Domestic women’s football could become a “billion pound industry” in 10 years’ time says former Lionesses midfielder Karen Carney – the chair of a major review into the sport.<\/span><\/p>\n Her 126-page report recommends the top two tiers of women’s football in England being fully professional.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n It also calls for a new regular broadcast slot for women’s football to be made available on television. <\/span><\/p>\n “It is what needs to be done, to move the sport forward,” Carney said.<\/span><\/p>\n The ex-Birmingham and Chelsea player added: “Full-time is full-time. Go for it. Realistically the biggest issue we need to go after is professionalising the women’s game and bringing standards up because that is a big problem.”<\/span><\/p>\n Describing women’s football as a “start-up business”, Carney said everyone involved from sponsors, broadcasters and the Football Association “has a responsibility to invest in the game and move it to the next level”.<\/span><\/p>\n She added: “If you are starting something you have to have an influx of money and I really do believe that in 10 years’ time this sport could be a billion pound industry. <\/span><\/p>\n “But these standards and investment are the foundations that lead us to this point. I really do think we will make it [money] back.” <\/span><\/p>\n An independently club-owned, club-run body <\/span>is poised to take over<\/span><\/a> the Women’s Super League and the Women’s Championship next year as the English women’s game looks to capitalise on its rapid rise, accelerated by the <\/span>Lionesses’ success at Euro 2022.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n A recent <\/span>report by Deloitte<\/span><\/a> showed Women’s Super League club revenues rose by 60% in the 2021-22 season, showing signs of growth before even England’s historic Euro 2022 victory.<\/span><\/p>\n Combined revenue for the WSL clubs was \u00a332m, an increase of \u00a312m on the previous season thanks in part to a new broadcast deal, however clubs still recorded an aggregate pre-tax loss of \u00a314m.<\/span><\/p>\n Carney’s findings have focused on several areas including audience reach and growth, the financial health of the game, its long-term financial sustainability and its existing structures – leading to 10 major recommendations, that include:<\/span><\/p>\n Carney, who has worked in the media since her retirement from playing in 2019, was asked to examine issues affecting the game at elite and grassroots levels <\/span>in September 2022.<\/span><\/a> by the UK government.<\/span><\/p>\n The women’s game has made huge progress in recent years and, at grassroots level, has become the most played team sport for women and girls in England, with three million registered players and over 12,000 registered teams.<\/span><\/p>\n However, both the Covid-19 pandemic and <\/span>the men’s game fan-led review<\/span><\/a> highlighted the shallow resources within women’s elite football.<\/span><\/p>\n She appointed a number of experts from across sport and business, including a senior NFL executive, with the UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer calling it an opportunity to “revolutionise the game” in a positive and sustainable way.<\/span><\/p>\n In a statement the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Maheta Molango called the report a “brave, ambitious and detailed plan for the future of women’s game”. <\/span><\/p>\n An FA spokeswoman said they would help “address the challenges and opportunities in the report” to “deliver the changes needed”.<\/span><\/p>\n They said: “These are exciting times for the development of the women’s game and we share Karen’s vision of creating world leading standards for players, fans, and everyone involved in women’s football.”<\/span><\/p>\n While the 12-club WSL is fully professional that does not extend to English women’s football’s second tier. <\/span><\/p>\n A significant drop in broadcast fees and FA central funding means that turnovers can be as high as around \u00a37m in the WSL but as low as \u00a3150,000 in the Women’s Championship, where player wages can be below \u00a35,000 per year.<\/span><\/p>\n Reading’s recent relegation from the WSL saw them <\/span>revert to part-time football<\/span><\/a> due to the financial implications.<\/span><\/p>\n When it was put to Carney that more than \u00a310m would be required to redress some of that balance, she passionately defended the need to attract additional income to the game.<\/span><\/p>\n “Do I want players to have to go on the NHS [for treatment of injuries]? No. Do I want players to have to use bin bags for curtains? No,” she said.<\/span><\/p>\n “I don’t want any of this situation any more. There was a lot of evidence in the review of the marketing strategy in place not being able to help the revenues grow. <\/span><\/p>\n “It is what is needed. It is not a negative to invest in women’s sport, we have to change the mindset. I understand there is a reality to it.”<\/span><\/p>\n On proposals to provide one source of funding from levelling FA Cup prize money across the men’s and women’s game, she added: “I’d hope there would not be a backlash. <\/span><\/p>\n “There are so many issues and women’s sport has struggled for so long I’d hope there’d be an understanding but with anything there’ll always be someone who will challenge it. <\/span><\/p>\n “I could have said equalise prize money right now but that would have taken down the pyramid of men’s football. We should absolutely be going for equal prize money [in the future] from the FA Cup and the FA should be putting a timescale on that.”<\/span><\/p>\n A long-standing issue that Carney is keen to see addressed urgently is the relative lack of medical support offered to female players in comparison to their male counterparts.<\/span><\/p>\n A Fifa <\/span>report in 2021<\/span>\n
Carney’s plan to ‘revolutionise’ women’s football<\/h3>\n
![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/1673E\/production\/_130366919_gettyimages-1490139017.jpg\")
<\/span><\/span>‘Bin bags for curtains’ – part-time players & low wages<\/h3>\n
‘Five weeks out can turn into five months’ – injury improvements<\/h3>\n