FFA chairman Chris Nikou has revealed a full W-League home-and-away season could be on its way
The New Leagues Working Group is set to reveal plans for a full home-and-away W-League season as a priority, says FFA chairman Chris Nikou
Football
Don't miss out on the headlines from Football. Followed categories will be added to My News.
FFA chairman Chris Nikou has revealed plans to expand the W-League and says the A-League will benefit financially from a unification of the men’s and women’s game in Australia.
Nikou said a full home-and-away season for the W-League should be seen as being the aim as women’s soccer experiences a global boom.
This was highlighted last weekend when Italy’s Juventus women drew an Italian club league record of 39,027 fans to Juventus Stadium against Fiorentina.
A week earlier 60,739 fans watching Atletico Madrid women take on Barcelona broke the world club attendance record in Madrid.
“You support your club, you support all elements of the club,’’ Nikou said.
“So that’s why part of the New Leagues Working Group is to provide a tangible plan around the women’s game.
“It’s how are we going to get it to the next level.
“Also a true home-and-away season, I’d like to see that as the next step for the W-League.”
The W-League currently has nine clubs.
Each of its 11 seasons has never seen the league play a full round of home-and-away matches.
Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast don’t have women’s teams in the W-League and Canberra United is a stand-alone women’s team.
The NLWG is expected to complete its report on W-League expansion, an independent A-League and a national second division among other items by the end of the month.
Nikou made the women’s game revelation after fronting FFA’s community summit alongside FFA chief executive David Gallop at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night.
The pair are heading a series of nine community summits across Australia.
Adelaide was stop number six.
“It was passionate and sometimes frustrating too,’’ Nikou said.
“I think as a football community, we don’t talk enough and part of the reason about these community forums is that it’s not about us talking, yes we answer questions and share information, it’s important to get the feedback.
“We can’t pick a thousand items to talk about, infrastructure is clearly No. 1.
“The cost of football (for juniors) is clearly another one, pathways, people start to see some tangible doable.
“They’re big ticket items there is the A-League working group that’s important, we want to find a balance between incentivising the clubs but making sure the whole of the sport moves forward.”
Matildas reach ‘boiling point’ over Football Australia pay dispute
Crisis talks are taking place between Football Australia and the Matildas over an ongoing pay dispute, as tension reaching ‘boiling point.’
Explosive report reveals ‘low trust’ and player dissatisfaction in A-league
A damning report from the player’s union has revealed an alarming rate of dissatisfaction and lack of trust towards the governing body in managing, improving and growing the game.