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by Anna Kessel MBE

Eighteen years ago, no-one really talked about women in our national game. From the pitch, to the stands, the backroom to the press box, football was a man’s game – and there wasn’t much argument to suggest otherwise.

Women who worked in the industry felt conspicuous – and they were. Doing your job often meant being a trailblazer, a lonely path that came with high scrutiny. As a young sports journalist, predominantly covering men’s football for The Observer, I stood out more than I wanted to and I felt for all the women inadvertently thrust into the spotlight.

This fear of standing out, or being made a target for criticism, made many women frightened to talk about gender equality, and its intersections. A common refrain was “I don’t want to be seen as a woman, I just want to get on with my job.” It was telling that women felt they had to make a choice between the two.

No wonder, when you consider the climate at that time. From Amy Rayner (later Fearn), who in 2006 was publicly criticised by manager Mike Newell for giving a penalty as assistant referee (“This is Championship football… not park football, what are women doing here?”) to the outcry over Delia Smith’s infamous rallying call in 2005 for her Norwich team: “Let’s be having you!” Simply being a woman in football – especially on the pitch – was a contentious existence. With the governance of the game offering little protection – leading Premier League clubs only introduced a ban on sexist chanting in 2013 – there seemed to be almost no national conversation about sexism and misogyny.

It was into this context, in 2006, as a young journalist that I had the idea to bring women across the football industry together in an effort to support each other, share professional contacts and make the experience less lonely. I remember going to see Kelly Simmons OBE, Head of Football Development at the FA, at their old offices in Soho Square. Along with Lucy Faulkner and Morag Taylor, Kelly was welcoming and encouraging, and offered to host an initial event for around 30 women. I was buoyed, and grateful for their support.

Those at the top of the FA, however, felt differently. Discreetly, the message came back that the FA Council – 91 of whose 92 councillors at that time were men – would feel very “uncomfortable” with the idea of women getting together. As a compromise, a multi-sport conference for women was to be hosted, at Charlton Athletic FC, with support from sporting giants Amanda Bennett, Sallie Barker and Anita White.

It was through organising that event that I was introduced to Shelley Alexander, then Assistant Editor at Football Focus – a rare example of a woman in such a senior role, and more broadly a champion of women in the industry. The impact of that work can be seen in the careers of such luminaries as Rebecca Lowe and Jacqui Oatley MBE, Jessica Creighton and, later, Miriam Walker-Khan. Like Kelly, Shelley didn’t bat an eyelid that I was new to the industry; instead, she listened to my story and pledged to help. She created the opening short film for that inaugural event at Charlton, and brought her determination, as well as an impressive network of contacts.

 

Standing room only

In Charlton’s press room on a sweltering summer’s day, it was standing room only as women lined the staircase. “I remember the Charlton event in an underground room that was so hot,” recalls then BBC reporter Rebecca Lowe, now star anchor of NBC’s Premier League and Olympics coverage. “I was incredibly nervous – I think I only knew maybe Jacqui and Shelley, nobody else.”

That afternoon women celebrated being together and sharing challenges – from trying to secure coverage of women’s sport to the struggle to be taken seriously in the boardroom. But the overriding feeling was: what comes after this? “It doesn’t matter that we don’t have funding,” Shelley said afterwards in a follow-up meeting at the old BBC canteen, “we can do it on our own.” That was WIF co-founder Shelley to a tee: can-do attitude, passion and belief in bucketloads.

“It was good that women could get together and just be with other women who got it, who understood,” remembers Jacqui. “We needed that safe space and not to be judged for it but to work out what we could do as a collective. That’s how we became more proactive rather than reactive, to try and resolve the issues.” A committee of volunteers was gathered, and Women in Football was officially formed. It was to be the start of something special.

 

"Women had by then, of course, already been prime ministers, astronauts and scientists, but talking about men’s football was clearly beyond any of our sex"

 

“I just remember feeling like we were almost seen as upstarts in this kind of union,” recalls Rebecca Lowe. “A lot of people – including women – were like, 'Oh, that’s a bit sad you’re doing that', or just 'Why are you doing that?' It highlighted how few of us there were, and how difficult it was. But it was important work that had to be done to lay the foundations for what is WIF now. It was such an honour and a joy to play a part in what is now a revolutionary institution in England. I’m forever proud to have been a part of it.”

The following spring, Jacqui Oatley, already trailblazing as a respected football commentator on national radio, was offered a debut on Match of the Day. I remember her calling me to talk it through – we knew it was going to be big news. But no-one could have predicted quite how big. Reporters doorstepped her mum, called old classmates, and ran a daily debate across national newspapers and broadcast on whether – heaven forbid – a woman could possibly commentate on a men’s football match.

Women had by then, of course, already been prime ministers, astronauts and scientists, but talking about men’s football was clearly beyond any of our sex. It was a torrid environment to make a debut in on national television. A decade later BBC commentator Robyn Cowen paid tribute: “Jacqui took a bullet for us,” she told The Guardian.

 

Support structure

Jacqui’s experience made up our minds: women needed a support structure, a quiet space away from judgement and prejudice. We informally gathered together a small group of women to help organise our first event – with Gemma Clarke, football journalist turned press officer at West Ham United FC, kindly securing the Boleyn Ground as our inaugural venue. The committee – which also included then Watford FC press officer Jackie Bass, Observer Sports Monthly deputy editor Emma John and Mirror reporter Ann Gripper – began planning that first event in August 2007.

In those days, of course, there was no Zoom, so we had to get together in real life to make arrangements. We were very conscious of wanting to represent roles across the sector – from backroom to boardroom – and we encouraged women to pass on invitations to their networks. As a result, the final guest list for that first event read like a who’s who of football, including some of the most powerful women in the game.

On 22 November 2007 women travelled from as far as Scotland to Upton Park. Shelley hosted a stellar panel of Heather Rabbatts – just 12 months into her first role in football as Millwall’s executive deputy chair – Misia Gervis, the England women’s psychologist, and Jacqui, all speaking incredibly candidly to around 50 women.

Heather was formidable and the room hung on her every word, as she regaled us with stories. There was the chairman who greeted her with a quick appraisal of her legs, refusing to acknowledge her phenomenal CV which included board positions at the Bank of England and the British Council. She showered us with advice – including 'always sit at the head of the table, no matter how you might be feeling inside'.

 

"If women chose to work in men’s football, they were often treated with contempt. WIF played a part in changing that culture"

 

We heard many disturbing experiences that evening, from the male manager who exposed himself to a female colleague, to the male colleagues who visited a brothel together on work trips. Many women said they were prevented from doing their jobs simply because of their sex.

“I chatted to a woman at a high-profile [men’s] team whose [male] manager refused to speak to her, purely because she was a woman,” recalls Gemma Clarke, now based in the US and author of Soccerwomen. “She had to have a go-between in order to do her job. The culture was so toxic. Women who loved football had no professional game of their own to play or work in, but if they chose to work in men’s football, they were often treated with contempt. WIF played a part in changing that culture. It’s a legacy to be proud of.”

The next morning Jacqui presciently wrote to the WIF committee to say “I think we've all found the future saviour of the FA – the woman to bang heads together and kick some backsides. Heather Rabbatts inspired everyone in the room.” Four years later Heather was duly appointed the first woman – and first person of colour – to join the board of the FA. In 2016 she was made a dame for services to football and equality.

 

Connective spirit

WIF had launched a game-changing movement, capturing a connective spirit that would power women into previously unchartered territory. Emma John remarked at the time: “It's hugely exciting to think that something so informal and friendly is actually going to affect one of the highest-profile industries in the UK, that a powerful cadre of women are about to start changing football from the inside; and all because we took the time simply to introduce ourselves to each other and listen to each other's stories.”

A string of WIF events were to follow – Tottenham, an event I recall Anita Asante attending as a young England starlet with her mum, Wolves where the legendary Rachel Heyhoe-Flint spoke, Arsenal with Sky Sports’ Vicky Gomersall and the world’s first female football agent Rachel Anderson, and Wembley with Hope Powell CBE. A string of pioneering women backed and supported WIF’s work, from then National Referees Manager Janie Frampton to Professor Sue Bridgewater who brought her expertise in research. Away from the limelight there were male allies too, with Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd pledging his support for the board.

 

 

Up until that point WIF had remained a largely underground organisation. But after Sian Massey-Ellis became the subject of sexist comments from high-profile presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray, increasingly there was pressure to speak out and represent the women in the industry who were being targeted. And so it came about that at Manchester City, in 2011, a film crew – led by Gabby Logan – joined WIF to document our story.

The resulting BBC film was called Sexism in Football? The question mark in the title says everything about the lack of confidence in the subject at that time. I had just become a mum, and remember being filmed for an interview in which I had to grab a brooch to cover the baby sick on my lapel. Gabby kindly held my baby daughter, and turned sexist memories into hilarious anecdotes with her quick wit and humour.

WIF’s growth began to accelerate, with new committee members coming on board including agenda-setting disability campaigner Joyce Cook CBE OBE, filmmaker Archana Kalyana and Football Foundation’s Alex Fairhurst. “From the get-go there was a real understanding of the importance of inclusion and diversity and representation of different women from different cultures and experiences,” recalls Joyce, then Chair of Level Playing Field. “We all brought different thinking, different skillsets, different experiences but in the end we all had the same needs, desires and issues.”

Events at Fulham and Chelsea followed, with panelists including Uefa’s Karen Espelund and Justine Roberts CEO of Mumsnet, while campaigner and future best-selling author of Invisible Women Caroline Criado-Perez sat in the audience, stunned by the stories she heard.

“I remember looking at all of you and thinking, ‘Wow, they are absolutely brilliant at what they do’,” recalls Archana of her first board meeting. “It was the first time I’d been in that kind of environment and it really lifted my spirit and my confidence. It was great to have female allies. For the first time I felt comfortable that if there was anything I wanted to speak about or share, then I could do so. I look back fondly and think what a long way we’ve come. But it still feels like a mountain to climb, doesn’t it? I’ve kept in touch with Shelley, Ruth and Jo [Tongue]. WIF helped me at a very unusual time of my career; that was a very important thing for me.”

 

"WIF were a small but mighty group of talented and committed women who were shaking things up, and having fun while they were doing it"

 

In 2014, Barclays came on board – helped by Jacqui Oatley and Gabby Logan – which would begin an enduring sponsorship of the organisation’s work, enabling WIF to grow and support more women across the industry. More partnerships followed – from sports lawyer Liz Ellen joining the board and bringing pro bono legal advice for all members through Mishcon de Reya, to Ruth Shaw OBE in 2012 who brought DCMS expertise and helped WIF to become a stakeholder nominating women for honours. Both are partnerships that continue to this day.

Ruth and Joyce were crucial in bringing structure and governance to an organisation that was entirely volunteer-run on minimum resource. “I was quietly thrilled to be invited in to help make change with trailblazers and pioneers from the sports world,” recalls Ruth, at the time CEO of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, now CEO at The Premier League Charitable Fund. “WIF was built on a foundation of unwavering support for other women working in the industry. I’d been working in football for a little while by then and saw opportunities to improve gender equality everywhere I looked, but the only people I could really see doing anything about it were WIF – a small but mighty group of talented and committed women who were shaking things up, and having fun while they were doing it.”

With increased support, came resource. WIF’s first staff members began to be recruited, Clare Fitzboydon joined from the Football Foundation, followed by Sarah Gordon-Jones – now Events Manager for WIF – and Lucy Pepper from Millwall FC. Industry surveys were rolled out, events and mentoring, and always the confidential support behind the scenes, not least from former board member and solicitor Jean Bevan. The survey results helped the general public to understand the experiences of women better. I remember going on BBC Breakfast to talk about how professional female referees and medics were getting changed in the toilets with men’s kit because there was nowhere else to go – a fact that shocked the presenters and viewers. Throughout our media appearances, board member Jo Tongue MBE was invaluable, helping to prepare us for live TV with calm direction, unending kindness and humour.

 

Pivotal

It was a pivotal time in the public consciousness too, as the conversation about sexism in football reached the highest office in the sector. In May 2014 emails written by Richard Scudamore, then CEO of the Premier League, were leaked to the newspapers which referred to "female irrationality” and contained sexual innuendos. There were widespread calls for Scudamore to resign, including Prime Minister David Cameron remarking that a member of his cabinet would not have survived.

The events thrust WIF into the limelight, and it became increasingly apparent that women in the industry lacked a voice to represent them. An intense fortnight of media coverage ensued, and calls for WIF to comment on the developments came day and night. There was no time to arrange childcare. On one occasion, I remember standing outside the BBC being interviewed by TV reporter Natalie Pirks, my three-year-old daughter holding my hand and the camera cropping her out of shot as I tried to string my words together on very little sleep.

That pattern of speaking out continued, as Dr Eva Carneiro, then at Chelsea, became the target of sexism from coach Jose Mourinho – another scandal that dominated the headlines and ultimately forced Carneiro out of club football despite a stellar career. “What was very powerful,” recalls Joyce Cook OBE, now senior advisor to the FIFA President, “was WIF was not afraid to stand by, very publicly, anybody who was struggling in the game and make very clear statements on that. I think it’s critically important that WIF keeps that voice.” Balancing a critical voice, with a collaborative approach to creating change in the industry was and remains vital, and WIF’s financial and structural independence in football is key to sustaining that integrity.

WIF lost beloved supporters along the way, most notably early board member and trailblazer Vikki Orvice, the first female staff member to write about football for The Sun. Vikki lived with breast cancer for 12 years, and juggled drafting press releases for WIF with undergoing chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden, seemingly never running out of energy or commitment to campaigning for gender equality. In her final weeks she set up a scholarship scheme at The Sun for aspiring sports writers – Isabelle Barker was the first recipient and is now an established reporter for the paper.

Almost two decades after the founding of WIF, it is depressing to acknowledge that some of these themes have resurfaced. Women in the public eye have been trolled and made to feel unsafe, simply for doing their jobs. “For me the concern is that it doesn’t all slip back, because that can easily happen,” warns Joyce Cook, who went on to lead FIFA’s reforms in safeguarding, having seen some of the worst elements of the game. “We need WIF to keep banging that drum, both internationally, and in the UK.”

In 2024 women have a support network of thousands to connect with through WIF, a lobby that reaches football’s stakeholders and government, and a swell of high-profile and high-powered decision-making women and men committed to shoring up the future of a more inclusive game. The women’s game is finally professional, and – even better – thrilling, with household names for stars, and equality for all women is a high-profile issue thanks to the campaigning efforts of trailblazers like Eniola Aluko MBE. WIF has a full time CEO in Yvonne Harrison, and longstanding Chair Ebru Köksal, a suite of leadership courses and mentoring programmes, and a board with leading figures from across football – from Brighton CEO Paul Barber OBE and Birmingham COO Lungi Macebo to former FA exec Kelly Simmons OBE.

“There is a mountain still to climb,” former WIF board member Archana Kalyana reflects, “but I do look back fondly and think what a long way we’ve come.”

• Next in the Story of WIF: Who we are

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