From the 2012 Olympics to next month’s Euros, the game has made great strides but there is still much to do
t was a landmark moment for women’s football. Under the arch of Wembley stadium, to the soundtrack of Beyoncé’s feminist anthem Run the World , more than 70,000 fans streamed in to watch Team GB take on Brazil in the London Olympics to result in what was then Britain’s biggest ever women’s football match.
Despite, so far at least, not having quite the same hype as the men’s Euros last year, public appetite appears to be huge. England’s three group matches and the final at Wembley are already sold out. In fact, if everybody who has bought a ticket attends the final, it will mark the highest ever attendance for a men or women’s game at the Euros. A total of 96,000 international visitors are expected, as well as a global broadcast audience of 250 million.
Although there is still disparity between clubs, full-time pay and top staff and facilities make an enormous difference, White said. “In my time, and even before the WSL went professional, top players were having to get part-time jobs to support themselves.” She added: “It is just a no-brainer really: when you can contribute 100% of your time in making sure that you get the best out of yourself in a sporting capacity it’s a very big difference.
Football execs need to turn full stadiums in the Euros into sold-out WSL games this summer, she said. How exactly is unclear, but location, timing, matches, promotions, visibility and, crucially, success are key. “If you win a tournament like this the interest will be unbelievable – not just from fans wanting to come but media interest, brands that then want to come on board with the game,” she said, citing Williamson on Pepsi Max billboards as an example. “That’s what success does.
Jane Purdon, director of Women in Football, said she has had numerous “pinch me moments” over the past 10 years but that the Euros, especially if England do well, will mark “another step-change”.
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