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by Aimee-Lou Caldecourt, Verena Camesasca and Katie Vince

 

Normalising Women's Roles in Football: Advocating for Safer Spaces and Inclusive Environments

Supported by Women in Football

This deeply moving panel hosted by broadcaster Faye Carruthers highlighted the struggles of misogyny and racism in football and what should be done to overcome it.

Eni Aluko MBE spoke openly and vulnerably about her struggles with online abuse, and was heavily supported by Jo Tongue MBE, who explained the plans to try and eradicate online abuse.

Jo went on to say: “It is not going to stop; it is a societal problem.” Plans in place for a response, should another case of abuse occur to the extent suffered by Eni last January.

“There is a really big problem with social media,” added Sarah Nurse, Programme Editor for ITV Sport.

“The law is struggling to keep up with the pace of the issue,” said Hazel Brayden, Managing Associate at Mishcon de Reya, who believes that a shift needs to be seen to protect women and girls online. Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates shared her views around how far online abuse towards women has got and why. “We haven’t been good enough... we have become complacent,” she said.

Creating content which normalises women in sport is crucial to create an accepting society, reflected the panel. Jo urged her team to make some ‘day in the life’ content to just reiterate that women are supposed to be in the roles they are, just the same as anyone else.

Societally, said Kelly, “women are judged first on how they look”. It becomes important to change social norms to support women in the industry.

Faye put it brilliantly towards the end: “It’s not all men: it’s a pocket of toxicity.” This really did hammer home that there are specific groups in the depths of the internet who are stuck in their own echo chamber.

 

The Business of Change: Best Practice for Positive Impact in Organisations, in Football, and Beyond  

Supported by Mishcon de Reya LLP

Where there is football, there is positivity. But there is also a need for positive change. The first of the afternoon breakout events kicked off with a strong panel who discussed the positive impact in football organisations and beyond.  

“Football is on a journey”, Justine Roberts CBE (founder and CEO, Mumsnet and non-executive director, EFL) states firmly. “But football is not representative enough at the top. We’ve got a way to go.” She talked of real commitment, and holding senior stakeholders accountable.  

Martina Pavlova (Women’s Vice-Chair, ECA; International Relationships Manager and Head of Sports Department, Sparta Prague FC), agreed, saying: “You need to encourage and empower both men and women and create a meaningful path. Don’t put me [in a role] just because I am a female,” she exclaimed. “Create a real space, for real impact.”

The conversation continued, with talk of EDI strategy and positive impact in football. Yasir Mirzan (Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, The FA), talked through the societal challenges that he’s seeing arise of late. “What shows up in society shows up in our stadiums,” he said. “There’s no silver bullet solution but it’s about understanding what’s playing out and how we can align. How can we unite the game and how can we unite together?”

Neil Saunders (Director of Football, The Premier League) rounded up the discussion by talking about diversity both on and off the pitch. He stated calmly that it’s about representing those who aren’t represented. It’s about pulling from all parts of our societies, adding that “change doesn’t happen overnight – but we’re starting to see it. We need to celebrate our successes and small wins and the investment that’s been made.”

Bringing it back to today’s purposes, Neil left us with an important takeaway: “Yes, it's important to celebrate women in football. But most importantly, we should also normalise it.”

 

Building Your Own Path: Navigating the Triumphs and Challenges of Small Business and Freelance Life

Supported by Xero

This insightful panel discussed the stories of small business owners in women’s football, hosted by journalist and broadcaster Karthi Gnanasegaram and featuring Claire Bowden-Hughes, Helen Hardy, Marcia Lewis and Rachel O’Sullivan.

Claire is the CEO and founder of En2End, a brand experience and sports events agency. She stressed the importance of trying to adapt to new situations and ways of thinking when running a business.

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve already got,” said Claire. She recognised the difficulty of this, but assured us:L “You haven’t always got it figured out. That’s OK.”

Helen is the CEO and founder of Foudy’s, a retailer specialising in women’s football merchandise. At the time of Foudy’s launch, Arsenal was the only WSL team to sell shirts with the WSL printing. The aim was to change this and make football merchandise accessible for fans of women’s teams.

Although advised by the people around her not to leave her full-time job, she pursued the dream, and the business is now thriving. Her advice for those looking to start their own business was “don’t race yourself to the finish line”.

Marcia is the CEO and founder of No1 Fan Club, an independent parent-led platform for parents and guardians navigating the world of youth football. She shared the struggles she faced being the parent of a rising star in the football world, which influenced her to launch the business.

Receiving messages of support from these parents has kept Marcia fighting to grow her business, encouraging potential small-business owners to “feel the fear and do it anyway”.

Rachel is the co-founder of GirlsontheBall, an omnipresent source dedicated to covering women’s football, which was launched after the 2012 Olympics. Embarking on a 13-year journey with Girlsontheball, she emphasised: “Getting where you want to be is not linear. We all have a goal we want to get to; you’re not failing if you go sideways.”

 

Game Changers: Stories from the Top and the Power of Paying it Forward  

Supported by Sky Sports

Sky Sports presenter Caroline Barker hosted this insightful panel discussion, showcasing women’s football and those paving the way for its growth. The panellists were Monique Choudhuri, Kate Laurens, Jo Osborne and Preeti Shetty.  

Monique is the managing director at Versify Consulting and a director at Women in Football. She discussed the importance of ‘opening the door’ for the next generation of women in football: “I want to give up my space. I’m not going to be here forever… You’ve got to ask yourself; who’s going to carry on this legacy?”

Kate is the Chief Communications Officer at Arsenal, overseeing both the men’s and women’s teams. She raved about the women working in her team: “We are cheerleaders for each other and the women in our community at Arsenal.

“It’s important for men to hear these stories and know how women feel. Then they have the opportunity to clear pathways and become allies.” Kate added comments on male allyship within her workplace, and the footballing community as a whole.

Jo is the Head of Women’s Sport at Sky Sports, working her way up to her position from beginning as a Floor Runner. An important note added by Jo is that “the whole point of this role is for it not to exist any more… If we had equality, this role would not need to exist.”

Preeti is the CEO of Upshot and a non-executive director at Brentford FC, who works within a male-dominated football technology industry. She discussed the work that still needs to be done within the football industry, to allow space for them to thrive.

She said: “There’s less women working in Premier League clubs than when I started, the gender pay gap is widening, there aren’t enough women in executive roles – something isn’t working.”

The panel ended with the best piece of advice each panellist has been given:

Monique: “Always thank the people for the things they do.”

Kate: “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.”

Jo: “Be yourself, it’s too exhausting trying to be anybody else.”

Preeti: “Ask for what you’re worth.”

 

The Commercialisation of Football: Embracing Digitalisation, Unveiling New Opportunities for Brand/Fan Engagement and Increasing Revenue

Supported by Sports Interactive

Alison Lomax is Managing Director of YouTube UK & Ireland but also dubbed ‘The Queen of Digital’. As she introduced the afternoon panel ‘The Commercialisation of Football’ at the Arc, the sun was shining, and the topics were coming in hot. Alison started by talking through the power of content creation coming straight from the players. “Think Ilona Maher, and Jude Bellingham, whose latest presence on social media has sold out stadiums. We’re really starting to see the rise of athletes as content creators.”

She turned to Lisa Parfitt (co-founder, the Space Between and Women in Football director), who pointed out that there’s so much in store for women’s football. “The fans are growing and guiding the community,” she said. “Arsenal and the Lionesses are great examples of showing how their players are not just footballers – they’re people who express themselves in fashion, music, culture.”

Rhyanna Parara, presenter and content creator, nodded enthusiastically, confirming that her favourite part of working in football is linked directly to the beauty that happens off the pitch. She said: “It’s so much more than just those 90 minutes. Tapping into everyone's culture is what makes women’s football so unique.”

In terms of next steps for brands to engage with football fans, Rob Cottingham, Sports Interactive’s PR & Content Manager, is the expert. He urged brands to get to know women’s football and understand the potential for growth.

“Yes, there’s excitement,” said Rob, “but there’s also a chance growth may stagnate. Broadcasters need to change that; they need to push that further. The next generation of audiences are more likely to engage with players on social media or get into football via players who are active on social media. That is how you inspire fan loyalty and growth of a club.”  

Lisa finished with a strong point: “There are over 17 million Lionesses fans. That's not just a number; it's a seismic opportunity for brands seeking unparalleled reach. While the work to fully unlock this potential continues, the women's game is undeniably where the magic is happening, where differentiation thrives, and where inclusivity expands your audience beyond traditional boundaries. This isn't just about reaching a market; it's about shaping the future of sport.”

 

Changing The Game, Changing Communities: The Social Impact of Grassroots Football and Inclusion Programmes

Supported by EFL

Mollie Kmita, founder of The Powerhouse Project, kicked off this panel perfectly, saying: “Football has the opportunity to make you believe.” The power of sport can inspire millions globally.  

Host Debbie Cook (Director of Community, EFL) then turned for input to Uma Cresswell, Senior Independent Director at EFL in the Community. Uma said charity clubs become like “a second home,” providing programmes to help the community, such as mental health projects and cost of living programmes.

Projects and programmes like these can “break down barriers” agreed Debbie. These charities, however, still need support. Ruth Shaw OBE, CEO of the Premier League Charitable Fund, added: “Anything that is a societal issue, we can solve through football.”

The Powerhouse Project is an incredible programme run by Rosie and Mollie. It started out as a coaching programme but has since expanded to the media landscape with their partnership with Google Pixel. Rosie said: “The work we are doing there is so important to us… we really just want to give back and make sure that no young girl or young woman goes through confidence shattering when the camera goes live.”  

“The power of players is phenomenal,” says Ruth, pointing out that they are able to connect an entire population just by being active in the community and being that role model for the youth.

The panel concluded that seeing people belong in football and give back is their greatest achievement.

 

Julie Uhrman, CEO & Co-founder, Angel City FC

In conversation with Kelly Cates

Supported by Sky Sports

CEO and co-founder of Angel City FC Julie Uhrman was in conversation with Sky Sports broadcaster Kelly Cates for the day’s final fireside chat.  

Julie stands by the mantra “beat the no”, explaining that “you don’t have to be a risk-taker to say no. It is so much harder to say yes.”

Angel City FC’s strategy is to use sport and entertainment to build equity, she added. Investment came through the actor and film producer Eva Longoria as City promotes gender equity and is now using football for something greater.

Over the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Julie, there were many uncertainties in terms of the impacts it would have on the NWSL and whether or not it would be sustainable.  

She continued: “If we have a seat at the table, we can make a decision and an impact on the league and its longevity.”

Before Angel City existed, Julie would go to football training around Los Angeles asking the public if they would like a women’s team from LA and would then tell them that Angel City FC was on its way.  

Angel City gather 52% women to 48% men in terms of attendance which is an astonishing figure in comparison to the English game.  

Julie spoke about having to invest massive funds to get a return as fans will turn up and continue to support the club. Angel City continue to sell out and have returned hundreds of millions of dollars in their five-year existence.

“I think Angel City has fundamentally changed football,” she said.

 

Conference wrap-up 

Ebru Köksal, Chair, Women in Football

As the Women In Football Be Inspired Conference drew to a close, WIF Chair Ebru Köksal talked us through the day. And wow, what a day we have had!

Ebru asked the delegates to stand up if they felt like game changers and role models. Again, that sea of 500 stood up.  

She thanked every member who attended: the curators, the sponsors, the board members and directors who “have had a ripple effect on changing the industry for the better.” 

We were reminded of the power of resilience, the female lens and the need to redesign the playbook and turn things upside down.  

Ebru nodded to Lise Klaveness for her “unwavering values – the fact that change is scary". And she added that we can and must “rock the boat without falling off it – that's the long game.” 

Ebru noted that everyone's stories touched her greatly, and that we all carry responsibility to ensure the next generation do not face the same barriers we did.  

“Women are still underrepresented in leadership roles. Not just in football. Too many talented women are struggling to break through the glass (or grass) ceiling”, she said. “This is a loss for all businesses who miss out on diverse perspectives."

Ebru shared the many opportunities that Women in Football have created and will continue to create: “That’s why we are investing in pathways for women to lead influence and shape the future of football. When diverse leadership becomes the norm, and not the exception, we start to grow.” 

Finally, Ebru expressed joy in seeing so many male allies present in the room today. “Men need to be on our side, to ensure we can do this all together – we cannot do this alone. They will be advocates, mentors and champions, supporting us on our journey.” 

Before handing over to Yvonne for a final remark, she left us with a question: “Will you advocate for more diverse spaces and more inclusive environments?” 

We hope to see you next year.  

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