FOOTBALL

Football is experiencing a boom period. SportsNation looks at how the football associations of the four home nations plan to grow participation even further

Football is experiencing a boom across the UK, with participation increasing across all four home nations. The growth has been credited to a combination of the successes of the national teams – both men’s andwomen’s – and well-planned strategies to make the sport more inclusive to all parts of society.

So, how are the individual football associations driving the sport forward and making football more inclusive and accessible to all?

ENGLAND

The Football Association (FA) published its strategy for grassroots football in England in March 2021, as the nation was slowly emerging from COVID-19 lockdowns. Titled Survive. Revive. Thrive. – reflecting the challenges the sport faced in the aftermath of pandemic – outlined seven “transformational objectives” through to 2024. These included increasing both male and female participation, improve the club network, enhance grassroots facilities and better support and retain the volunteer workforce.

Perhaps the most impressive of the enhancements and improvements achieved since the strategy’s publication is the growth seen in women and girls’ football. The number of female football teams across England has more than doubled over the last seven years, with the largest increases coming in the 2022-23 season, when almost 1,500 new teams were registered. The timing is no coincidence – the boom came in the immediate aftermath of England hosting UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 competition – a tournament won by the home nation, the Lionesses.

There had already been an increase of just over 1,400 new teams in the 2021-22 season. Some of the fastest growing regions were Surrey, where the regional football association (Surrey FA) saw the number of teams jump from 177 to 552 and Sussex FA, where the figure went from 162 to 489.

The growth wasn’t restricted to grassroots participation numbers, either. At the elite end of women’s football, professional clubs have seen a huge increase in interest, which has translated to larger crowds and a considerable upward trajectory in revenues. So much so that, In the first season following the Lionesses’ EURO 2022 triumph, the aggregate club revenue among the Women’s Super League – the top flight of women’s football in England – was more than double the total generated in 2020-21. The uplift in the 12 WSL clubs’ revenue (£4m in 2022-23, up from £2.7m in 2021-22) could largely be attributed to the improvement in commercial and matchday revenue, increased distribution for English clubs playing in UEFA competitions, and an uptick of income from a club’s corporate group. As clubs across the league mobilised to increase the use of their main stadia and enhanced their matchday offerings attracting average attendance of 5,616 (up nearly 200% on the previous season’s average of 1,923).

The power that football has to change lives has been opened up to a brand new generation of women and girls over this historic period

Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA’s director of women’s football, says: “The power football has to change lives has been opened up to a brand new generation of women and girls over this historic period.

“Much of the transformational growth we have seen over the last few years has been spearheaded by our trailblazing Lionesses whose success in the home EUROs gave us an unprecedented chance to change the future of the game forever. The legacy of their victory has transcended society, turning inspiration into participation with more women and girls stepping forward to play, whilst leaving the game in a better place for the generations to come.

“As we look ahead to the future, the priority is to make the game accessible to all women and girls, so that no matter their background or circumstance, all can access the benefits of football and the opportunities it can bring. Great strides are being made within this area, but change will not happen overnight and there is still a huge amount of work to do.”

Another of the strategy’s priority areas in which there has been significant development is facilities. The strategy included a pledge by the FA to improve the quality of football pitches in England – including a specific target of 5,000 “new, good-quality pitches” being added by 2024. In total, the FA outlined plans to invest more than £180m into grassroots football over the four seasons of the strategy.

A key role in the improvement of facilities is played by the Football Foundation. Over the past 20 years, the foundation has helped deliver projects worth nearly £2bn. Working together with the FA, the English Premier League and the central government, the foundation has published strategies for both natural grass pitches and 3G facilities. In total, the plan is to improve 20,000 grass pitches and develop 1,000 3G facilities over the next 10 years.

“Through our Local Football Facility Plans we know exactly what every community in England needs and deserves,” says Robert Sullivan, Football Foundation CEO. “From new 3G pitches and PlayZones to clubhouses and improved grass pitches, we are investing over £100m every year into the grant funding of clubs, schools, community groups and local authorities.”

Sullivan also emphasises how the success of the national teams – both women’s and men’s – can create a legacy, but only if there are plans and facilities in place to accommodate those looking to take part.

“Legacy as an aspiration off the back of elite success is a strategy of hope alone,” Sullivan says. “It must be aligned to a well resourced and executed plan.

“Compare and contrast London 2012 – with so much spoken of generational inspiration, but a limited pull through in terms of a co-ordinated plan to deliver a genuine change in sporting participation – with the Lionesses’ Women’s EURO 2022 victory. Since that victory women’s and girls’ football has doubled in size and is projected to be larger in scale than adult male 11-aside football by 2030.

“That’s phenomenal growth – but it has happened because elite success coincided with a well-considered, and well-resourced plan by The FA for the women’s and girls’ game at all levels. Young girls are being provided with the places to play and the coaches to support them to ensure their Lioness-inspired excitement transitions into a love of playing the game for life.”

WALES

Through this six-year strategy we will create stronger, healthier and connected communities

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) published its first grassroots football strategy – Enhancing Lives Through Football – in March this year (2024). The six-year strategy outlines FAW’s plans to grow and develop the game to 2030, focusing on the people who deliver community football on and off the pitch, increasing participation at all levels, improving behaviours and enhancing accessibility to the game.

With a mission of creating stronger, healthier & connected communities, the strategy identifies six strategic goals, which are focused on people, players, clubs, leagues, behaviours and facilities. The goals are: 1. Grow, support and develop the people who deliver community football on and off the pitch. 2. Develop inclusive and sustainable football clubs that enhance the lives of their community. 3. Take positive action to improve behaviour and eliminate abuse & discrimination in football, creating safe, welcoming and positive environments. 4. Work in collaboration with Area Associations to develop modern and flexible leagues that meet the future needs of community football. 5. Provide new targeted participation opportunities to grow and retain the number of people playing football. 6. Ensure everyone has access to quality, inclusive and sustainable facilities.

To help achieve the goals, the FAW will look to leverage fresh investment to support growth. For example, it will support clubs to secure new local funding to help deliver their development plans. FAW will also proactively engage key stakeholders – such as UEFA, FIFA, national and local governments and Sport Wales – to increase funding available to community football.

To help with this, FAW will look to demonstrate the value the funding creates through improved social return on investment measurement.

To help track its progress and achieve meaningful improvements, FAW has set itself a series of success measures. These are to: l Double the number of ‘off pitch’ volunteers l Double the number of coaches who are women and/or from an ethnically diverse background l 20% increase in the number of grassroots matches officiated by a qualified referee l 100% of clubs to have a club development plan l 50% increase in the number of girls playing aged 5-11 years l 50% reduction in players aged 12-17 leaving the game l Double the number of registered adults playing recreational football

Under the strategic goals are five enablers covering communications & marketing, digital products and technology, strong partnerships, data and insights, and new investment.

Ben Field, FAW Head of Grassroots Football, says: “Through this six-year strategy we will create stronger, healthier and connected communities. We will do this by developing people, growing participation, creating strong, sustainable and inclusive football clubs. We also want to see modern and flexible leagues with improved behaviours on and off the pitch.

“We have a team of seven Club Developers based within the six regional Area Associations. Their primary responsibility is to support clubs with their ‘off pitch’ requirements e.g. facility development, volunteer recruitment, retention and development, and governance improvements.

“Clubs are also able to access a library of online resources from the FAW ‘Clwb Cymru’ platform. Free digital resources providing guidance on any number of club related matters including attracting and retaining volunteers, facility management and development, engaging better with the local community and legal governance, amongst other topics.”

SCOTLAND

We will invest financial and human resource into supporting our grassroots game to collectively deliver ‘Football for All’

The Scottish FA’s vision is to harness the power of football and to use it to inspire the nation, transform lives, increase participation at all levels and build a united and successful national game. Its grassroots strategy, titled Football For All, covers the years 2022 to 2025 and is part of the SFA’s larger strategic plan, The Power of Football, launched in May 2021. Power of Football lays out plans to improve the national game at all levels up to and including the FIFA World Cup in 2030.

Produced in conjunction with UEFA Grow, Football For All is focused on removing the barriers that individuals can face to participating in organised football. The strategy is based on four ambitious ‘game changer’ objectives. Each ‘game changer’ has been purposefully identified to support increased participation by widening opportunities, reducing inequalities and removing barriers. Each of the four game changer objectives has a clearly defined, intended outcome, which the SFA hopes to reach by 2025. The four areas and outcomes are:

SCOTLAND continued

Empowering football clubs to become sustainable, adaptable and community-focused

Outcomes: Empower clubs through the creation of a Volunteer and Professional Workforce Development Programme and provide focused support to the network of community football clubs. The delivery of an accreditation programme that recognises, motivates and rewards ‘Football for All’ focused clubs and celebrates their contributions through an award scheme.

Improve access to quality community football spaces

Outcomes: Conducting a national infrastructure audit to improve community football space insight. Using data & insight – including UEFA Social Return on Investment (SROI) model – to influence policy and improve access to affordable, quality community football spaces. The creation of a sustainability strategy to enable clubs to share best practice, minimise environmental impact & maximise resource. Provide bespoke support and resources on the planning and development of football infrastructure projects.

Create a diverse and inclusive grassroots football community

Outcomes: Support the creation of a Para-Football Strategy and deliver the SFA’s strategy for girls and women’s football (called Accelerate our Game). Deliver a baseline demographic audit for grassroots football to allow our clubs to better understand their communities. Connect with key stakeholders to promote a more equal, diverse and inclusive culture

Provide a person-centred and inspiring football participation offering

Creation of community club-based recreational opportunities to complement match activity and promote ‘Football for All’ within primary schools. The creation and implementation of a ‘Let Them Play’ positive environment campaign.

In addition, the Football For All strategy is underpinned by four values – unity, equality, respect and belonging – which have been designed to shape the behaviours and actions of the grassroots community.

The Scottish FA says it will act as an “enabler and facilitator” in supporting the strategy into 2025. “We will invest financial and human resource into supporting our grassroots game to collectively deliver ‘Football for All’,” the SFA says. “Our investment decisions will be data- and insight-driven, to ensure our resources are used most effectively and efficiently and football’s needs are met. We will also look to improve our insights through an enhanced club engagement programme. Delivering on a series of stakeholder consultations we will continue to learn and understand the needs of our clubs to provide the most impactful support.”

DESIGNING INCLUSIVE FACILITIES

One of the reasons women and girls football is thriving is the realisation that female players have specific needs when it comes to facilities. Those needs are increasingly being met, as plans for new and redeveloped facilities now often include specific provision to make them inclusive to women and girls.

The Football Foundation, which funds facilities across England, has provided a useful Community Engagement Toolkit for those clubs and facility providers who are looking to make their venues and activities more accessible.

Among the key points highlighted in the guidance include:

l When co-designing activities with women and girls, make sure you understand the motivations for being active at your facility. l If working with faith-based groups that require female-only activities, work with them to identify practical ways of ensuring activities are safe and secure.

l For many women and girls, the social connection at sports activities is as important as being active. “We’re investing more money than ever to create amazing places for everyone to play,” the Football Foundation says. “We want these facilities to be designed with women and girls as a forethought, not an afterthought. We’re committed to delivering facilities that provide equal access to women and girls playing football across the country, by ensuring every Football Foundation applicant makes the same equal access commitment.”

l The community engagement guide can be accessed here: [www.footballfoundation.org.](http://www.footballfoundation.org/)uk/cet-priority-groups-page/women-girls

l If you are planning a football facility project, be sure to use a SAPCA member. The association’s 240+ members are carefully vetted for excellence and are committed to SAPCA’s Codes of Practice and guidelines – ensuring they work to the highest standards. For more info, visit: [www.sapca.org.uk](http://www.sapca.org.uk/)

NORTHERN IRELAND

The Irish Football Association (IFA) – the sport’s national governing body in Northern Ireland – is now in the second year of its five-year corporate strategy. Covering the years 2022 - 2027 and titled A Roadmap For Football, the strategy covers all aspects and levels of football across Northern Ireland, from improving performance and participation levels to improving facilities, generating revenue, engagement, women’s and girls’ football and corporate social responsibility.

The document outlines more than 30 strategic objectives and covers over 100 actions. The targets which the association is aiming to meet over the five-year period are outlined in seven strategic pillars – participation, performance, facilities, revenue, engagement, women’s and girls’ football plus corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The pillars are supported by four “enablers” – people and operations; governance and regulation; performance and tracking; and data analysis and insights.

Patrick Nelson, IFA’s Chief Executive, says: “The targets contained in the seven strategic pillars and four enablers set out what we want to achieve. When drawing the strategy up, we consulted widely with stakeholders from all aspects of the football family across Northern Ireland. We staged up to 50 strategy workshops and working group meetings and held several discussion forums with the stakeholders.”

One of the key strategic pillars is facilities and the IFA has outlined clear targets for itself. These include building an international-class training and development centre and delivering at least three Category 3 UEFA stadia. There is also a commitment to ensuring playing surfaces are consistently high quality to facilitate enhanced performance and to support “ambitious clubs” who wish to progress through the football pyramid in Northern Ireland – while ensuring continuous improvement and availability of facilities at the everyday game level.

Every pound generated by the Irish FA goes straight back into supporting football in Northern Ireland – from grassroots to elite level

When it comes to participation numbers, the IFA wants to see 100,000 young people and 50,000 adults regularly participating in football by 2025. “Our role is to encourage participation at all levels, from all communities and from every corner of the country,” the IFA says. “Some may make a career out of football. The vast majority, however, will play simply for the love of the game and the health, fitness and general wellbeing qualities it brings.”

To help hit its targets of increasing participation and improved facilities, the IFA looks to increase the amount of money it is investing into the sport. In order to do this, it is looking to generate revenues in excess of £100m over the strategy’s five year period. As part of plans to increase income, the IFA is working towards establishing the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park as a premium venue for conferences and entertainment events and optimise the international match ticketing strategy. There have also been an increase in commercial partnerships and retail opportunities, while ongoing work seeks to identify new revenue streams and protect existing ones.

“Every pound generated by the Irish FA goes straight back into supporting football in Northern Ireland – from grassroots to elite level,” the IFA says. “Simply put, growing revenue means growing the game. To do this we will explore new commercial developments and opportunities, maintain existing partnerships and seek new ones, all while continuing to run the organisation in an efficient manner.”