Earlier this week, the Football Association (the FA) launched a new three-year strategy focused solely on the women’s professional game that will look to build on the momentum generated over the last three years.
The strategy has been led by the FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship Board in conjunction with the clubs and other key stakeholders. It sets out a collective ambition to develop the best women’s leagues in the world.
It comes as we at Manchester United have reaffirmed our own commitment towards growing the game, by announcing that United Women will host a WSL game at Old Trafford for the second successive season, this coming spring.
To realise the strategy’s ambition, it focuses on three goals:
- Produce and attract world-class talent
- Maximise and engage audiences
- Grow commercial revenue and financial sustainability
The three key areas are designed to drive further growth in all aspects of the women’s professional game and to ultimately make the game sustainable.
It also sets out some key milestones and targets that will determine the success of the strategy. These include:
- The implementation of an improved talent pathway and home-grown rules to support a blend of world-class domestic and overseas talent
- Investment in the workforce with an ambition that a minimum of 50 per cent of the head coaches across the top two divisions are female
- Attendance growth with an average of 6,000 fans per week in the WSL, 1,000 in the Women’s Championship, and the goal of selling out the Women’s FA Cup final – all by 2024
This, along with the investment of the clubs, will continue to change the landscape of women’s football in this country, increasing the opportunities on the field, and offering women and girls a genuine career path in the sport.
The continued growth of the game during the three-year plan will also provide a bigger platform that will allow our leagues and competitions to:
- Showcase female role models and their achievements
- Inspire females to take up the game and all its associated benefits
- Promote women’s football as a tool for gender equality and societal change
“I am delighted to be able to launch this Women’s Pro Game Strategy, which sets out our collective ambition to develop the best women’s leagues and competitions in the world.
“The quality of the on-field product is fundamental to our success. We want a balance of the very best English and overseas talent showcasing dynamic, exciting and competitive football, supported by a world-class elite performance workforce, enabling the players to maximise their full potential.”
Kelly Simmons, the FA’s Director of the Women’s Professional Game, added: “This strategy represents a critical step in the development of the women’s game. It was important to us that the plans for future growth were developed with the insight and commitment of the clubs and The FA.
“By showcasing strong, athletic, healthy role models excelling in their sport, we can inspire young girls and women to take up active lifestyles and all its associated benefits. Now that’s a powerful mission to get behind and help deliver – making a real difference for this, and future, generations of females.”
The strategy announcement comes as domestic women’s football in England prepares for the third edition of Women’s Football Weekend over the coming days, a landmark moment within the season that shines a spotlight on the women’s game.
United will make the trip over Merseyside to face Everton on Sunday (12:30 GMT) in a game that you can watch live on Sky Sports. Alternatively, you will be able to follow coverage from Walton Hall Park via our Official App, where we will also have a match report and highlights for you after the final whistle, as well as on ManUtd.com.
Secure your seat at every remaining United Women home game in the 2021/22 WSL with a Season Ticket.