Final thoughts
As production of the documentary nears its end, I wanted to share my thoughts on what has been found.
For the past few months I have been striving to find out what needs to happen for pay in women’s football to increase and whether women’s wages can ever be equal with the men’s. In order to answer these questions, first of all the problem needed to be outlined.
How much of an issue is it that men and women players aren’t getting paid equally, and why aren’t they?
Football agent, Jo Tongue, shed some light on this. She told me how women players were taking a risk by becoming professional as the wages are low. However, at the same time she admitted players couldn’t really work two jobs because things like training are just too demanding. She discusses how one of the clients she represents has to balance her job with football. She said, “there’s a lady at Tottenham who’s a teacher in Birmingham, she drives down for training three times a week and that’s incredible… imagine how exhausted you must be. Teaching’s exhausting enough! So, you do a full day’s work, drive down to London, do your training for a few hours and get back at 1am in the morning. You’ve got to be really dedicated and love the game to do that.”
So, that’s how it is a problem but exactly why is it a problem?
I could already hazard a guess at this one- women’s football just isn’t as popular as men’s. And after talking with both Jo and football finance expert, Rob Wilson, I further understood why. Women’s football just doesn’t generate the same attendances, TV audiences, or revenue that the men’s game does. Jo also said another factor was behind the disparity in pay. “Women’s football hasn’t been professional for very long… think how long men’s football has been professional for. Women’s football has been professional for what four years in this country? We’re so far behind.”
Is it actually realistic that men and women can be paid the same, or is just a pipe dream?
Other sports, such as tennis, have already introduced equal pay for its athletes so this filled me with optimism. However, it's important to note the difference between prize money and pay; a tennis player's income is primarily down to tournament wins and sponsorship deals rather than a salary. Where as a football player's pay is determined by the clubs themselves, or of course their football association.
Despite being told by many football fans prior to making the documentary that “men and women footballers can never be paid equally”, there was already proof that it is possible. Norway’s international team had introduced equal pay and so had a little-known club in Sussex, called Lewes FC. I travelled there to speak to members of the club to find out how it was possible.
One of the main reasons Lewes could afford to pay its women equally was because the men weren’t on that much money to start with. However, it was also down to external sponsorships the club were getting and the fact they are self-owned. Director Charlie Dobres said, “anybody can buy an ownership of Lewes FC. What we’re really trying to drive is to increase ownerships from the current 1,200 to 12,00 and 5,00 makes us completely self-sustaining.”
What are the FA doing to increase pay?
Throughout the production of the documentary it was announced the FA were to reform the WSL to include professional teams. I spoke to Marzena Bogdanowicz from the organisation who said the move would provide an even playing field amongst teams. “That [the reform] is a start and then we can help grow all over commercial areas of the game and then in due course the wages may increase.”
Is International football the answer?
After talking to Joachim Walltin, head of the Norwegian Players’ Union, the answer to this became clearer. He told me how it was the Norwegian FA’s idea to introduce equal pay and how the male players actually gave up a percentage of their wages to allow for an increase in the women’s pay.
Iceland have recently announced equal bonus payments for its men and women teams and the US's fight for financial equality is well documented.
So, I wondered: could England’s national team follow Norway’s lead?
For me, this is the mostly likely route for equal pay to be introduced. Rob Wilson feels that as the men’s game is heavily focused on club football, international football could well be the answer for women. He said, “if the women’s national team could generate those crowds then they’d be no reason why not”.
Can women and men ever be paid the same at club level?
From what I've found, it will take years- if it happens at all. The next natural progression in terms of equality seems to be the stadiums. Women are currently playing in smaller grounds compared to men. In order to increase attendances and in turn salaries, women’s venues must improve first.
