Brighton eyes return home as councillors back purpose-built women’s stadium

Brighton women's football motion

Brighton & Hove Albion has secured a motion for a purpose-built stadium to become the home of their Women’s Super League side.

Following a motion on Thursday (October 19 2023), Brighton & Hove City Council approved the club’s request for purpose-built stadium, helping to the bring the women’s side back to the seaside.

Up until now, the women had been playing out of Crawley which is 20 miles (32 km) away.

The motion saw the support of both council leaders and club officials alike.

Albion’s Managing Director of Women and Girls, Zoe Johnson, led the club’s push.

“We are desperate to get the team back to the city of Brighton & Hove and have been working hard to bring this to fruition. Having the support of the city council is a big step forward, and I should thank Bella Sankey,” she said via press release.

“It is so encouraging for us to have a council leader who sees the power of sport and just how important that is for everyone – women and men – and Bella has been so supportive in our aims to bring the team home.

“Our women’s team currently play their home matches at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium, and while the club gets a warm welcome there and Crawley are great hosts, the commitment of the club’s board is to bring the team back to the city.”

Leader of the Council Bella Sankey – a keen supporter of women’s football, then expressed the historic importance of helping to bring the women’s side home.

“The phenomenal rise of women’s football at a local and national level deserves recognition. It also requires practical support to ensure the women’s game continues to grow,” Cr Sankey added via press release.

“It’s been over 100 years since the Football Association introduced a ban on the women’s game being played at the professional grounds and pitches of clubs affiliated to the FA. Despite this ban being lifted in the 1970s, we are still a long way from women’s football reaching parity.

“Look how the Albion men’s team has roared to success once we got the Falmer stadium built. It’s about time we brought the Albion women’s team home to our city too. Our motion to Full Council demonstrates our full commitment to working with the club to deliver this for the Brighton & Hove Albion women’s team and all the fans.”

The proposer of the motion – Labour Councillor John Hewitt – expressed in the council meeting on the matter the economic benefit such an investment will have.

“It is vital that the team relocates to the city so that the infrastructure is in place so that they can thrive,” stated Cr Hewitt at the motion’s proposal.

“A purpose-built stadium for our team will allow attendance to improve, encourage participation and will enable the team to follow on in the footsteps of the men’s side.”

When making their assessment, the councillors were directed to an independent study made during the 2022/23 campaign that found the club had contributed over $1 billion (AUD) to the local economy during that season.

Having secured council support, the club will now make enquiries to suitable locations.

This is a rare opportunity and is deeply reflective of the cultural climate and excitement that surrounds women’s football globally. By supporting this motion, the Brighton & Hove City Council is leading the way in helping to support and grow women’s football.

Not only will this boost the local economy – something that the club has helped to do it in the past – but it is also sure to be a great sign for aspiring female footballers that the game is here to stay.

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Football NSW Builds Female Leadership Pipeline

Football NSW’s Women in Football Leadership Program conducted a 2-day face-to-face workshop at the Pullman Sydney Olympic Park. Twenty-three curated female participants from football organisations across NSW attended the workshop. This is part of a larger 5-week leadership program that has developed over 100 female participants.

The program consisted of mixed training through In-person workshops, self-guided electronic learning and online webinars. Topics consisted of sports governance, conflict management, personality types and team dynamics.

Monarch Management and Monica Beazley facilitated the program; Beazley spoke on the importance and necessity for the workshop,

“When like-minded women come together, they create a network of support, rich in life experience and inspiration that can drive real change.”

The aims and aspirations of the program coincide with developing skills and growth, instilling confidence in women to pursue leadership roles and building networking opportunities for female support within the football industry. The program emphasises immediate skill growth and long-term leadership development.

The Football NSW’s Women in Football Leadership Program started in 2023 and the networking aspect of the program has remained key for the participants in sustaining successful partnerships and connections within the male-dominated industry.

“As the facilitator of the Football NSW Women in Football Leadership Conference, I witnessed first-hand how these connections ignite growth and encourage us all to push forward. The greatest takeaway for me was realising just how many talented women are already shaping this sport,” said Beazley.

Participants for the 2-day workshop were selected from governing bodies, football associations, NPL NSW clubs and referee branches.

Beazley noted the importance of female equality in leadership positions, “much work still lies ahead to ensure they feel equal, valued and truly at home in their clubs as leaders and change-makers.”

The entire 5-week program is funded by the NSW Football Legacy Fund and the NSW Government. Commitment to a 2025 renewal of the program shows institutional support to achieve women in leadership positions around football.

The program highlights an effort to increase women’s leadership and presence in football. The growing momentum of this program will continue and foster a positive culture for football.

Hisense Announced as First Partner for FIFA Club World Cup

FIFA has unveiled Hisense as their first partner of the new FIFA Club World Cup, which will kick off for the first time in 2025.

Hisense, a global leader in consumer electronics, will have its TV’s displayed throughout the tournament, in addition to company branding on stadium screens and in the video operation room.

Announced at a ceremony at the Shanghai Tower in China, Hisense’s partnership with FIFA will promote the company’s image and latest products on a global scale.

Hisense Group Chairman Jia Shaoqian spoke keenly about the deal at the event.

“We are proud to be an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which is a competition among the top clubs from all six confederations, representing a dialogue between champions, a collision of first-class excellence. This perfectly aligns with Hisense’s pursuit of the champion spirit and our latest corporate goal to build a world-class enterprise and brand,” he said.

“As the pioneer in AI televisions, Hisense’s newly launched AI TV series is a perfect match for the FIFA Club World Cup. The technological foundation of Hisense AI TV is the independently developed Xinghai large model, which supports continuous smart upgrades across various appliance categories, significantly enhancing the user experience and market competitiveness. Together with FIFA, Hisense will present the best Club World Cup for global audiences.”

This latest partnership between FIFA and Hisense is not the first between the two, with both parties first collaborating in 2017 to sponsor the FIFA World Cup.

Also speaking at the launch ceremony, FIFA President Gianni Infantino embraced the partnership.

“We are delighted to welcome Hisense, a global market-leading brand, as an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Hisense’s commitment to innovation and technology aligns with our vision for this tournament, which will bring together the 32 best teams from around the world for an unforgettable celebration of our game that will revolutionise club football,” he said.

“This partnership will offer fans unique ways to engage with the tournament, both on and off the pitch, while laying a technological and innovation-led foundation for the FIFA Club World Cup to flourish.”

The FIFA Club World Cup will begin in the United States on June 15th 2025, and run until July 13th 2025.

 

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