Coronavirus: the future of women鈥檚 football is under threat
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Women鈥檚 football has made great strides in recent years. Attendances at the women鈥檚 FA Cup final continue to . One that one-third of adults are interested in the women鈥檚 game and 69% of those believe it deserves the same profile as men鈥檚 football.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has left the game in a precarious position. Although the suspension of elite football in England was initially applied evenly to both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 competitions, there will be deeper and more far-reaching consequences for the women鈥檚 game.
The Football Association鈥檚 (FA) 2017 , which included doubling the number of women and girls taking part in football by 2020 and improving commercial prospects, has largely been left unfulfilled. Such promises of equality (football for all) by the FA are . The Women鈥檚 Super League (WSL) and Championship seasons have now been cancelled. In contrast, plans to resume the men鈥檚 Premier League and Championship advance at pace.
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In our recently published research 鈥� 鈥� we have highlighted why the pandemic is impacting men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 football differently.
Significant challenges
Prior to the pandemic, elite women鈥檚 football was already facing far behind men鈥檚 clubs. The biggest challenge for women鈥檚 football is that elite women鈥檚 teams rely on sponsorship for income. For example, is from commercial activity, most of which is sponsorship.
Women鈥檚 sport is also when compared to men鈥檚 in terms of things like marketing and prize money 鈥� see the tweet below. COVID-19 is also likely to hit many businesses鈥� profits hard, leaving companies who previously wanted to invest in women鈥檚 football unable to. If this causes the pool of sponsors to shrink - a pool that is already small - the future of women鈥檚 football will be under financial threat.
At the same time, financial strain on men鈥檚 football means women鈥檚 football could be one of the casualties. The majority of elite women鈥檚 teams are secondary sides under the umbrella of the professional men鈥檚 club. There are numerous examples in recent history where relegation or financial hardship for the men鈥檚 club has resulted in cutting ties with the women鈥檚 team.
For example, when the men鈥檚 club withdrew their financial support in 2017, Notts County women鈥檚 club collapsed the day before the new season, leaving their players . When men鈥檚 teams cut their ties like this, women鈥檚 teams can be left with no choice but to fold.
Finally, elite women鈥檚 football is partially funded by the FA. The association has put significant investment into the women鈥檚 sport since in 2018, but historically, women鈥檚 football has been undervalued by the FA. It from the grounds of FA-affiliated clubs between 1921 and 1971. And during earlier periods of financial insecurity, clubs and the .
Worryingly, the governing body has predicted a as a consequence of COVID-19. Grassroots and women鈥檚 football are not areas likely to be axed, but at present, there is no clear message that women鈥檚 football will continue to be invested in.
Steps to save the game?
Women鈥檚 football has gone through tough times before. It is resilient. So, COVID-19 may not be a fatal blow. However, swift and decisive action is needed to protect the recent momentum and growth of women鈥檚 football in England. Our recommendations are:
1) Clubs must shift their perspective so that women鈥檚 football is viewed as a core business and not as a goodwill gesture to the community.
2) Clubs should be entrepreneurial and innovative in their approaches to generating revenue for the women鈥檚 game, such as crowdfunding.
3) Women footballers are often on short-term contracts and juggle other jobs and family responsibilities alongside football careers. Issues surrounding wellbeing might be felt more acutely in women鈥檚 football. Clubs must work to actively support players.
4) The 12-month delay to the Women鈥檚 European Championship, , should be seen as an opportunity. Leveraging mainstream interest in the Men鈥檚 2022 FIFA World Cup, a 鈥溾�� could be created to attract fan interest in the women鈥檚 game.
5) When the game restarts, women鈥檚 football supporters must remain faithful in their support of the game. Visible advocates will show the governing body and clubs that there is a sustained demand for women鈥檚 football.
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If we are to continue advancing a , it is important that the women鈥檚 game is part of the conversation about football鈥檚 return. Without a clearly communicated strategy for the women鈥檚 game, the future of clubs and players鈥� health and wellbeing remain at risk.
, Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, ; , Postdoctoral Researcher in Professional Women鈥檚 Football, ; , Deputy Head Of Department in Department of Sport & Events Management, , and , Associate Professor in the Sociology of Sport,
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