Shadow sports minister warns women’s football needs broader plan after season is ended

Shadow sports minister Alison McGovern has warned women’s football needs a broader plan for its return, after the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championships seasons were ended with immediate effect.

The FA said they were shifting to “focus on next season when football returns for the 2020-21 campaign”, with no clarity yet on how titles, promotion and relegation will be decided.

McGovern told Standard Sport: “I think everybody in the world of football would say how important the women’s game is, but what’s disappointing is the absence of a broader plan. We want to hear from broadcasters how they are going to come back better after this.”

She described the decision to end elite women’s football for the season as “devastating” after “last year’s breakthrough” with the game. AFC Fylde last month became the first women’s team to fold amid the coronavirus pandemic.