A major review of women’s football in England by former international Karen Carney MBE has called for the top two leagues in the country to turn professional, as well as pushing for a dedicated television broadcast slot for matches.
The ‘Raising the Bar’ report, commissioned by the UK government following England’s Euro 2022 triumph to examine issues facing the game’s development, was published on Thursday ahead of this month’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Carney, who won 144 England caps over a 14-year period before becoming a pundit, said in her review that the game had reached a “defining moment” and needed to raise minimum standards across four areas — “corporate structures, the professional environment, fan experience, and grassroots”.
While the top-level Women’s Super League (WSL) comprises 12 fully professional teams, the second tier Championship currently features several semi-professional sides where, according to the report, “players are more likely to be working multiple jobs to support themselves”.
The FA has recently reviewed the ownership of the WSL and Women’s Championship, proposing to set up a new independent entity, ‘NewCo’, and Carney said that “professionalisation” was a priority, insisting that addressing a “gulf in…
