Everton sell women’s team in groundbreaking PSR move

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Image credit: Najmi Arif / Shutterstock.com

Everton have transferred ownership of Goodison Park to their women’s team in a strategic play designed to attract fresh investment and boost financial flexibility.

The deal sees Everton Women and the iconic stadium sold to a company controlled by club owner Dan Friedkin. Roundhouse Capital, the investment vehicle used by Friedkin to acquire Everton in December, is now listed as the owner of Everton Women Football Club Limited, according to documents filed with Companies House.

The transaction, which has been ratified by the Premier League as fair market value, will count as revenue in the men’s team’s accounts, helping the club remain within the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). It also frees up financial headroom to support the club’s broader football operations.

Considering Everton’s recent struggles with PSR, including two separate point deductions in 2023/24, this is an intelligent business decision that is just within the rules.

Capacity at Goodison Park will initially be set at 20,000 for Women’s Super League matches, with potential for expansion. Renovations are already underway to ready the ground for the new season, which kicks off with a Merseyside derby at Anfield on 7 September.

While Roundhouse Capital intends to retain a majority share, the move is aimed at making Everton Women more appealing to external investors, particularly in the United States, where women’s football is experiencing rapid growth.

This follows a similar model to Chelsea, who earlier this year sold an 8% stake in their women’s team to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, valuing the club at $491 million (£240m). Both teams are majority owned by American investors.

This marks the first full ownership transfer of its kind in the Premier League and could become a blueprint for other clubs looking to unlock financial value from their women’s teams.

Selling the women’s side creates a smart financial lever for clubs needing to meet PSR regulations or raise funds for transfer market activity.

As women’s football continues to grow commercially, this type of structure could soon become more common across the Premier League and across the other top European leagues.

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Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

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Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

Community Spirit Shines on AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026

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This week, Football Australia (FA) celebrated AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026, championing the people and communities who continue to hold up a safe, inclusive and supportive environment in the football landscape.

‘For all, for life’

In collaboration with Football NSW, Canterbury Football Association and community club, Balmain & District Football Club, the day reflected the very best of what football provides.

The event brought in participants of all ages – from 4-74 years-old – and reached a total of 400 people. Girls-only programs, all-abilities sessions and over-age football ensured all were catered for.

Such a diverse range of participants builds on a wider drive during FIFA World Football Week, which seeks to promote the sport not just as the dazzling lights of 100,000-seater stadiums, but as a way to foster community spirit and social development.

Furthermore, FA support through its Club Changer program was a welcome addition to the action, emphasising the organisation’s commitment to nurture a real love for the game across communities in Australia.

“Through Club Changer we support our clubs to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable environment where everyone is welcome; whether that be as a player, volunteer, referee or supporter,” explained National Program Manager Club Development at FA, Grace Lambourne.

“Everyone should feel they belong and are welcome to play, stay, and love the game.”

 

A welcome celebration

While the upcoming FIFA World Cup will no doubt inspire millions of future Socceroos and Matildas, events like the AFC Grassroots Football Day represent something beyond just inspiration.

It is a platform. An opportunity to express a love for football and to connect with others while doing so.

And connections between the professional and grassroots game is more important than ever if Australia is to nurture the next generation of talent.

This is particularly clear in the rise of women’s football across the nation. Since the FIFA Women’s World Cup, female participation rose by 32%, and registrations for the MiniTillies Program skyrocketed from 264 in 2023, to 1223 in 2024.

The professionals spark passion. But communities turn that passion into playing time.

That is why celebrating grassroots football – and the volunteers and families who sustain it – is a vital part of Australia’s football future. Together, FA and the AFC are creating strong foundations built on positivity, engagement, and inclusivity for all with a love for the beautiful game.

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