The FA Women’s National League (FA WNL) provided an update yesterday on the progress made across its strategy ‘Empowering for Success’, which aims to empower clubs to thrive both on and off the pitch. The first strategy for tiers three and four of the pyramid was introduced at the start of the 2022/23 season and since its implementation has seen substantial levels of progress across its eight priority areas.
With the support and investment from the Premier League, several of the targets within the strategy have already been met or surpassed ahead of schedule in year one. This includes the targets set for both club and player satisfaction levels in the annual survey, as well as a 25% level of recognition for the FA WNL from women’s football fans, which now stands at 34%.
One key achievement over the last year has been the introduction of minimum standards across the leagues, enabling clubs to foster a safe, professional and sustainable environment which every club is now working towards implementing.
‘Empowering for Success’ also placed a clear focus on making the FA WNL more diverse across its coaching workforce, with the target of 7% of managers or assistant manager roles made up of people from minority ethnic backgrounds having now been met, and the target of 23% of coaches to be women currently standing at 22%.
Sue Hough, Chair of the FA Women’s National League board, said:
As we reach the midpoint of our ‘Empowering for Success’ strategy, we are witnessing exceptional growth and increased interest across all levels. The second year of the strategy also marked a historic achievement for the FA WNL, with both Portsmouth and Newcastle securing promotion to the second tier. Fans of both clubs celebrated these milestones with great excitement, showing just what makes the pyramid so special.”
“While we’ve made significant strides, there’s of course still more work to be done to fully unlock the potential of the FA WNL. We remain dedicated to providing the right support to ensure that our 72 member clubs can perform and operate at their highest level.”
The strategy was implemented to ensure the advancements across the women’s game are also harnessed throughout tiers three and four. Key achievements across the eight priority areas include:
- Players: a league-wide leadership group has been established to prioritise player issues and welfare
- Coaches and leaders: there has been a deeper focus on learning and development with 16 coaches completing the ‘Effective Coaching in the Female Game’ course and 14 aspiring coaches developed through the ‘Coaching Performance Initiative’
- Club development: a £250,000 grant has been awarded to clubs to enable them to continue to drive standards
- Referees: 33 additional referees enrolled on the Emerging Talent Programme
- League development: all 72 clubs were supported to complete the 2023/24 season for the first time in FA WNL history
- Facilities: there has been record breaking attendances across the leagues with 21 clubs accessing Premier League and EFL stadiums
- Commercial: the FA WNL League Cup Final was held at a Premier League Stadium for the first time
- Marketing and communications: the FA WNL TikTok channel was launched
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