How game can harness its high visibility to keep moving forward
Q&A
Three members of the Fifpro player council – England’s Anita Asante, Argentina’s Gaby Garton, and Australia’s Elise Kellondknight – tell Katie Whyatt about their visions of football’s future
How healthy is the game versus the public perception? Anita Asante I can only speak about the situation in the UK, but for some of the bigger clubs it might be easier to get the women’s agenda discussed in the boardroom than for the smaller ones. There is a recognition that all of the clubs need each other to survive and to maintain a competitive and sustainable league.
Gaby Garton The football association in Argentina has proclaimed itself the administration of gender equality, which is interesting for an institution that has historically been chauvinistic. The next few months are going to be really revealing in terms of that commitment. There is a lack of opportunity for women to play – there aren’t many youth divisions – but I think that the increase in demand is going to force clubs to start opening up their doors to younger players.
Elise Kellond-knight We have had a really strong gender equality situation in Australia and our federation has stuck by that in tough times over the past two months. They have recognised us and what we’ve contributed to football in Australia, guaranteeing that they will keep the equal pay agreement in place. I’m hoping that filters down to other countries.
What’s your message to key stakeholders?
AA We look to football clubs as beacons of our society, so they should also be reflective of the communities and societies that they represent and entertain. Women are a great part of that. Yes, it will be a challenge but, at least in the UK, the game has come such a long way and has become too visible for it to be ignored.
GG We have made so much progress that to stop or to go backwards would be a huge loss. This is an opportunity to incorporate half of the nation in the national passion. Hopefully the Argentine FA will continue to sustain women’s football, which is in a positive moment, but also a very fragile one. A lot of clubs recognise the positive impact that the women’s game brings to the overall brand. It’s a chance for football to really think about how it wants to position its legacy, as well.
EK-K Don’t leave women’s football behind. I would stress to the world that you just can’t. We’re in as much of a difficult situation as everyone else. To leave us behind would be a bit of an insult.
Where will the game be in five years’ time?
AA Being able to sit in a room with other, male players and talk about our situations. Some of us are based at clubs where we share the same facilities but don’t often interact. To be in that position, where they get to hear directly from players and what it’s like for the women in our sport, is a really important transition. In the future, hopefully, there will be ways
Football clubs should be reflective of the communities and societies that they represent and entertain
they can be more visible and active in advocating the women’s game. I also hope there’s a long-term commitment from clubs and FAS to create better diversity and diversification of voices on boards.
GG Next year will be pivotal in terms of where the game goes: each country’s situation is different, but I’m hopeful that things will continue to improve. The game has achieved such levels of visibility that it would be really hard for clubs and football associations to go back on their word.
EK-K While we’re trying to grow the game and push the elite level, we can’t forget about what some girls are still dealing with. There are probably only 100, maybe 200 players who can play and train every day in a worldclass facility. How are we going to grow the game at a world-class rate if we don’t have enough players training at world-class level? I would like to see minimum standards across leagues so we can have every player in a world-class environment.