Women’s teams fear virus test costs will be ‘excuse’ for cuts
Women’s football clubs are growing increasingly concerned about a lack of clarity from the Football Association over establishing a centralised fund for coronavirus testing,
Telegraph understands.
The FA has been in consultation with clubs in the Women’s Super League and Championship since play was halted on March 13.
The governing body has yet to decide when play can recommence but, crucially, has not given clubs definitive guidance on who will pay for coronavirus testing, whether a fund will be established to help cover costs and how often tests would need to be conducted. Some WSL players are expecting to rejoin their clubs as early as this month.
There are mounting fears that if clubs have to cover the cost of testing, it could lead to their parent men’s teams coming under further financial pressure to cut their women’s sides. There are also worries that those already reluctant to support women’s football could use the additional expense of testing as an excuse to pull the plug, with calls for the FA to introduce protections to prevent this.
“A lot of clubs are using it as an excuse,” a source from a top tier-two club told The Telegraph. “Maybe the word ‘excuse’ is strong, because everyone is trying to work out how to deal with this fairly, but it’s all too easy to [cut costs] in the women’s game. There needs to be protection in place to stop this.
“In terms of testing, there should be some funds put aside, whether from the Government or the FA, where at least there’s an attempt to match up to the medical requirements needed for coronavirus. Why should male players get it and women players not? Why is our safety any less important?”
While Germany’s overall coronavirus response has differed vastly to the UK’s, the Women’s Bundesliga and German FA – the DFB – have already promised a solidarity fund to cover the cost of testing at some women’s clubs. In addition to a sports medicine and games operation task force advising clubs, the league has provided a medical framework that stipulates the importance of hygiene requirements, tests and continuous monitoring.
Women’s sides, who will be given two weeks’ notice ahead of any return to play, met hygiene officers again on Friday.
“The tests at the clubs could then start as early as the next week,” the DFB said in a statement on Thursday. Entry into team training will be deemed possible after two tests.
“Ultimately the finances of Championship clubs are very sensitive,” the UK club source said. “I don’t think they would be able to afford to make sure that there is regular testing without the FA and the Government. Germany have set aside money for the women’s teams to be able to do that. Why are we not doing that?”
An FA spokesperson said: “We have regular meetings and ongoing consultation with clubs from the Women’s Super League and the Women’s Championship about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the return of football when it is safe to do so.
“The details of these meetings are confidential.”