The number of women’s teams in England has doubled in seven years, according to a study by British channel BBC.
According to data collected by the BBC and provided by 31 football associations in England and the Channel Islands, there are currently 12,150 registered teams, compared to 5,632 in the 2016-2017 season.
One of the main reasons for this explosion of women’s football is the success of the national team, which won the Euro Cup in 2022, the Finalíssima in 2023 and reached the final of the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand where they lost them against Spain.
“When I was growing up, there was no women’s football on TV, so there was no example that I could watch myself,” said Ella Toone, an England and Manchester United player.
“Now the ‘Leoneas’ are always on television, like our league games. It’s nice for the girls to have glasses to look at themselves,” he added.
As an example, the final between Spain and England was followed by more than 14 million people on television.
The biggest increase in women’s teams occurred in the 2022-2023 campaign, just after England won the 2022 Euro Cup, in the final played at Wembley against Germany.
The British Government has also done its part and in December accepted the demands of the English women’s football review project, led by former international and now commentator Karen Carney.
This reform aims to professionalize the first two divisions, create a union for players, greater investment in grassroots football, equal access to football in schools, eliminate the lack of diversity within and off the field and facilitate fans’ access to content.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
