Pioneering Approach Transforms Stadiums to Serve Women's Game Needs

In a significant development for the women's game, WSL Football, the governing body overseeing the top two tiers of professional women's football in England, has published a groundbreaking guideline on how to build or upgrade stadiums for women's teams. The 200-page document, titled "Design Guidelines for the Delivery of Elite Women's Stadiums in England," is the world's first framework to address the specific needs of female athletes, staff, and supporters.

The guideline is the result of a three-year consultation process involving a wide range of stakeholders, including clubs, players, managers, match officials, media, and sustainability experts. It covers everything from female-friendly changing rooms and toilet facilities to parent-orientated spaces, accessibility for those with disabilities, and safety concerns around traveling to and from stadiums.

The timing of the guideline is crucial, as more clubs are considering moving their women's teams into new or renovated homes. Everton Women, for instance, have recently taken over the historic Goodison Park, while Arsenal's women's team now plays all their home matches at the Emirates Stadium. Additionally, Brighton & Hove Albion hope to build a new purpose-built stadium for their women's team by the 2027-28 season.

Hannah Buckley, the head of safety, sustainability, and infrastructure for WSL Football, who led the project, emphasizes the importance of primacy for women's teams, ensuring they are not subject to the schedules of men's teams as third-party tenants. The guideline aims to encourage clubs to consider their women's and men's first teams equally when planning new or renovated stadiums.