English Women’s Football: Latest Milestones!
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
Women’s football in England, and in many parts of the world, is reaching new levels and attracting increasing interest amongst football fans of all ages and genders, as well as commercial sponsors and broadcasters!
For more than 50 years, fans have been able to swap stickers of favourite players of the top men’s teams and now this popular activity has been extended to the women’s game in England.
The well-known Italian Company, Panini, in partnership with the English Football Association (FA), is now offering an album which contains 350 stickers of players in the English Women’s Super League.
Chloe Kelly, the Manchester City FC striker, and England player, remarked:
“It is a huge moment and will inspire the next generation of girls.”
Also, Rebecca Welch will become the first female to referee the English Premier league match between Fulham and Burnley, which will take place on 23 December.
Welch, who is 40 years old, has been a referee since 2010, and, in January of this year, became the first female to referee a men’s English Championship game.
In July of this year, the FA published plans to recruit 50% more referees from underrepresented backgrounds by 2026, targeting an increase of 1,000 women referees and 1,000 black and Asian referees at all levels of English football.
Howard Webb, the head of the referees’ association, described these developments as “pivotal moments.”
So, it is onwards and upwards for women’s football in England at all levels of ‘the beautiful game’!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
