Submitted on
Monday 11 April 2011
by
Jackie Newing
The first match in the new Women's Super League Fixture Calendar sees current Premier League holders Arsenal Ladies travel to face Chelsea on Wednesday 12th April, bringing semi-professional football to the women’s game for the very first time. The game which kick's off at 5.30pm will be shown live on ESPN.
An initial eight teams will participate in the competition, which replaces the FA Women's Premier League as the highest level of women's football in England, with the top two sides qualifying for the UEFA Women's Champions League.
The FA’s Rachel Pavlou is one of the key figures behind the shake up of women’s football:
“Our vision is to revolutionise and grow women’s football so that the game is more commercially sustainable, the players are seen as icons, the clubs build bigger and more loyal fan bases, and these fans enjoy a greater experience.
“Previously our top players competed in The FA Women’s Premier League, which is a winter league. Matches are regularly postponed because of bad weather, and pitch conditions are not always of the required quality.
"This can affect the quality of the football played and there are not enough spectators currently attending matches other than the showcase finals that draw large
crowds.
“Also, many established fans of women's football do not get the chance to go and watch FAWPL matches as they are playing or coaching at the same time.There is very little televised football at this level and many of the clubs are not commercially sustainable.
“The FA WSL has been developed to address these problems for our top-level footballers. Over time, the benefits should also filter through to the lower levels of club football as there is greater investment in women’s football, standards improve both on and off the pitch, and higher profile role models emerge for young women.”
A mid-season break commences on 12 May to allow for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup with the campaign resuming in early July, culminating in August 2011.
As part of a deal struck with ESPN as host broadcaster, viewers will have the chance to watch six live FA WSL games over the course of the season, whilst a weekly highlights package will be aired on Tuesday evenings.
The following clubs have agreed two year licences for the 2011 and 2012 seasons: Arsenal Ladies FC, Birmingham City Ladies FC, Bristol Academy Women’s FC, Chelsea Ladies FC, Doncaster Rovers Belles Ladies FC, Everton Ladies FC, Lincoln Ladies FC and Liverpool Ladies FC.
To find out more please visit the Women's Super League website: http://www.fawsl.com/index.html