FA equal pay triumph for Lionesses

THE FA have revealed that England’s women footballers are being paid the same as their male counterparts. Since January, the Lionesses have been on match fees and win bonuses equal to £1,500 per player, a fee which the men donate to charity. The women have also received central contracts since 2009 and those deals were restructured two years ago so top players can earn up to

£30,000 on top of their club salaries. However, there remains a huge difference in their overall earnings because of commercial deals and prize money. The Lionesses would have received £50,000 each had they won the 2019 World Cup but Gareth Southgate’s side would have banked £217,000 a man had they triumphed in Russia in 2018. England women also do not receive the same treatment as the men in terms of travel. Last year, they took a commercial flight to Nice for the World Cup, but England’s Under 21s men used a private jet to get to the Euros in Italy in the same summer. The Lionesses also travelled on an EasyJet plane for a game in Portugal last October and were again in premium economy when they flew to America for the SheBelieves Cup this March. That competition in the States was the first time the women received the new match fees and bonuses and the three games there were the only ones they have played this year. Despite introducing equal pay in January, the FA did not announce it at the time as they thought it was a change which was long overdue and was not something to trumpet. England women’s next match is a friendly away to Germany on October 27. Another game, potentially against Norway, is also being lined up.