Karen Carney MBE to lead major review of women’s football

The review will look at how to deliver bold and sustainable growth of the women’s game at elite and grassroots level. This will be with a particular focus on:

• Assessing the potential audience reach and growth of the game – by considering the value and visibility of women’s and girls’ football in England, including the potential to grow the fanbase for women’s football and whether current growth still supports home-grown talent and can be achieved without overstretching infrastructure.
• Examining the financial health of the game and its financial sustainability for the long term. This will include exploring opportunities and ways to support the commercialisation of the women’s game, broadcast revenue opportunities and the sponsorship of women’s football.
• Examining the structures within women’s football. This includes the affiliation with men’s teams, prize money, the need for women’s football to adhere to the administrative requirements of the men’s game; and assessing the adequacy, quality, accessibility and prevalence of the facilities available for women’s and girls’ football for the growth and sustainability of the game.

To kick off the review, a call for evidence will be launched by the Football Association (FA) in the coming weeks.

Carney will lead a series of group meetings with industry experts across the country. She will be supported in the evidence gathering and analysis by senior officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the FA. A full report is expected to be published early next year, with the Government formally responding shortly afterwards.

The news comes following Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses winning UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 in July, a range of Government measures to support the women’s game, and ahead of the Women’s Super League season beginning on 10 September.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: 

“The Lionesses’ spectacular performance shows how far we have come at the top of the women’s game. While it is right that we celebrate and reflect on that success, we need an equal emphasis on improving participation, employment opportunities, commercial investment and visibility in the media. 

“We want to make sure everyone can enjoy the benefits of team sport and there is a robust infrastructure to sustain women’s and girls’ football for the future. A thorough review of the game will help ensure it is here for the long term.” 

Karen Carney MBE said: 

“Over the last few years, the game has grown significantly and at a rapid pace. Of course, this is an exciting time, but there is an urgent need to ensure there are processes and structures in place that protect the interest of the game and the people working in it. I have always said that the sport needs to be built on solid foundations to give it long-lasting success in a sustainable way.

“For me, this is a defining period for the sport and this review will be at the heart of that.

“We must capitalise on these powerful moments and can look back on 2022 as a year where we made great strides forward in the growth of the game.”

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: 

“We have been clear that we are right behind growing women’s and girl’s sport in every aspect – from grassroots all the way up to the elite level. 

“Domestic women’s football has made significant progress in recent years. However the pandemic highlighted the shallow resources within the elite game, which have the potential to affect its long-term growth. 

“This review will look in depth at how to grow the game at elite and grassroots level, as we push to level the playing field.” 

During her career, Carney achieved 144 caps for England and represented Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She enjoyed a club career for Arsenal, Chicago Red Stars, Birmingham City and Chelsea. She is now a respected voice on both men’s and women’s football and works as a broadcaster and columnist for the Guardian, ITV Sport and Sky Sports, as well as her role as a sponsorship consultant for Visa.