UEFA Grassroots Day Awards – Best Club

The Netherlands' SV Wilp, SC Klarenbeek, SC Cupa and VV Voorst have been awarded gold in the Best Club category at the 2013 UEFA Grassroots Day Awards.

The four sides have adopted a multi-club approach, putting aside local rivalries to ensure the provision of football for women and girls in their home region, and providing a best practice example for the rest of the country.

"There is equality; there are no differences," explained Gert van Bokhorst of Klarenbeek. "We all play sport for the joy of it, and that's what we show. We are a village community, but we have a regional attraction as well, for players to come and play here; in a positive way, because they all should be able to find a place to play. If you can play very well, or just normally, we have a place for everyone and that is what we transmit."

Roos Brouwer, football development assistant for the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB)'s eastern district, said: "The KNVB supports clubs at all levels of girls' and women's football. So we made a plan two years ago, and we said it should be easier for clubs to work together.

"It is very positive that girls' football is growing, and that girls can play everywhere, but if girls play everywhere, then that's only a few girls per club. But if clubs collaborate, then there are more girls, and there are more possibilities for those girls, to play at their level, or follow their preference."

The award was presented at the UEFA Grassroots Workshop in Oslo on Tuesday by Italian football legend, winner of the 2011 UEFA President's Award and UEFA grassroots panel member Gianni Rivera. Carshalton Athletic FC (England) and S.S. Sangiorgina (Italy) were winners of the silver and bronze awards.