Hinckley AFC has announced it will start its first-ever dedicated women’s and junior football sections, based at the club’s home ground at Kirkby Road, Barwell, with potential additional training sites in Hinckley, beginning in Summer 2026. This expansion aims to give more local people the chance to play competitive sport and marks a major step in the club’s growth as a community-owned organisation.
The club was formed by fans in January 2014 and, as a Community Benefit Society (CBS), is run by its members on a one-member, one-vote basis. The first team currently plays in the United Counties League Premier Division South, and Hinckley AFC ground-shares at Kirkby Road with Barwell FC.
Recruitment and trials for the new squads are expected to start in Spring 2026, with official competitive matches scheduled to begin in August 2026 for the 2026/27 season. The move follows a nationwide increase in interest in the women’s game — including the FA’s national restructuring for the 2026/27 season — and the Leicestershire & Rutland County FA will oversee affiliation of the new teams into the local women’s and girls’ competitions.
By adding these sections, the club expects to substantially increase its active membership and to fulfil the founding ‘One Community’ manifesto promise to promote football for all. The club’s constitution says it will not take profits out of the organisation and commits to reinvesting income into local football programmes. Fans can follow Hinckley AFC online (for example, the club’s Facebook page) for more updates on trial dates and other announcements.
