Players from Lewes Women have penned an open letter to Chelsea legend Karen Carney calling for equal FA Cup prize money in the men's and women's games.
The Championship side will take on Women's Super League title hopefuls Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup on Sunday and are the lowest-ranked side left in this year's competition.
Over the course of their cup campaign, Lewes have earned £45,000, which is a significant uplift on last season's prize pot but remains a figure that still lags far behind the £450,000 awarded to men's teams for reaching the equivalent stage.
Furthermore, while men’s teams will each be paid £200,000 for their televised quarter-finals, Lewes will receive no money for the their clash with United, despite the fact it is being broadcast live on the BBC.
It is this significant disparity between the men's and women's games that has prompted Lewes' first-team squad to appeal directly to Carney, who is set to chair major national review of women's football this year.
The former Lionesses midfielder will call on the services of Arsenal legend Ian Wright and ex-England boss Hope Powell to help examine issues affecting the game at elite and grassroots levels across the country. Lewes' open letter to Carney, published on Tuesday, implored Carney and her panel of experts to "keep the magic - just make it equal".
"Every season, female players up and down the football pyramid invest more time and personal resources into football," the letter reads. "These are the demands of the growing game which are reflected in the constantly improving standard and product of women's football. We are proud to drive the game forward, but we ask for fair reward."
Last year, the Football Association announced prize money for the Women’s FA Cup would increase from £428,915 to just under £3million. However, with the men’s prize pot also increasing by £3.9m - from £15.9m to £19.8m - the gap between the two competitions has grown even wider.
Carney's review has been set up after recommendations made in the fan-led review of football governance, published in November 2021 by ex-sports minister Tracey Crouch. It has outlined three aims related to domestic women's football: to look at audience reach and growth, to assess the game's financial health and long-term financial sustainability, and to examine its existing structures.
Carney has spent seven months gathering evidence and, alongside her panel, will pinpoint a number of key recommendations that will be made to the government. The findings of the review are expected to be published this summer.
