In women’s football, there is an irreversible sense of lost time.
How do we make up for it? How do we do that as soon as possible? How do we protect the players who have forced the shift in perception and seeped into cultural consciousness? Where’s the rulebook? Do the instructions apply to women?
When governing bodies, brands, and media finally rummage through its years of neglect, pluck it out for its potential for deepened pockets, and promise to take its prospects seriously, should we be cautious not to rush the shaping of an identity whose history is one of cultural robbery?
New ownership or management is often a point of reflection of past, present, and future. In its biggest change in the modern era, the breakaway of England’s top two women’s leagues next season is to be led by Nikki Doucet, a former executive at Nike and investment banker.