Baroness Sue Campbell has said football’s governing and competition bodies have “woken up” to the appetite that exists for women’s football.
The director of women’s football at the FA, who has been given a damehood for services to sport, described how she had seen “an unbelievable change” in opportunities for women in the game over the past five years since she has been at the association.
“I think everybody, whether that’s Fifa, Uefa or ourselves at the FA, has woken up to the realisation that there’s a massive interest in the women’s game.
“We’re seeing a massive growth of interest in broadcast, commercial and people just wanting to see it. So our job is to make sure if a little girl is inspired by watching them, then the opportunity is there for them to do something.”
“But I would hate anybody to think we’re finished – we’re nowhere near finished where we want to be, but we’ve certainly gone on a very exciting journey so far.”
On Monday, to coincide with International Day of the Girl, the FA launched a new campaign called Let Girls Play, which supports the association’s ambition to give all girls equal access to play football in school by 2024.
Only 63% of schools currently offer girls’ football in PE lessons and the FA’s ambition is to have 75% providing equal access to football for girls in sports lessons by 2024.
Lady Campbell was previously awarded a CBE for her services to sport in June 2003 following her roles at the Sports Council (now Sport England) and the National Coaching Foundation (NCF).
Describing being given a damehood, she said: “It’s a very proud moment and I feel very privileged. To have received it here as well in such incredible surroundings, it’s very special.”
