One year ago the Football Association gathered the media at Wembley with little detail on what would be discussed beyond “women’s football”. There, the new head of women’s football Sue Campbell, chief executive Martin Glenn and head of participation Kelly Simmons outlined their Gameplan for Growth – a bold plan to transform participation, support and success on an international stage. It was hard not to absorb the enthusiasm.
One year on a lot has changed. For a sport that has struggled for media presence, the distasteful handling of off-field events has dominated headlines. Yet while the FA’s actions in those cases has been damaging, the seeds of the Gameplan for Growth have been planted in the shadows of the controversy. And those seeds are sprouting in nearly every area.
There are 6,767 affiliated female teams across the country (up from 6,000 in 2016-17), there has been a 15.9% year-on-year increase in girls-only Mini-Soccer teams and, after establishing 199 Wildcat clubs aimed at five-to-11-year-olds, a further 772 are being introduced in 2018. For those players who get lost between the ages of 16 and 20 as they come out of regional talent centres, there are a spate of talent academies planned with a programme of competitive football.
That is not all. There are big ambitions for the Lionesses at the 2019 World Cup, a likely Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics and a strong bid to host Euro 2021. Viewing figures for live WSL matches have more than doubled and access to games has improved, with teams and the FA live-streaming a selection of games.
There are still gaps in the plans, because although 60 school partnerships have been established bringing schools on board is tough. In a week where teachers have warned the crisis of school funding is becoming a catastrophe and headteachers have spoken out about having to clothe and feed their poorest pupils, some of whom are so hungry they fill their pockets with canteen food, finding money and enthusiasm for girls’ football seems trivial – though the context does make those 60 partnerships more impressive.
Not everything is working. The Year On document also shows that WSL1 attendance figures have dropped 11% on 2016-17. The switch back to a winter season, running alongside the men’s calendar, has hit match-day turnouts. Attendances are the elephant in the room. Bodies in the stands is the key to unlocking sponsorships, TV rights, club investment and pushing for wage increases and better facilities. And key to silencing critics. Yet it is the one area going backwards.
Campbell is quick to point out that the season isn’t over: “Moving the women’s game back to a winter season, and the bitterly cold winter we’ve had, has not helped but we’re only halfway through and we’ll have a look at it at the end.”
She added: “One of the things we do need to do is have a look at what the distinctive experience of fans that come to the women’s game is, because live sport should be a really exciting and fun thing to do for the family.”
Except that’s not enough. Without clubs switched on to the issue and working hard to promote matches, hosting games in main stadiums and finding ways to avoid clashes with men’s matches of the same clubs this problem will not go away.
Campbell agrees that club involvement is crucial: “We have a joint group with the clubs that looks at scheduling. It’s really important that the ‘parent’ clubs are really engaged in a proper discussion about how we promote and develop the women’s game because they are essentially sponsoring or bankrolling the women’s game.
“It has to be an embedded, sustainable way of utilising money to get more women involved in the game and watching the game.”
Of course the most noticeable change taking place is the restructure of tiers one to four of the women’s pyramid. The announcement that Manchester United have bid to enter a team in the Women’s Championship (second tier, currently WSL2) has had a mixed response. Although there are huge benefits to one of the world’s biggest clubs coming to the table, a move warmly welcomed by other teams, there has been speculation and consternation about their possible inclusion over more long-standing and long-suffering teams who have bid alongside them.
Campbell says club names will not be looked at when it comes to selection and that the idea of increasing the size of the league, to accommodate all, comes with a new set of problems: “We have to be aware that the bigger the league the more we struggle with scheduling and congestion of fixtures and so on, so we will try to get the right answers to the number of teams and will be picking teams on the basis of the quality of their application.
“It isn’t just about money or reputation. It is about a real understanding of what we want for the women’s game.”
For clubs that could miss out, Campbell lays down the gauntlet: “We’ve made it very clear all the way through that we respect the people who have travelled on this journey with us and we want to continue to take them with us. But the reality is they also have to step up to meet these new and ambitious targets. We’re not abandoning people but equally we have to do this based on the quality of the bid.”
Overall things are moving forward. But to make a qualitative leap attendances need to rise. The will is there, but if clubs are serious they need to help to get there.
Talking points
• In WSL1 table-topping Chelsea were held to a draw after Fran Kirby 20th goal of the season was cancelled out by a brilliant solo run and finish from Arsenal’s Beth Mead. Manchester City were unable to capitalise, losing 2-0 to Reading to find themselves three points off the top.
• Chelsea and Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final fixtures have been announced. On 22 April City host holders Lyon at 1pm, while Chelsea welcome Wolfsburg to Kingsmeadow at 6pm. The return legs take place on 29 April at 2pm and 2.30pm, respectively.
• City and Chelsea’s Champions League opponents both sit top of their respective leagues and, unlike their English challengers, won at the weekend. Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen scored the only goal in Wolfsburg’s 1-0 against previously unbeaten Potsdam. They sit three points above Bayern Munich with a game in hand. Lyon moved 11 points clear with four games to play with a 4-0 win over Albi.
• England Under-17s put two past Norway to take top spot in their Elite Round qualifying group and earn a place at the Uefa Women’s Under-17 Championships in Lithuania in May.
