In 2017 the Football Association launched its Gameplan for Growth for the women’s game. It was a strategy which set forth plans and targets for the development of women’s football from top to bottom. Three years on the FA had hit every target: doubling participation, doubling the fanbase, reaching the top three in the world in all England age groups and putting the senior England women’s team in good stead for the 2023 World Cup.
Now, we are two years into the new strategy, titled Positive Change. Already targets are being met, with England’s Euros success ticking off the ambition to win a major tournament. The momentum from that is still flowing and the World Cup, which will lift interest further, is only 10 months away. There is no better opportunity to accelerate the growth and development of the game, and to safeguard its future. But what are the key areas to address and what results should have been achieved when the 2023-24 WSL season starts next September?
