Grassroots women's football is struggling for cash

6 hours ago

Claire Cavanagh

BBC News, Bristol

Odd Down Women's AFC is being kept going by sponsorship from a player's mother

BBC A football player from Odd Down Women's AFC wearing a black and white striped top and black shorts goes towards a football near the goal on a pitch. — Odd Down Women's AFC is being kept going by sponsorship from a player's mother

"If it wasn't for the goalkeeper's mum last week, I don't know what we would have done."

Those are the words of the coach of a grassroots woman's football team after two sponsors recently dropped out.

Thankfully, said coach Rob Macer, another business stepped in to provide much-needed funding for Odd Down Women's AFC – a cleaning company run by the goalkeeper's mother.

The Bath club, who won their Tier 7 league unbeaten earlier this year, provide an example of just how difficult it can be for grassroots organisations to stay afloat.

Yet hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent by successive governments on growing the game.

And teams are struggling for money despite all the talk of legacy surrounding the England-hosted Women's Euros in 2022, even before the Lionesses won.

England players celebrate their win at the final of the Women's Euros in 2022

PA Media Two football players, Ella Toone and Rachel Daly, dressed in the white England strip, run towards the stands to celebrate with the fans after Toone scored at the Women's Euros in 2022. They look both happy and overcome with emotion. — England players celebrate their win at the final of the Women's Euros in 2022

So how do small clubs get hold of the cash being spent on football? Mr Macer said it was not an easy problem to solve.

The coach said he was expecting funding from the FA, football's governing body, when the club was set up in 2024.

Mr Macer said two women from Odd Down Women's AFC did get their coaching badges with money from Somerset FA, which works with the FA – but they had to pay upfront before being reimbursed.

Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for sport, said in a statement she had recently announced £400m worth of investment for grassroots sports facilities.

She said she was "particularly passionate" about adapting existing facilities to be more accessible for girls.

Secretary of state for sport Lisa Nandy and Sir Keir Starmer watch an England training session

PA Media The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer and The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy, both dressed in suits, watch and England training session on a green pitch. — Secretary of state for sport Lisa Nandy and Sir Keir Starmer watch an England training session

One community club that has succeeded in attracting serious money is Longwell Green Sports FC in South Gloucestershire.

Its chairman John Gibbs applied for a grant and successfully got more than £500,000 in public money via the FA, which went towards a 3G artificial pitch in 2021.

He said the pitch was now being used by 60 teams of all ages.

But he thinks the upper echelons of football – the Premier League and Championship – should be paying out.

"I massively credit the Lionesses with getting more girls in to the game, it's just about 50/50 (girls and boys) now," he said.

"The council's got no money in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, so my bugbear is it would be better if the top of football put in the money."