Brighton might be a few hours away from central Malvern, but fans of women’s sports – and those who want to see real growth – should take note of what is happening down there. Tony Bloom, owner of the Brighton and Hove Albion Football Team, has just announced that he will be building a new stadium for the women’s team. It will be the first stadium in the UK – in all of Europe, actually – built specifically for women’s sports.
The announcement has turned heads. The stadium won’t be ready until around 2030, but it is the symbolism that is important for now. In the simplest sense, it is intended to send a message that women’s football, and by extension, women’s sports, can be a core product, not something that has to be worked around the men’s calendar.
There are practicalities to the development – the stadium will hold 10,000 people, reflecting the fact that women’s football is not (yet) as popular as the men’s game. That might seem unambitious on paper, but it’s a much better atmosphere playing in a packed 10,000-capacity stadium than a half-empty larger one. What’s more, stadium capacity can always be changed. Old Trafford, for example, can hold almost twice as many fans today as it could in 1990.
Lessons from America
While this will be the first stadium of its type in Europe, it’s more than probable that Bloom has taken inspiration from the US, where women’s sports are given more prominence, while admittedly, there’s still work to be done. The NWSL (women’s soccer league) already has sports stadiums specifically built for women. The WNBA, too, has been built into an elite sports league. Evidence of its massive popularity can be seen in everything from social media engagement to volumes of betting on WNBA games. Bloom would be well aware of this.
So, why is all this important? Well, despite efforts by the government and Sport England, a gender gap remains in sports participation between women and men, girls and boys. Both groups fail to meet recommended activity levels, but women trail men by significant gaps, depending on the region and age group. The gap is at its highest between teenage boys and girls.
Many Barriers Still Exist
Reports published by Women in Sport have also cited the barriers facing women and girls from partaking in sport, not least sexism and fear of being judged. That’s one reason why women-only gyms have been so successful, and it provides clear evidence that projects like the Brighton women’s football stadium are necessary. Of course, we should also say that other factors are influencing women’s participation, including economic barriers and overall investment in facilities.
Of course, nobody is saying that a stadium is going to change things. It won’t. But, as was stated earlier, it is the intent and symbolism that are important here. It signals that women’s sport is judged to be important in and of itself, and that it will not only be an afterthought. There is a long, long way to go, and it will likely be the role of government – both national and local – to make the real difference. But Brighton and Bloom have sent a message about women’s sports, and we should all be listening.
Article by James Kelly.
