MX23RW : Tuesday, November 26 06:30:08| >> :600:129498296:129498296:

FA targeting major tournament win for England Women after unveiling new strategy

FA targeting major tournament win for England Women after unveiling new strategy
© Reuters
The Lionesses have reached the semi-finals of the last three major tournaments.

The Football Association has unveiled a new four-year strategy for the women's game, with England winning a major tournament among the targets.

The Lionesses will be the host team at the European Championships that have been rescheduled for 2022, and the following summer the World Cup is set to take place in Australia and New Zealand.

The team were beaten semi-finalists in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups and also Euro 2017.

The FA's 'Inspiring Positive Change' strategy, which it says "pledges to create a sustainable future for women's and girls' football in England", has eight "transformational" objectives to be achieved by 2024.

As well as the trophy target for England, the objectives include every primary school-aged girl to have equal access to football in school and in clubs, collaboration with clubs to develop an "effective high-performance, inclusive player-centred pathway", and creating "the best professional women's sports leagues and competitions in the world."

Another pledge is to "recruit and support a motivated, diverse range of local leaders organising football for their communities", and there are also targets related to the the development of coaches and referees.

The FA said the home Euros will be "a catalyst for growth across every area."

The Lionesses have reached the semi-finals of the last three major tournaments
The Lionesses have reached the semi-finals of the last three major tournaments (Richard Sellers/PA)

Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA's director of women's football, said: "Football has the power to change lives for the better. It can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing, it can provide opportunities to compete and collaborate with others, and it can help to shape the place of girls and women in wider society.

"Our new four-year strategy is based on understanding an individual's motivation to play – for learning, for recreation, for competition and for excellence.

"We want to ensure there is access and opportunity for every girl and woman to play, coach, spectate, officiate, manage or administer if they so wish and the game to be truly representative of our society across all characteristics and social backgrounds.

"The FA's new Inspiring Positive Change strategy will build upon the foundations created by The Gameplan for Growth (the strategy launched in 2017, setting targets for 2020) and deliver truly transformational change to the women's and girls' game."

England captain Steph Houghton said: "When I and many of my team-mates were girls, opportunities to play the game were few and far between, so to see the breadth and scale of the FA's ambitions in the next four years is extremely exciting.

"From the incredible pledge to provide equal access to football for primary-aged girls, to the pathway created for the country's best talent to fulfil their potential – this strategy is truly game-changing.

"This new strategy will help provide opportunities for women and girls of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to fall in love with football and enjoy the many benefits that it can bring to their life."

ID:418956: cacheID:418956:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6542:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Lyon's Houssem Aouar pictured in August 2020
Read Next:
Arsenal 'had ceiling price for Houssem Aouar'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!