FA makes Premier League demand to help women's game as government approve review
The FA has called for greater financial support from the Premier League for women's football following a government-approved review into the running of the professional game.
The department for culture media and sport's independent review, led by former Lioness Karen Carney, has called on the top two women's tiers in England to become fully professional.
Wide-ranging recommendations include a new regular broadcast slot to be made available, and that the Saturday afternoon TV blackout should be scrapped for women’s games. Currently top-flight women's football, as with the men's game, cannot be broadcast on UK television between 2:45pm and 5:25pm on Saturday.
The government confirmed on Monday it will back all recommendations made in the report, which was first published back in July, with Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer urging the FA and stakeholders to "set a new standard for women's sport".
The FA have welcomed the independent review and say they will "continue to discuss the wider recommendations form the review with Government." But in their response they have also called on the Premier League to offer greater support to the women's game via solidarity payments.
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The Premier League distributes money down the men's pyramid in the form of solidarity payments to the EFL and the Nations League System (NLS). However, the WSL or Women's Championship receive no ongoing financial support from the world's richest football league.
Within the official FA response to the report, a statement reads: "The Review asks for additional investment into the women’s game, but does not recommend where this comes from. The FA is continuing discussions with future strategic partners, but before then additional seed funding is likely to come from within football.
"The FA doesn’t necessarily recommend that the women’s game should receive solidarity payments from the men’s game for the running of the League, however we would support specific solidarity payments to support the player pathway. The women’s professional game receives no ongoing solidarity payments as the EFL and NLS do from the Premier League."
The response also highlights improving the "pipeline of talent" as a key area that will benefit the women's game for years to come. The FA want to bridge the gap between the men's and women's game at academy level and believe greater financial support is needed to do so.
"The central investment from the men’s game into academies via the Premier League is £88M per annum," adds the FA. "Whereas the FA’s overall budget for women’s academies is £3.25M per annum.
"For transformative change, solidarity payments into the women’s game from the men’s game could help bridge the gap until women’s academies too can become financially sustainable through transfer fees."
Karen Carney's report, now endorsed by Government, calls for the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship to become fully professional environments (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)The government response came only days after a new organisation, run by the clubs, was rubber stamped to run women's professional league football in England from the 2024-25 season, taking over from the FA. The initial review was first called to explore how best to capitalise the Lionesses' Euro 2022 success.
Amongst numerous suggestions, the report also called for the lack of diversity to be addressed across the women's game, in on-pitch and off-pitch roles. It also recommended more investment in grassroots facilities and better access for females, as well as professionalisation across the top two tiers to attract and develop the best players in the world.
Carney, who retired following the 2019 World Cup, led the report and was pleased to have received full government backing.
"I'm encouraged that the government is providing their full backing to my review," she said. "And renewing their commitment to develop women's football in the UK and fulfil its potential to be a world-beating sport. The real work begins now."
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