As The Halfway Line looks eagerly ahead to the fast-approaching 2024/25 season of the top two tiers of women’s football in England, it is important that the less exciting (but oftentimes worrying) aspects of the game do not fly under the radar. It is impossible to ignore the discrepancies that still lie between the Barclays Women’s Super League, the Barclays Women’s Championship, the FA Women’s National League, and beyond .

Women’s football in England is bigger than ever, but is the gap between the top flight and the lower tiers closing fast enough? This article hopes to break down some of the key issues that currently stifle the potential of those playing below the top tier.

From one extreme to the other

Scheduling has been a widely discussed issue in football for quite some time, especially within the women’s game in the wake of a prolonged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury epidemic. Chelsea’s Australian star, Sam Kerr, was one of many renowned Barclays Women’s Super League players to suffer the dreaded injury last season.

It is an undisputed fact that elite footballers are subject to jam-packed calendars. Between club commitments and all of the requirements that come with playing at international level, it is not surprising that many of the league’s most popular names have found themselves sidelined for extensive periods of time thanks to an injury like an ACL tear. There are, of course, many contributing factors to these injuries, but the timetable to which professional athletes have to work is certainly one of them.

In the Barclays Women’s Championship, however, some players have raised concerns about the opposite. Durham FC’s Beth Hepple took to X to share “It’s really not spoken about enough how few games you actually play as a Championship player if you don’t play international football. Two ends of the spectrum across the two leagues as the very top play too much but we simply don’t play enough. Would love to play more games.”

Hepple’s teammate, Dee Bradley, spoke out in support of her peer’s stance. Bradley raised the fact that there will be “Even less games for the championship this year for obviously something that’s very unfortunate and sad… but in a 10 month season we get about 25 games.”

The reason the Barclays Women’s Championship will have even fewer games this year is, of course, due to Reading FC’s relegation to the fifth tier in light of cost-cuts and an ownership takeover. The dire situation the club found themselves in is not only unthinkably sad for all involved, but also a damning indictment of the extent to which women’s football continues to face inequity across the board. The game deserves the resources it needs to thrive in all areas, and the fact that even a team that competed in the Barclays Women’s Super League only as far back as the 2022/23 season can end up almost having to start again from scratch, is frightening.

Furthermore, ACL injuries do not only happen to footballers playing at the highest level. Kayleigh McDonald was one of likely many this season to suffer the long-term injury. The semi-professional Stoke City player, as reported by the Guardian, sustained the damage to her knee during a league game for her club, but was initially told she would have to join the NHS waiting list for surgery.

The defender spoke out about her experience on social media, and received an outpouring of financial and vocal support for her recovery. Many expressed disappointment that the player had seemingly been abandoned by her club in her hour of need. Subsequently, Stoke City would agree to fund McDonald’s surgery, which she has now had and will continue on her long recovery process.

Whilst this story took a turn in the right direction, there are sure to be many that do not. Better infrastructure needs to be put in place to ensure people like Kayleigh McDonald do not end up in such a tumultuous situation, with an injury journey made all the more painful by external challenges which could be avoided.

McDonald previously played for Blackburn Rovers, who have been yet another club with a light shone on them for all the wrong reasons. Interjecting in a conversation on X regarding Blackburn’s failure to pay their women’s players substantial wages, she stated “My best memories are at Rovers, but big change needed.”

Failure at the top level, too

Manchester United, despite winning their first piece of top-flight silverware, also find themselves added to the long list of those who continue to undermine the importance of women’s football. The club’s unfortunate yet seemingly deliberate neglect towards its women’s team despite their battle to become domestic frontrunners, is astounding and has been widely reported on in the media surrounding women’s football in England. The deep-rooted problem at the club and its perception of the women’s team as inferior was affirmed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of the club and the chairman of INEOS, who told Bloomberg “We haven’t got into that level of detail with the women’s team yet. We’ve been pretty much focused on how we resolve the first team issues.”

Yet another concerning way in which the people at the top of the chain are consistently letting down those at the core of the industry, comes from the Professional Footballers Association (PFA). This is a real shame, considering that the union’s website affirms “We believe in the unifying power of football in society, and are committed to empowering footballers to recognise their value as people, not just players.” 

The PFA declare “If you are at a Premier League, FA WSL or English Football League club on a full contract, your club delegate and the club secretary will coordinate your annual PFA membership.” Noticeably, despite the fact that the top four tiers of men’s football are included, The Halfway Line understands that the only women’s league which gets its players automatic access to the PFA’s services through their clubs, are Barclays Women’s Super League competitors. Durham FC’s Hepple and Bradley also made comments about this under-discussed problem online.

If the organisation that is supposed to advocate for footballers, and one of the biggest clubs in the world, are still not fully supporting women’s footballers even at some of the highest levels, then how can we expect positive change to happen lower down the ladder? There is so much more work to be done, and nobody should shy away from talking about it and holding those in power to account.

Newport County AFC Academy will no longer facilitate the FAW’s Girls Development Centre

In a further stark reminder of the instabilities that can rock not only football clubs, but entire communities, it has recently been revealed that the Football Association of Wales Girls Development Centre will no longer be facilitated by Newport County AFC.

The news was shared via an extremely short letter to parents and players from the Head of Academy Operations, which explained that the change is due to relocation. The Halfway Line is not aware of any further developments at this point, and is extremely disheartened to see a situation similar to that of Thornaby FC occurring. Whilst Thornaby did go on to reinstate their women’s squads, the decision to axe them in the first place should never have been allowed to be reached, just as the decision to leave the FAW’s Girls Development Centre without a home should not have been made. It must now be undone, but the damage caused by these choices is difficult to forget.

Ultimately, it is glaringly obvious that the inequities which continue to inhibit women’s football at all levels, and harm those who work in it, are extensive. It will not be easy to work to make football for women more accessible, and to make the game a safe and secure space for females, but it is essential that we do. One of the ways we can help this to happen is by talking about it, and encouraging those with the power to drive change, to do exactly that.