FA chair Debbie Hewitt: ‘The biggest women's European sports event in history’

Looking ahead to the Women’s EURO this summer, what does it mean to The FA to be hosting this tournament?

It is a huge privilege. England last hosted the Women’s EURO in 2005 and that was a real honour, but the tournament and popularity of women’s football has grown immeasurably since then. We know it’s going to be a bigger and better spectacle than before, and it provides an invaluable opportunity to inspire the next generation of players and fans.

We have 16 nations taking part this year, compared with eight in 2005, so the tournament itself has doubled in size. Women’s football in England, and across Europe, has experienced exponential growth in recent years and we want to build on that momentum.

Our aim is twofold: firstly, to deliver a positively memorable, record-breaking tournament, and secondly, to leave a tangible legacy that will bring even more momentum to the growth of the women’s game, with the hope of creating 500,000 additional opportunities for women and girls to participate and engage with football through legacy groups in the host cities.

To mark 100 days to go until the kick-off of the tournament and tickets going on general sale, an installation with giant women’s table football players was unveiled on London’s iconic Carnaby Street.Getty Images

How much demand is there for tickets for this Women’s EURO and what does that tell us about interest in the women’s game?

We’ve seen incredible demand so far. We have already sold more than 500,000 tickets. We are expecting close to 100,000 international visitors to England this summer, solely for the UEFA Women’s EURO.

The current record for total tournament attendance at a Women’s EURO, is 240,045 for EURO 2017 in the Netherlands. We are on course to potentially double that number and we will also be looking to achieve a new attendance record for any EURO match with the final at Wembley.

The UEFA Women's EURO trophy on display at London's Wembley Stadium, the venue for the final Jeff Moore via Greater London Authority

A sell-out capacity crowd at the final on 31 July at Wembley would not only set a new attendance record for a Women’s EURO final but this would also be a record for any EURO final – men’s or women’s. This would speak volumes about the significant strides the women’s game has taken in recent years.

How is The FA taking advantage of the opportunity to promote women’s football this summer?

The Women’s EURO has tremendous potential to be so much more than the great football that will be taking place on the pitch. It is a such a powerful opportunity for us to engage with people who might not have had an opportunity to get into any type of football – not just women’s football, but football in general.

Southampton is ready for duty as a Women's EURO host venueGetty Images

On match days, each host city will have additional activities going on, from fan parties to family-oriented community events, concerts, arts installations, museum and outdoor exhibitions.

Our EURO roadshow programme will also be visiting each host city prior to the tournament and will be inspiring and encouraging communities to get involved. We have ensured that the tournament will have something for everyone.

Can you explain the aims of the legacy plan put in place to inspire a new generation of girl footballers? The FA has said it will mean 120,000 more girls playing football regularly, but how?

England players recently met youngsters from their grassroots clubs Getty Images

We believe the tournament will inspire long-term, sustainable positive change in women’s and girls’ football. One of our FA game changers is to ensure that girls have an equal opportunity to play football in schools and clubs as their male counterparts. We are working with the host cities and our schools and clubs to drive that ambition more quickly and to ensure that we have inclusive and diverse programmes that make all girls feel welcome. We believe this will result in 120,000 more girls playing football across the nine host cities by 2024.

We are working with families of schools to embed girls’ football in the physical education curriculum and providing resources and support to encourage girls to play during lunchtimes and after school. We are also liaising with grassroots clubs to get at least 75% of all grassroots teams running at least one girls’ team (currently only around 30% do this) and we will be working with our county FA teams to run more free taster sessions for girls and women in each region. We have been really pleased with the level of engagement so far, from both our professional game and national game stakeholders.

What is the FA doing to ensure the growth in participation in grassroots women’s football embraces not just players but female referees, coaches, leaders and volunteers?

English referee Rebecca Welch has risen through the ranks and is a member of the Women's EURO referee teamGetty Images

In addition to getting more girls and women playing football, we also want to get more women involved in other aspects of the game. Our host city legacy programme will result in 300 newly qualified coaches and 350 new FA-qualified referees from diverse backgrounds achieving their qualification. We will also look to achieve 1,000 women and girls completing The FA’s entry-level Playmaker Award, which is a free online entry-level course for anyone interested in taking a more active volunteering role in grassroots football at a coaching level.

England now has one of the best women’s football leagues in the world in the Women’s Super League (WSL). How important has it been to have a fully professional league to raise standards and provide a platform/opportunities for English talent?

England's players, seen here celebrating a goal against Latvia, have thrived in the Women's Super LeagueGetty Images

A fully professional league has been essential to raising standards right across the game. We now have a league that attracts the very best players in the world playing alongside our home-grown talent. New commercial and broadcast partners have enabled us to attract large numbers of new fans. It has also given us the opportunity to profile our players as role models for young girls and to inspire them to take up the game and achieve their potential. Training with the very best players every day helps our young players develop and thrive. The current Lioness squad has a great blend of experience and youth drawn largely from the Women’s Super League teams, where they are playing weekly at a level of intensity and skill required to develop and push their game onto new levels. We have seen 25 players make their debut for England since the last Women’s EURO in 2017, which highlights the talent coming through the domestic pathway.

What is exciting with the trajectory of the women's game is that the best is still to come. A home EURO presents a tremendous opportunity to take the game to new heights.

Can you talk about the significance of the WSL’s broadcast deal with Sky/BBC and what this has meant in terms of income and exposure?

TV coverage has boosted the profile of women's football in EnglandUEFA via Getty Images

The first year of our broadcast agreement with Sky Sports and the BBC has been so positive and the exposure provided has opened the game up to new audiences.

The free-to-air element of the BBC saw us attract a peak audience of over one million viewers for the Manchester derby last season, with the average peak across the season of over 950,000 on BBC One, and around half a million on BBC Two.

Sky Sports have made their own impact by adding a new dimension to the live coverage of women’s football, with in-depth analysis during their broadcasts attracting a cumulative average peak audience of 420,000 per weekend. It’s a perfect combination and we have seen such a positive reaction from fans, new and established, with viewing hours up almost fourfold from the previous season. The investment for the broadcasters allows us to reinvest that money into the professional game and ensure it continues to grow and provide the best opportunities for our players.

Finally, how are you using the enterprise and expertise of the private sector to build a sustainable future for women’s football?

We’re seeing that purpose-driven brands want to invest in the women’s game as part of an overall vision to inspire positive change for women and girls. An example would be our relationship with Barclays, which has been in place since 2019 and has seen significant investment, but also big steps forward. In December we announced a renewed partnership that will see £30 million invested into the women’s game at both professional and grassroots levels, which highlights Barclays commitment to all levels of the women’s and girls’ game, not just the top level.

England supporters are eagerly looking forward to the actionUEFA via Getty Images

Similarly, Visa were one of the first-ever UEFA sponsors dedicated to women’s football and have supported our marketing programmes to drive ticket sales and maximise audiences.

We’re also seeing big brands come on board such as Vitality, while Continental Tyres have now been associated with the women’s game for over ten years. We’ve got some exciting partnerships to announce over the summer that will highlight how far the women’s game has come. There has been a significant shift in approach, with brands positively wanting to be involved in our sport and now competing to participate.

If I have one message to readers, it is that UEFA Women’s EURO England 2022 is set to be the biggest women’s European sport event in history.

This article appears in UEFA Direct 198