THE DEVELOPMENT OF women’s football in Ireland has been significant in recent years. This is evident in improved sporting performance, coaching standards and attendance, media coverage and its expanding commercialisation.
The sport has undergone a process of professionalisation at the international level. However, it’s important to note that these developments have not been as visible within the domestic game. The players have sought opportunities outside Ireland, in environments that are more conducive to professional development; a trend that mirrors the men’s game in Ireland.
The wave of attention that the World Cup will generate this week is the perfect catalyst for the domestic league to thrive. Yet, the Women’s National League, which serves as a crucial breeding ground for talent and plays a pivotal role in securing the future of women’s football in Ireland, appears ill-equipped to capitalise on this surge of attention.
It is hampered by a lack of resources, inadequate infrastructure, and coherent planning for growth. In Ireland’s Women’s National Team World Cup squad, just two out of 23 players are based in the Irish Women’s National League.
Over the past 18 months, as part of a European Union-funded research project, we have worked closely with a diverse group of stakeholders within the sport. Our extensive interviews with players, coaches, managers, administrators, journalists, sports marketers and fans have revealed that the question of professionalisation is central to understanding the future trajectory of the game in Ireland.
Although it is broadly agreed that professionalisation is required to grow the game, there are concerns that come with this and diverse views around what professionalisation should actually look like.
Professionalising the game could elevate sporting standards, increase participation, and play a significant role in reducing inequality by creating more opportunities and resources for female athletes. While professionalisation holds great promise, it also creates its own set of challenges. Hyper-commercialisation attacks the authenticity of the sport and financial disparities might unbalance competition.
Add potential sportswashing and corruption, that comes with a sport that will inevitably become more socio-politically significant, and you can see why there is resistance. In short, the question is if we really want to move this sport in the same direction the men’s game has found itself in.
As one participant (a club administrator) put it:
You ultimately have [men’s] clubs that are all massively loss-making that end up being in total private ownership and then you end up with a situation where there are very few people who can engage with the game… there is a huge income inequality for a tiny group of players… then you have got fans who are being overcharged to see these players. I don’t think that system delivers for the majority of people that engage with the game, fans, players, staff, or anybody else.
Additionally, the well-being of players could be jeopardised due to the pressures stemming from the professionalisation process. Professionalisation doesn’t necessarily mean more money for players. We would be asking them in many cases to give up higher-paying and more secure jobs to play football for a living.
As one participant (player) described: ‘I think some people think we get paid and there’s that separation and they are like, oh, they are like the men’s, you know, they are very kind of professional. Yeah, we are professional but not from the pay scale. There’s no pay scale in women’s football.’
Furthermore, the idea that professionalisation equates to greater equality may not necessarily be the case. It could lead to further gender inequality – as more men could assume control of women’s sports with the influx of investment and capital.
These are concerns that impact any country considering the professionalisation path. Ireland’s rich tradition of amateur sports further compounds the predicament.
So, what should professionalisation look like in women’s football? According to our research, the answer is multifaceted. First, all stakeholders need to embrace the professionalisation process. Professionalism must permeate beyond the players, coaches and facilities. Clubs need to bolster their marketing/fan engagement, communication, media, and legal departments through the inclusion of seasoned experts.
As one of our participants argues: ‘We need maximum effort from every stakeholder because if we haven’t got everything right, fan engagement isn’t worth anything if everything outside of the fans’ control isn’t done to the best of our ability.’ This demands a professional approach and expertise, much like we have seen, although obviously at a smaller scale to the Women’s Super League in England.
It may occur to the reader that reference to the professionalisation of media coverage and marketing strategies sets the game down the very path the men’s game has found itself on that we warn about in this article. In our opinion, the difference can be how fans are incorporated into the process and in the attention that is paid to governance. The supporters’ voices must find meaningful influence in the development and governance of their clubs. A robust framework can potentially shield the women’s game from economic inequality, enforce financial fair play, and foster sustainable development. A focus on community ownership and fan-centric models can create an intricate tapestry that binds the sport and its aficionados.
As the World Cup nears this week, it is an opportune moment for Ireland to capture hearts and minds. Through the mosaic of a well-thought-out professionalisation process, in all aspects of the game, Irish women’s football can usher in a golden era, avoid the mistakes that the men’s game has made, and create something truly impactful across the country. But this is football, and history suggests we shouldn’t hold our breath.
Dr Payam Ansari is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions postdoctoral research fellow at DCU Business School, currently working on a research project Developing Fan Engagement For Increasing Participation, Attendance and Commercial Value in Women’s Football. Dr Gary Sinclair is the Associate Dean for Internationalisation at DCU Business School. He is an Associate Professor in Marketing, specialising in Consumer Behaviour.
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