Men's FA Cup prize money could be redirected to women's game in Carney review

13 July 2023 , 10:20

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Former Lioness Karen Carney MBE publishes findings and recommendations of her review into the future of domestic women’s football (Image: Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Money from the men's FA Cup prize pot could be redirected to support women's football as part of a slew of recommendations made in a independent review of the future of women's football in the UK.

Former England international Karen Carney has released her major review of grassroots and elite women's football, in which wide-ranging reform has been advised in order to fully capitalise on the Lionesses' Euro2022 triumph.

The key calls, published a week before the start of the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, include a redirection of some of the men's FA Cup £20million prize pot.

The redirection would represent a solidarity contribution that would primarily help Women's Championship clubs to meet some of the minimum standards the review sets out, including player salaries, contact time with clubs, training facilities, parental packages and union representation.

Women's Championship clubs have historically struggled financially and the review highlights a lack of investment particularly in the talent pathways, with Carney pointing out the need to "kickstart" progress with a strategic partner.

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Asked if that could include an organisation such as the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Carney, who served as chair of the review, said that would be a decision for the new company which takes over ownership of the WSL and the Championship from 2024-25.

FA Cup prize money in the men's and women's game has been a sensitive subject lately.

Championship side Lewes FC penning an open letter to Carney last season before their FA Cup quarter-final tie with WSL side Manchester United calling for equal prize money.

In March last year the Football Association announced a seven-fold increase in Women's FA Cup prize, from £428,915 to just under £3m.

However, the men’s prize pot received an uplift of £3.9m, from £15.9m to £19.8m.

Lewes received £45,000 for reaching the quarter-final stage, 10 percent of what men’s teams who entered the tournament's at the third round were paid.

Women’s clubs also received no money for an FA Cup match broadcast by the BBC, while men’s teams were each paid £200,000 for their televised quarter-finals.

Karen Carney's report recommends raising minimum standards across the game and 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)

Carney acknowledged the significant financial implications posed by the review but insisted the urgency and necessity superseded such concerns.

The independent women’s football review was recommended in the 2021 fan-led review of football governance, and was commissioned by the Government in September last year.

In all the 128-page report, formally titled ‘Raising The Bar: Reframing the opportunity in women’s football’, has produced 10 recommendations, primarily focused on ensuring minimum standards are met on a range of areas.

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Other key points made in the review included:

• The creation of a fully professional environment in the top two tiers
• Identification of a new strategic partner to invest in improving the talent pathway and academy structure.
• A dedicated broadcast slot – possibly Saturday 3pm, if women’s football can be exempted from the blackout period with the support of the football authorities.

• The FA should urgently address the lack of diversity across the women’s game - in on and off-pitch roles.

• Clubs must better value and support their fans - the FA should raise minimum standards to enforce this.

Megan Feringa