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by Aimee-Lou Caldecourt, Verena Camesasca and Katie Vince

 

Introduction

The energy was palpable as the delegates filled the famous Bobby Moore hall. This year marks the fourth Women in Football Be Inspired Conference in partnership with Barclays, and looking across at the sea of 500 people, mainly women, today’s host Reshmin Chowdhury reminded us: “This is not just a sisterhood. It’s a support network; everyone is here to give and to support.”

The stage was handed to WIF CEO Yvonne Harrison, who kicked off the day by reminding us that while football should belong to everyone, unfortunately for too long this has not been the case.

Yvonne ended her speech by expressing to the room that “today is about having uncomfortable conversations, but in a safe space. Today is about creating opportunities for women at all levels, on and off the pitch. Today is about taking action. Because inspiration alone is not enough.”

She thanked sponsors Barclays for making today’s event possible, and shone a light on WIF’s four new directors, urging the delegates to introduce themselves and make the most of the day.

The first session of the day closed with a landmark moment as Women in Football became a signatory to the signing of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration on Women and Sport.

Lisa O’Keefe, Secretary General of IWG Women & Sport, was next to take the stage as she outlined the declaration – an international treaty aimed at supporting the development of a more fair and equitable system of sport and physical activity, fully inclusive of women and girls.  

As Lisa looked across the room, she asked the crowd for a favour: “We need your knowledge. Where you’re making change, we want to hear it.”

She signed off by thanking the delegates and WIF, and urging each and every attendee to connect, share their knowledge, and feel included.  

 

Women in Football: Challenging the System, Changing the Game, Shaping the Future

Supported by the Premier League

Sky Sports News anchor Hayley McQueen sat down with Maggie Murphy (sports business and strategy consultant and incoming WIF director), Matthew Ryder (independent non-executive director, Premier League) and Kelly Simmons OBE (sports consultant and WIF director) to discuss lobbying for change, the recent progress made and the ongoing work to ensure access and opportunity for all women working in the game.

Maggie discussed her new role as a non-executive board director at Women in Football, alongside her work as a sports business and strategy consultant. Importantly, she noted that WIF’s aim is to make football a lot more representative of the people they actually serve, saying “we all have a role to play” in the change.

She discussed the role that WIF plays in the football industry, as they set important targets to open more doors for women.

Matthew talked about the importance of setting targets for football clubs to increase representation behind the scenes, especially so with his work in the Premier League. “You have to strive the balance between telling people what to do and setting/emphasising targets for clubs,” he said.

“I believe that when you set targets to reach standards, you don’t lower the standards. It forces you to look harder for the talent that is out there.”

He also shared that the Premier League has set a target of employing 50% women by 2031, emphasising the need for setting these high standards.

Kelly spoke about her former role as the Director of Women’s Professional Game with the FA, alongside her current work in sports consultancy.  

She said: “We want to help women to get into these 150-year-old football structures. We want to create an environment that women can thrive and excel in.”

Discussing the rapid growth of the women’s game across the world, she shared that quicker change was expected with women working in senior and executive roles: “This has been slow and is holding back the women’s game.”

 

The Team Behind The Team: The Backbone of Success

Supported by Road3

This panel, hosted excellently by the BBC’s Natalie Pirks, delved deeply into the people who are behind the scenes in the industry. These people are the players’ biggest support networks.   

The Director of Player Services at the PFA, Simon Barker, highlighted the importance of gaining the trust and respect of players when trying to consult and advise them in their careers: “Trust is everything in this industry.” The pure drive of the love of the game keeps him going; wanting to help players is not a job and feels more like a vocation to him.  

This was backed up by Liz Ellen, founder of Livida Sport and WIF director. The trust of the players is difficult to gain, she said, especially when a language barrier might exist. “It’s so important to educate and empower the players,” she said.

It becomes crucial to support the young players as well who are signing their first professional contract, which Remmie Williams, a FIFA-registered agent at Tongue Tied Management, explained. Ensuring these young talents understand each clause in their contract is incredibly important so they know what they’re going to expect in the future.

Ruth Careaga, Financial Advisor for Thompson Private Wealth, converses with South American players in the Premier League. Giving them financial advice when they have not been brought up with financial security “is hard… it’s a work in progress.”

Eyes turned to social media and the negative impacts it can have on player welfare and well-being. Supporting their media presence, too, is vital. Giving players experience and media training when more eyes are watching them is key. Sympathy can be in short supply for footballers.

All the panellists highlighted their enthusiasm for supporting players at every stage of their careers and how crucial it is for this behind-the-scenes support to be available at all times.

 

Investing in the Women’s Game: New Landscape, New Opportunities

Supported by Women's Football Awards

The next panel was a groundbreaking group of trailblazers who took to the stage to discuss commercial investment in the women’s game.  

Led by host Valerie Goldstein (Senior Advisor, Livida Sport), the panel kicked off firing on all cylinders and offering hard truths and insights for the audience.  

Valerie started by addressing Mercury/13’s co-founder and co-CEO, Mario Malave, who talked the crowd through the importance of unlocking the potential of players and allowing them to grow their brand. Mario shared his views – that women’s football is still in startup mode, so everything should be done through a lens that caters to the new demographic that are a part of the game.

Mario is currently focussing his attention on several teams in Europe and shared an alarming example of where visibility of the industry is seriously lacking. “Women in Italy, which makes up half of the country's population, haven’t been spoken to about football”, he said. “But we’re here to make change. Get on board. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And of course there is ROI – it’s not a charity.”

Passing the baton to the brilliant Jacqui Oatley MBE, football commentator and sport presenter, the delegates delighted in hearing more about the future of women’s football and what’s in store.

“Think about the potential, the growth of women in football”, she urged. “It’s not just about ‘oh, let’s give women a space to play, let’s be nice to women and let the little girls play’. No! It’s about thinking bigger, expanding in the right areas, investing in the right teams. Think about the fans, and how we can do things differently. Women’s football is a blank canvas. Get amongst it!”

Here are some of the main takeaways from our other panellists:  

• “There needs to be more understanding that players are assets. Growth is key and building infrastructure is key” – Luca Russo, VP, Women's Football Europe, Wasserman
• “We need to walk before we can run. We support where we see strong opportunities, where you can make a difference. Leading with a sustainable business approach” – Rowena Samarasinhe, founder and Managing Director, GENSport  
• “Of course there are challenges, nothing is perfect, but it’s about looking at it like a puzzle that fits together. The goal is to leverage talent and synergies across the entire ecosystem of a football club” – Maria Xing, Head of Investments & Corporate Development, Brera Holdings

 

Lise Klaveness, President, Norwegian Football Association

In conversation with Reshmin Chowdhury

Supported by Barclays

TV broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury sat down with the President of the Norwegian Football Association, Lise Klaveness. Lise discussed the challenges she faces in her role, both personally and professionally.

On balancing motherhood and her line of work she said: “I stopped breastfeeding my son the week before I went back to work. During the day I leaked milk on my white shirt, and I was ignored because people felt so uncomfortable.”

Lise discussed the importance of a healthy work-life balance, even when operating in a role at such a high level. “I don’t want to wake up in the blink of an eye and have lost out on seeing my children grow up,” she said. “It’s possible to do both, but it’s hard work.”

Lise went on to discuss the position of advocating for women’s football in her role, stressing the importance of male allyship. “When you have your power base on the men’s side and feel safe, then you can change thinks on the women’s side. You know they have your back.”

Discussing the role of politics within football, Lise discussed speaking out against the 2022 FIFA World Cup being hosted in Qatar. In 2024, she called on FIFA to publish its report on possible failings at the tournament.

“We are part of a world where it is better to keep your head down and keep your position,” she said. “But I think we need to be more open to these conversations.”

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