Karen Carney’s Report Sparks Controversial Debate on Women’s Football Governance in England
Football authorities in England divided on governing women's football after Karen Carney's review The FA wants Independent Regulator to oversee the game, while the Government appears hesitant Carney Review proposes NewCo as competition organizers to have a governance role
There is a division among football authorities regarding the optimal governance for women's football in England. After Karen Carney's recent review, plans are still undecided. The FA is advocating for women's football to be regulated by the Independent Regulator for English Football (IREF), which will be established soon.
The Government is believed to be hesitant in allowing this to occur as it would signify a significant shift in their plans for the future of men's football, and it would also necessitate the enactment of new legislation, leading to additional delays.
Football enthusiasts are already growing increasingly frustrated that the Fan Led Review, which was released in November 2021, has yet to bring about any substantial alterations to the management of the sport. Although the Government White Paper on the future of football was published six months ago, it is still in the process of being reviewed by Parliament.
Carney's Review lacked clarity on the optimal regulatory approach for women's football in the future. It proposed that "NewCo," the newly established organization responsible for managing the Women's Super League, should have a governance role as competition organizers, drawing on lessons from the men's regulator. However, the Fan Led Review already determined this system to be inappropriate for the men's game, citing the need for independent regulation that originated from financial oversight by the Premier League and EFL.
The Carney Review stated that although learnings from other sports' failures can still be valuable, it does not imply that independent regulation should be discarded indefinitely. Instead, it emphasized the need to allow the women's game the chance to encourage investment, especially considering that the governance structures of NewCo have yet to be defined.
However, there are people who hold a different opinion from Carney, arguing that the IREF should have authority over the women's game as well.
According to one official we spoke to, it is nonsensical to suggest that only Arsenal's men's team would be subject to regulation by the new governing body while their women's team would not. The official pointed out that both teams are owned and operated by the same club.
Several senior officials, interviewed by We News on condition of anonymity, have expressed concerns regarding the extent of the new IREF and its effectiveness in implementing reforms.
FIFA strictly prohibits political interference in football, and as such, the new regulator, which will operate independently from both the UK Government and football's current authorities, will be bound by rigorous limitations. Football cannot be treated as an exception, and the IREF will still be required to abide by business law.
Concerns exist regarding the regulator's authority in removing unsuitable club owners, as their power may not surpass that of the current Premier League and EFL via the Owners and Directors tests. While the IREF may mandate clubs to operate under a new license, it lacks the capacity to enforce the sale of a club owned by an individual who is barred from directorship due to financial misconduct.
Women's Super League fixtures 2023/24
Chelsea's Women's Super League title defence will kick off at Stamford Bridge, where they will face Tottenham. The match will be broadcast live on We and will take place on Sunday, October 1. Led by Emma Hayes, Chelsea is determined to secure their fifth consecutive WSL title after their successful double-winning season. They aim to begin their campaign with a strong performance in front of a large crowd from west London. Kick-off is scheduled for 5.30pm.
Manchester United will start the new season by visiting Villa Park to face Aston Villa, with the match kicking off at 12.30pm. Arsenal will have their first home game at the Emirates Stadium against Liverpool on the opening weekend, with kick-off at 2pm. Manchester City will be traveling to West Ham, and Everton will compete against Brighton, while Bristol City will face Leicester, completing the line-up for the first Sunday of the season.
