Phoebe Williams said “It’s long overdue, but it’s nice to finally see it happening. For so long the women’s game has been squeezed into stadiums that were clearly built for men. The growth of women’s football has been so different to the men’s, so it makes sense that the facilities haven’t yet caught up.”
Football stadiums have historically been built with males in mind, but as the Women’s Super League (WSL) continues to gain popularity, WSL football have revealed guidelines in what is claimed as a “world-first design” which will cater towards female athletes and supporters.
Williams believes to keep moving the game forward clubs need to support their women’s teams. “creating stadiums and facilities that actually prioritise female athletes and fans would make a huge difference, not just to performance but to how seriously the sport is viewed.”
The WSL fan base is primarily women, however the stadiums the games are played in are for mens football. There are currently no female friendly changing rooms, there are less female toilets, and no family areas. The differing factor in the new women’s stadiums would want to see 45% women’s toilets, 45% mens toilets and 10% gender neutral.
Phoebe claims designing stadiums with women in mind isn’t just about facilities — it’s about belonging. “it would help build real fanbases, because people feel more included when the space is designed with them in mind. It’s a really important step towards giving the women’s game the respect and investment it deserves.”
WSL football has worked with AFL architects, Mott Macdonald, current and former players, supporters, match officials, the media, engineers etc to lead a consultation process.
Arsenal women are playing their WSL home games at the emirates stadium, while Liverpool women are at BrewDog stadium which is the home of rugby league club St Helens. Although the game has skyrocketed with attendance and broadcasting numbers increasing, the facilities for the women are still behind.
It is evident that Women’s football is no longer a side project and should not be taken as one.
