‘We have grown, we have inspired, now we are reaching higher’
That’s the purpose behind the Football Association’s strategy for women’s and girls’ football for the next four years. Following on from the strategic goals set to “grow the game” (2017-2020) and “to inspire a generation” (2020-2024), the upcoming cycle centres around sustaining the flourishing professional game and striving to further unlock the full potential of the women’s and girls’ game.
The strategy was derived with a focus on the key findings in Karen Carney MBE’s Independent Review into the future of domestic women’s football, and is designed to depict five golden threads that weave through four core pillars to ensure the success of the ambitious plans.
The Four Pillars
Build and Protect the uniqueness of the women’s game
Baroness Sue Campbell, FA Director of Women’s Football, was quick to highlight that the “women’s game exists in it’s own right, and is not a shadow of the men’s game“. The strategy is focused on ensuring that the qualities of the game are appreciated and valued to protect what makes the women’s game special. Through recognising the heritage of the game and those who have played a pivotal part in shaping the identity of the game as it exists today, whilst ensuring no woman or girl is constrained by historical prejudice.
Win a major tournament
Whilst there remains an obvious sense of pride regarding the recent success of the UEFA women’s European Championship in 2022, there is an obvious hunger within the Football Association to add more silverware to the English cabinet. Acknowledging the growth of the women’s game worldwide, and thus the increased calibre of opponent, Kay Cossington, FA Women’s Technical Director, is keen to drive investment into the English programmes at every level, in order to fulfil the desire to continue to produce world leaders on and off the pitch.
Build robust, high-quality competition
The women’s competition pyramid spans from league six, up to the Women’s Super League. The next four-year cycle is designed to enhance connectivity from grassroots through to the professional game and serves to provide opportunity for the development of coaches, referees and players across every level. There is further ambition to build on the success of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, a tournament which Nick Frith, the Women’s Leagues Operations Senior Manager at The FA, believes is “already the best domestic competition worldwide“, in order to ensure that competitions remain compelling and entertaining.
Deliver equal opportunities for women and girls to play
Following on from the success of the Lionesses campaign to provide equal access for girls in football, 77% of schools now deliver equal access for boys and girls to play football. The increasing profile of the women’s national team has supercharged the demand for women and girls to play the game across both competitive and recreational levels. Consequently, there’s a plan to grow sessional football, ensure that the equal opportunities for boys and girls are retained into KS4, and to strengthen the multitude of pathways into professional clubs.
The Five Golden Threads
Female Health and Wellbeing
There is a key focus on elevating the profile and awareness of female health to challenge taboo subjects and embed these within the culture of the game. Through transforming facilities, offering learning opportunities and implementing interventions to ensure all women and girls can achieve their full potential.
Safeguarding
There is a conscious effort in this strategy to ensure safer working practise across all environments, and intends to be achieved through providing strong governance of safeguarding in order to drive standards. There is ambition to ensure that concerns are easily reported by participants at every level of the game, and that the provision of policies, resources and campaigns delivers impactful education to underpin the desired culture across the game.
Refereeing
Despite a 113% increase in the number of female referees since 2020, with 14 females now on the international refereeing list, there is a desire to further optimise the current identification and recruitment processes. Having noticed the inability to retain referees in their early career, the strategy aims to deliver motivational programmes to offer support from day one, before providing development opportunities that allow talented match officials the chance to progress.
Coaching
Although there has been an 88% increase in the active development of female coaches since 2020, there is an intention to refine current coaching provisions through identifying leadership gaps preparatory to the prioritising and aligning of resources. With hope to tailor the progression of female coaches and leaders through innovating the current landscape and ensuring it is fit for purpose to transform opportunity for top talent.
Diversity and Inclusion
“We must provide opportunities for every woman and girl, regardless of age, ethnicity, faith or ability” insisted Baroness Sue Campbell, as she explained the FA’s ambitions to mobilise and empower local volunteers from under represented groups, to deliver football within their communities. Further capitalising on the success of specialist partners to accelerate delivery of programmes nationwide, the FA looks to capture individual data and journeys to develop a system that is fit for all.
The Four Enablers
Commercial
The next four years is intended to deepen the relationships with current FA commercial partners and further align on purpose-driven output to increase support and investment for the women’s game. With developments for action-led propositions for new partners that endeavour to include a shared commitment to ensure females are able to excel on and off the pitch.
Technology and Data
The FA are determined to build products and services that continue to revise expert knowledge surrounding the women’s game. With a focus on providing access to actionable data that can then be used to inform onward strategy and tactical interventions.
Marketing and Communication
There is ambition to champion the individuals across all communities who showcase the uniqueness of the game, whilst proactively and passionately honouring the history of the game. The intention to build deep and long-lasting connections with all England Teams is vital to shine a light on the potential of the game across all tiers of the pyramid.
Facilities
Access for women and girls can only go so far without the appropriate facilities, and hence the FA are keen to transform grass pitch quality to increase playing opportunities, to build more 3G pitches with priority access for women and girls and to create more female friendly clubhouses – all designed to build an atmosphere that encourages the best from the females in the game.
‘We must strive to reach higher’ says Sue Campbell
Baroness Sue Campbell, outgoing Director of Women’s Football at The FA, concluded the delivery of the strategy by saying “There’s no question that in the last four years we have made significant and tangible progress across every aspect of women’s and girls’ football, but there is no room for complacency – we must strive to reach higher.” Before summarising that whilst there is room to “be proud of what has been achieved to date, now is the time to refocus our priorities so we can unlock the true potential of women’s and girls’ football.”
