Women's Football: The Rise of the Lionesses
Women have been playing football for as long as there's been a game to play, despite the FA banning it from it's club grounds with the view that it was "quite unsuitable for females". Since 1969, when the Women's FA was formed, female footballers have been taking the world by storm.
This year has been a landmark year for the Lionesses with rising popularity and support for women’s football. It’s incredibly exciting to see the game finally getting the recognition and buzz it truly deserves.
Growing Support
The everchanging world of English women’s football saw a triumph for equality this year when Barclays announced that they would become the first title sponsor of the Women's Super League and the Women's Championship. The multinational company has bought a multi-million-pound deal to the sport that will offer a £500,000 prize to those who win the newly branded FA Women’s Super League.
This marks a monumental milestone for women’s football as it is set to gain more fans and revenue. This amazing opportunity also aims to create a scheme titled the FA Girls’ Football School Partnership which aims to help develop girls access to football in schools.
Women’s football has also seen new sponsorships with huge brands such as Lucozade, Budweiser and most notably Boots UK, who will be sponsoring the national women's teams of the five home nations for the next three years.
Higher Attendances
Earlier this year, conversations began to discuss using larger stadiums for friendly matches. Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA's head of women’s football, has not dismissed grounds such as Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford which has a capacity nearing 75,000, making it the largest club football stadium in the UK.
Recently, women’s football has seen a remarkable surge in attendance, with landmark moments like the staggering 60,739 at the Camp Nou for Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid game in March 2019 and a massive 39,000 fans who turned up to watch Juventus’ 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium. A true landmark moment came in the England vs. Germany game that drew an astounding 77,768 fans to Wembley. This record-breaking crowd signalled a turning point—not just in numbers, but in perception. No longer overshadowed by their male counterparts, the Lionesses have captured the nation’s heart, inspiring a new generation of female footballers. Increased visibility, improved funding, and better marketing have all played a role in levelling the playing field. As more supporters fill stadiums and tune in from home, women’s football is finally receiving the recognition and respect it has long deserved.
Who Run The World?
Kicking Out Racism
An inspirational figure within female footballers, Eni Aluko is currently heavily involved in the battle to stamp out racism from football, by defending Juventus counterpart Moise Kean, who was recently racially abused at a Serie A match against Cagliari. Also working with the Kick It Out campaign, Eni Aluko who helps with their aims for positive change and abolishing discrimination within football. She recently appeared in Chelsea FC’s antisemitism campaign video, expressing her disappointment in racist remarks recently made towards Jewish football players.
England Captain
Centre-back Steph Houghton began her career playing for Sunderland and was first named Captain of the England team in 2015. Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2016 for services to football, Steph is a must have speaker for your next event.
One to Watch
Leah Williams is one to watch on the England Team. She joined Arsenal's Centre of Excellence aged just nine years old and her career has gone from strength to strength, making her senior debut for the team when she was seventeen. Called up to play for the England squad in 2017, Leah was part of the team that won the 2019 SheBelieves Cup and was selected to play for the 2019 FIFA World Cup.
To Hire a Football Speaker For an Event
The biggest and best names are available to book via the Champions Football Speakers. If you would like a female football speaker to feature at your networking event, corporate event or conference. Simply fill in our online contact form or by calling one of our dedicated booking agents directly on 0207 1010 553.
