Don’t be fooled by the FA – the gap in prize money is actually widening

And after the fanfare that rightly accompanied the long-awaited increase in the women’s fund, which included extensive news coverage that the men’s prize pool would increase by a larger sum, the fact that many in the sport barely notice it simply highlights how much harder the women’s game has to work for a smaller reward.

Speaking to Telegraph Sport on the eve of both weekends of the fourth round of the Cups, the FA’s director of women’s football, Baroness Sue Campbell, said: “We have a clear plan for women’s football which has generated record match attendances, a ground-breaking new broadcasting deal, increased commercial sponsorship and levels unprecedented investment This season Vitality Women’s FA Cup Award the fund received a significant increase to £3 million per year, an almost tenfold increase on the previous season. We want to continue to improve and develop the game so that it will continue to evolve and thrive for years to come.”

The FA has also repeatedly acknowledged that the Men’s FA Cup, of which Emirates is the title sponsor, is the governing body’s biggest source of revenue. It also cannot be ignored that last March’s investment in the Women’s Cup is by far the best-funded women’s domestic cup competition in the world. That’s why, when talking to lower league women’s clubs who have enjoyed lucrative cup runs this season, they talk about the new women’s prize money as a transformation for their club.

Hashtag United are one of five teams from the fourth tier of the women’s pyramid to reach the fourth round this weekend, and their four-game run in the cup has earned them £28,000 so far. The club’s owner, Spencer Owen, told Telegraph Sport: “To put it into perspective, if we had won the same matches last year, we would have got £2,500. So that’s multiplied by more than 11. That money is going to make a significant difference. They used we will use it for the maintenance of the club over a long period of time.

“The women’s game is growing but the money hasn’t flowed yet – this is the first sign of that and I think it’s really very welcome from the FA, it’s brilliant what they’ve done. It could really change the club’s fortunes overnight.”

Similarly, fifth-tier Bournemouth Sports LFC – who were the lowest-placed team to reach the third round before bowing out with defeat at Cardiff City last month – have seen a £23,500 boost for their cup exploits this term.

“To put it in context, if a sponsor came in with 10 per cent of that money, it would be our main sponsor for two years,” explained LFC Bournemouth Sports coach Vincent Marmion. “The idea of ​​having £23,500, that gives us five years of stability.

“It doesn’t mean, ‘everything will change now,’ but it means we don’t have to worry for five years.”

While Marmion hopes the prize pool will be equal in the future, he is realistic about the prospect of immediately winning the same money as the men, adding: “The gap has to close, but the world could get a bit stupid if the gap were to be fully closed overnight – the FA and the leagues should look at how clubs can plan for five to 10 years down the road. You have to get to a point of parity eventually, but I’m more for evolution than evolution.”

The extra £2,536,835 added to the women’s prize pool last year was spread more evenly across the rounds than the men’s, rather than a larger percentage going to the final winners to try and help grassroots teams. Regardless, if Hashtag United had won the same four rounds of the men’s cup, they would have been over £200,000 richer, around 10 times their women’s side.

Reflecting on the clash, Owen – whose Hashtag United travel to Championship side Coventry United in the fourth round on Sunday – added: “In a dream world we would be there now but we have to be realistic and it’s not going to happen overnight. I think that we need to welcome these improvements and also keep the pressure on by saying, ‘OK, this is a great start, but how do we get to 10x the value again in the next five or ten years? plan?’. The challenge is where are brands spending their money , I don’t think you can blame it all on the FA, it’s on everyone in the game.”