The Evolution of Women’s Football: From A 50-year Ban to Marketing Push, Improved Coaching and Record Views

The Evolution of Women’s Football – How It Gained The Spotlight?

With all the attention given to football as a man’s sport, it is highly unfair to term it one due to football’s gigantic strides over the past few years regarding the women category.

Since the first women’s World Cup took place in 1991 (61 years after the first men’s World Cup), we have seen constant growth in this sport.

But the fact is that the prospects were only sometimes so bright for the women’s game.

It has suffered many unfavorable circumstances leading up to the recent surge we see these days.

Let us look at The Evolution of Women’s Football and How It Gained The Spotlight? But first, let us look at the origins of women’s football as we know it.

Kerr’s Ladies FC

When we talk about the big European clubs, we only talk about the men’s football teams.

However, seeing that the women’s game has a rich viewership history and legends is excellent.

And undoubtedly, the tale of the first-ever legend is inspirational.

During World War 1, as men went to combat, women joined the task force working in factories.

And during their lunchtime, they found escapism from the horrors of war by starting to play football.

These women came together to create several teams from various factories, and the sport started gaining momentum among the female folk.

In 1917, a team with origins from one of the factories in the Netherlands, Kerr’s Ladies FC became the first of many to start the evolution, becoming one of the most talked-about teams in town.

Apart from high-quality football that created an exceptional amount of fandom, this team was able to generate charity during the years of World War.

The football authorities started to understand that they could not train women the same way they taught men, which improved the perception of women in football.

Lily Parr was one of the most talked-about players on the team. She was a player that got recognized by male players for her professionalism and integrity.

She had a dynamic personality, making her one of the most backed players in the dressing room.

A Tale of Dark Times

There was a time when women’s football attracted audiences similar to the men’s game in England.

According to reports, as many as 53,000 people were present to watch the footballers on a show, and these women became instant celebrities.

And the most famous club at the time was Dick Kerr’s Ladies FC.

But on one dark day in 1921, the FA decided to make a decision that hindered the development of the women’s game.

They deemed football unsuitable for females and effectively banned professional competitions for females.

The women got banned from official grounds leading to a massive dent in the beautiful game.

The ban remained for around 50 years, only to be reversed by an FA Council, leading to the first FA Cup, organized later that year.

And in 2008, the FA issued an apology for the ban 87 years after imposing it.

The women’s game was slowly getting back on track after recovering from the prejudice it suffered earlier.

A Marketing Push

Recently, women’s football gained much attention when the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona showpiece created a world record for attendance in the women’s football category. The game at Camp Nou had over 90,000 people attending the UCL quarter-final win against Real Madrid.

Because of Barca’s exceptional marketing over the years, it was possible to promote their female team alongside their male counterparts.

They promoted this game and aimed at breaking the attendance record at the stadium of around 60000 supporters.

What happened was extremely special as a world-record audience watched the game, and thousands of girls were inspired to pursue football.

Improved Quality Of Coaching

Another major factor leading to the improvement of women’s football and a newfound interest in it is the improved level of coaching.

Various international universities and educational departments have started to prioritize women’s football.

And many institutes in Australia and New Zealand organize talent hunt schemes to discover some of the best talents in women’s football.

Also, many national teams have started to hire coaches that groom their football players to win matches mentally and physically.

Rather than just talking tactics, the women’s football associations have tried to implement philosophies that get the best out of their football players.

A Responsibility For The Authorities

While there have been bright signs for women’s football recently, the sport still needs investment to grow further.

It needs authorities to give them more leverage and support them when most needed.

With significant growth in various clubs’ fanbases, the authorities will recover their investments quickly.

And with so many signs of growth in this regard, one can safely say that women’s football is ascending in the sporting world.