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2024 - That was the year that was…   

Another exciting year of competition at all levels marked steady progress in the women's game this year at all levels.

With headline sponsors Barclays and Adobe lending weight to the flagship competitions and close to a million attendees at WSL matches, allied to ever increasing live match coverage, there has never been a better time to enjoy all that the elite game offers.

 

England secured qualification for Euro 2025 and continued to test themselves against quality opposition as they prepare to defend their crown. However, the most heartwarming story on the domestic international front was the qualification finally of Wales for a major tournament, giving them a platform to further inspire, albeit in a most challenging group next July.

 

Chelsea remain the gold standard in club football domestically despite the departure of Emma Hayes, though Manchester City ran them very close in the WSL in the 2023-24 season, the title going down to goal difference. Meanwhile, Manchester United enjoyed a red letter day at Wembley as they lifted their first major trophy, beating first-time finalists Tottenham Hotspur in a convincing victory, and Arsenal maintained their grip once again on the Continental Tyres Cup.

 

Crystal Palace edged a very competitive Championship title race but, as so often happens, are finding the step up difficult. Same goes for Portsmouth after winning the FAWNL Southern Premier, although their Northern counterparts, Newcastle United, are mixing in well in Tier 2.

 

The FAWNL as always is a thriving testing ground of a huge variety of clubs from men's Premier League backed outfits to independent organisations with no link to the men's game. Special mention goes to League Cup winners and upwardly mobile Hashtag United , very much a club on the rise.

 

Beneath the top four tiers is a huge grassroots  movement of clubs, players, supporters and volunteers who all contribute to the game in so many ways. My favourite occasion was Tier 6 Brentford playing at the men's ground vs Clapton Community where nearly 4,000 fans supporting both teams gave the event a carnival atmosphere.

 

Personally, Brentford's G Tech stadium was my 500th new ground and December marked 15 years of match reporting. The growth of the game has been phenomenal but there have also been cautionary tales such as the voluntary return of Reading Women to the fifth tier from which they had emerged to compete with the best a decade ago. There is still much to be done to secure the long term sustainability of the game.

by Patrick Higgins