The Women’s World Cup kicks off next month – and England might even win it. Mark Bailey interviews five key players from different generations to chart the unstoppable rise of women’s football
The future of football is feminine,” pledged Sepp Blatter in 1995, shortly before he was named president of Fifa. Nine years later, the head of global football suggested “pretty” female players could wear “tighter shorts”. The history of women’s football mirrors the same familiar trend of hopeful peaks and promises followed by troughs of sexism and lack of interest. But for the first time in history, England will send a fully professional women’s squad to the World Cup in France this summer. While past generations worked part-time, today’s England stars, such as Steph Houghton (Manchester City) and Lucy Bronze (Lyon) are not only paid, but supported by physios, coaches and analysts, and – despite Blatter’s blunder – a performance-focused kit designed exclusively for them.
This is a recent revolution. Central contracts, funded by the Football Association (FA) to help England’s female players earn a living, were introduced only in 2009, and are now worth £30,000 per year. The national Women’s Super League (WSL) finally turned professional in 2018, with players earning on average £26,752, compared to the £2.64m earned by players in the men’s Premier League, though routine WSL attendances average just 953, compared with 38,297 in the Premier League. But this nascent professionalism is enabling England’s players to take on the best in the world.
Continue reading...from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2VJ9t3z
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