Football stadiums have never been designed with women in mind – new guidance wants to change that

The number of women diving into the wonderful world of football is on the up. Not only are more women and girls playing football (between 2020 and 2024, the number increased by 56%), but more women are flocking to stadiums to watch matches, thanks to the increased profile and accessibility of women’s football, which has an increasingly female fanbase (according to research, 60% of women’s football fans will be women by 2030).

If one thing’s for sure, we need stadiums that are going to service the needs of women, and historically, that hasn’t been the case, which is why WSL Football – the governing body behind the top two divisions of women’s football in England – has introduced new guidelines to help clubs and developers build and upgrade the women’s stadiums of the future.

“We knew there was a real blind spot in this sector,” says Hannah Buckley, head of safety, sustainability and infrastructure for WSL Football. “There was no guidance out there specifically for women’s elite sport and its needs and requirements; a lot of people think they know what we need, but they haven’t been to women’s stadiums or spoken to the match officials and actually understood the real-life issues we face on a day-to-day basis.” 

The new guidance, which consulted the views and recommendations of supporters, clubs, current and former players, managers, matchday staff, media, sports architects and more, includes several recommended design principles designed to make the stadiums of the future more hospitable for female players, staff and fans.

As well as providing an equal balance of male and female toilets (with gender neutral facilities also available), the guidance suggests the inclusion of dedicated breastfeeding areas for players and staff, an increased number of family bathrooms and baby changing facilities and separate changing areas for male and female staff and managers.

The guidance also considers how supporters get to the stadium, with recommendations for increased lighting and safe routes from the stadium concourse to public transport.

“This felt like the perfect opportunity to capture all our learnings of what it’s like to be both a player of women’s football and a fan,” Buckley says. “Some of the differences are really subtle – for example, as women our hips tend to be bigger and the size of the seats at pre-existing stadiums can be quite uncomfortable – but we want to make these stadiums inviting.” 

Other suggestions are less female-specific but give clubs the chance to future-proof their stadiums, with recommendations for more shaded areas to cope with the heat of climate change and enhanced technological connectivity.

With some clubs in the WSL and WSL 2 already building their own women’s stadiums, this guidance couldn’t have come sooner, and there are hopes that this guidance will also help clubs with pre-existing stadiums to update and upgrade their facilities where possible.

“What we’re trying to make sure is that we’re giving venue owners who do host women’s games – not just the professional game – a lens and insight into what female players, officials and fans need,” Buckley adds. “It’s about ensuring the diversity of our fans is really catered for.” 

You can check out the guidance in full on the WSL website.

Image: Getty