Brighton & Hove Albion women’s first-team manager Hope Powell hailed the FA Women’s Super League sponsorship with Barclays, and believes it is a huge step forward in the game.
The Football Association yesterday announced the partnership, the biggest-ever investment in UK women’s sport by a brand, which will come into effect from the 2019/20 season.
She said, “The fact that a well-established brand has come on board, says something about the profile about the women’s game.
“It’s quite substantial for the growth of the sport, and raises the profile of it even more. It shows how far the game has come in recent years that it can attract such a big sponsor. It’s great for the game.
“I have already done some work with Barclays in the past, in terms of getting more young people involved in the sport. It’s a great advert for the women’s game.”
Powell also spoke about the impact which the landmark sponsorship will have at the grassroots level of the game, and says that this investment will be crucial.
“Without the grassroots level of the game, you wouldn’t have an elite one. It’s really important that Barclays and The FA have looked at the entire game rather than just the top end.
“Barclays is a global brand, and that shows how much more value is placed on the women’s game, not just on the elite, but at all levels.
“There has been a lot of noise recently around the disparity of prize money and if that helps bring those levels of finance up, then that’s fantastic and it can only be for the good of the game.”