Camden Town Brewery and Arsenal have created a female foosball table to encourage gender equality in pubs with more than half (53 per cent) of Brits thinking women’s football is underrepresented in UK pubs and bars.

Launching in time for the recent International Women’s Day, as the official beer partner of Arsenal, FC Camden Town Brewery is raising awareness of the gender imbalance in British pubs by creating an all-female foosball table.

It follows research revealing only 14 per cent of pub patrons have seen a women’s football match at their local in the past year, but the majority (52 per cent) said they would like to see the presence of the women’s game increase at pubs – including more matches screened, pub games and memorabilia.

Camden Town Brewery and Arsenal teamed up to do something to encourage gender equality in pubs and the specially created table has been installed at famous Arsenal pub, The Victoria Tavern in Islington, where it will remain throughout March.

The honour of playing the first foosball match was given to one of Arsenal’s longest-serving female members of staff Joanne Harney, office manager for Arsenal Digital, who began working at the club in 1986.

Her opponent was legal counsel Kelly McAuslan, who had been working at the Premier League club for two weeks.

The games will cost Victoria Tavern patrons £3 to play, with the money raised going to The Fawcett Society, the UK’s leading membership charity for gender equality which campaigns for women’s rights at work, at home and in public life.

Jasper Cuppaidge, founder of Camden Town Brewery, said: “As a business, gender equality is massively important to us, so we wanted to work with Arsenal to raise awareness of the football gender imbalance.

“Women’s football is going from strength to strength, and we want to see more of it in the place we call home – the pub!”

Peter Silverstone, Arsenal Football Club’s Commercial Director, added: “As the most successful women’s team in the country, Arsenal has a long-standing commitment to growing and developing the women’s game.

“With that also comes a responsibility to inspire the next generation of young sportswomen – and that starts with greater representation and visibility across the board.”

At the end of March, the foosball table will make the short trip across North London to Emirates Stadium, where fans will be able to enjoy it for years to come.