliant has been born! The club got in touch to discuss what more could be done to make things better for our female fans and it has been decided that the best place to start is founding a female supporters' group.

“We welcome all who agree with our aims, regardless of gender identity," she said. "We stand for community, allyship and diversity amongst plenty of other things and, if you relate to that and want to ensure Watford FC is a positive experience for all, we’d love to have you with us.

"Our safe space is both physical and virtual - with hopes of regular meet-ups once the season starts back up, attending away games together and having a strong online presence on Twitter and a private Facebook group."