Survey: Women’s game fans support expansion, but not at the cost of relegation

An overwhelming majority of fans of women’s football support the expansion of the top two tiers of the pyramid, but not at the expense of a possible ‘pause’ in relegation, which they believe is vital to the health of the game, according to the results of an FSA survey.

Nine out of ten fans surveyed (90.2%) agreed that ‘promotion and relegation are a vital part of the integrity of the football pyramid’, and while there was widespread agreement that expanding the WSL and Championship to 16 teams would benefit the game (84% of fans were in favour), the majority (53.8%) said they were opposed to pausing relegation for a season or two to achieve that aim.

The FSA sought feedback from fans across the women’s game following reports potential changes to the women’s game being considered by competition organisers, among them the inclusion of development teams (B-teams) in the FA Women’s National League (FAWNL), a pause on relegation from the WSL, and changes to the talent pathway for players.

The findings show that the idea of end-of-season games having little to no jeopardy could also result in not only the attendances at fixtures dropping, but also a drop in TV audiences. 

With a hypothetical pause to relegation a third of respondents (35.1%) said they envisaged themselves watching fewer games on TV, and a quarter (25.8%) said they thought it would result in them attending fewer games in person. 

Other stats:

• Three-quarters of respondents (78.8%) said they were opposed to the idea of a closed league with two divisions of 16, as operates in some other sports.
• Eight in ten (79.1%) said that innovation was necessary to make the women’s game more successful.
• Nine in ten (88.2%) agreed that providing competitive matches for young players in the pyramid is important to the development of the game, however around half (48.5%) are opposed to the introduction of B-teams.
• There’s widespread support for a dedicated TV broadcast slot for the women’s game, with 89.4% of fans in favour.

The findings of our survey have been shared with the game’s main stakeholders as part of the ongoing consultation into potential changes, and the survey touched on other issues in the game.

Other noteworthy stats include:

• Three-quarters of fans (78.6%) were concerned at the potential concentration of power at the top WSL clubs.
• More than eight in ten (83.7%) told us they thought TV has too much say over kick-off times.
• While there is still strong support for the national team (83.2% said their success was important to them), their interests should not outweigh those of the wider pyramid, with just one in nine fans (11.2%) saying the national interest should come first.
• More than half of respondents (55.2%) said they had noticed an increase in abuse directed at players, coaches and officials in recent seasons. 
• This comes against the backdrop, however, of a huge majority (93.1%) saying they felt safe attending their team’s home fixtures. 

Head of women’s football at the FSA, Deborah Dilworth, said: “We thank those fans who took the time to provide us with their feedback on these vital issues, and will ensure that the fans’ voice is heard by the game’s decision makers as the consultation process continues.

“While it’s clear that supporters are in favour of an expanded top two tiers, they’ve been equally clear that it can’t come at the expense of competitive football and the principles of earning your spot at the top of the pyramid.”

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