Premier passion
HAYES WANTS WOMEN’S GAME TAKEN OVER BY BODY WITH EXPERTISE AND VISION
CHELSEA head coach Emma Hayes believes that the Premier League must take over the running of the Women’s Super League – to take them to the next level.
The game in England is managed by the FA and a shift towards a league owned by those with more experience running league competitions has been mooted in the past.
Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA director of women’s football, recently said that “we absolutely want the league to be run independently of us”.
And Hayes, who celebrates her 10th anniversary as Blues boss today, said: “The next step is the league leaving the FA and going to the Premier League or an independent body and that there is a vision around the women’s game so we don’t just have single big moments – single events once every two years or once a year – that they’re every week.
“We need the expertise coming into the game. For me, that is hands down the next step and I’ve been really vocal about it because you need experience.
“That’s not the FA’s responsibility, they don’t run leagues. It’s not their job to do that, they’re there for the national team.”
The diversity of the players produced in the game in this country has come into question – and Hayes thinks that another benefit of a Premier League takeover would be the creation of better pathways.
Hayes, who grew up on a council estate in Camden, thinks more needs to be done to create an academy system to find inner-city talent.
“The academies are one thing in the men’s game that are light years ahead of the women’s game,” she explained.
“I read something the other day, an article about a lost generation of inner-city kids. It’s been my personal bugbear.
“I drives me insane that we haven’t found them and that’s not to blame anyone. The investment hasn’t been there in the academy system the way that it is in the boys’ side.
“That’s why I want to see another entity take it over and put in place basic things, like player protection.”
In the women’s game, players cannot sign a professional deal until they are 18 and clubs do not compensate clubs for youth players leaving, dissuading some from building a strong academy system. Hayes said: “You put in player protection, guess what clubs do? They invest. They invest and then you’ve got to try and find the top talent then.
“You’re going into London, not just these little satellite youth academies where they’re the best of a suburban, middleclass group at playing football.”
Chelsea boss Hayes has long been a force for change as one of the leading lights pushing for more professionalisation of the game, but it hasn’t been an easy task.
“I do feel lonely, at times, being the voice in this country,” she added.
“I did feel like sometimes I wanted more from my colleagues in the game to shout as loud as
I did – even if that was happening in private.”
As one of many clubs to schedule showpiece fixtures off the back of the Lionesses’ triumphs, Hayes’ Chelsea side will take to Stamford Bridge for their opening game of the WSL season, against West Ham.