Baroness Sue Campbell confident FA plans will shift diversity at top end of women's football

Level of ethnic minority representation in WSL and England Women team has been talking point in recent years; Emerging Talent Centres for girls aged eight to 16 will be funded by Premier League; 'Discover My Talent' project was launched last summer

Image: Sarina Wiegman (left) and Baroness Sue Campbell during a training session at St George's Park

Baroness Sue Campbell is confident plans unveiled by the Football Association will help create a "significant shift" in terms of diversity at the top end of the English women's game.

The level of ethnic minority representation in the Women's Super League and England Women team has been a considerable talking point in recent years.

Something cited as a factor in the situation has been issues regarding the talent pathway structure and accessibility for youngsters from inner-city areas.

Earlier this month, the FA announced plans to grow the existing talent programme for the women's game, providing a wider and more diverse talent pool, with the number of players set to more than double by the end of 2023-24.

There is to be a wider national network of what will be called Emerging Talent Centres for girls aged eight to 16, with funding provided by the Premier League.

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That announcement followed the launch last summer of the 'Discover My Talent' project.

Image: Chelsea retained the WSL title this season

Campbell, the FA's director of women's football, said: "I think I described the old talent pathway like a very narrow tube, and what we're now trying to do is widen the base and push the top up.

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"At the bottom end, we have two programmes. Discover My Talent is a direct intervention programme. We're working with EFL Trusts in inner-city and urban areas where we're getting young people nominated for us to look at. We're getting lots of referrals, it's working really well.

"That hopefully will begin to give those youngsters that perhaps in the past haven't joined a club or don't know how to, a chance to get on.

"Then the Emerging Talent Centres, there's 70 of them initially, they're the next step. And one of the great difficulties is travel for kids, particularly as travel costs go up, so the more we can create more centres that are more local, the better.

"We do know we need to get more diverse and inclusive in the women's game and the reason we haven't in the past is we just haven't had the resources.

"We don't have academies in every club because we can't afford them. We've had a good system based on the money we've had available to us. We've now got additional money, which is allowing us to broaden that base and reach."

Image: England will host the 2022 Women's Euros this summer

Asked how confident she was that the plans would have the desired impact - in that there would be more diversity in the WSL and England Women team in the future - Campbell said: "I am confident.

"Like all things, it doesn't happen overnight, because you're picking up young talent at this point and it's a long journey then to get to the Super League teams. But I am confident.

"From all I've seen of Discover My Talent, all we're doing with the Emerging Talent Centres which go on the ground from this year, I am confident that we will see a significant shift."

England host the Euros this summer, and Campbell added: "For two years, we've been building legacy plans in the host cities - those plans are particularly focused on inclusion and diversity, turbo-charging the strategy we've got. It's another way that we're stretching and reaching into communities."

Former England defender Anita Asante has welcomed the developments, saying of the announcement from earlier this month: "I think it's imperative that it happens. It's great to see the FA taking this initiative forward and hearing these messages, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Image: Former England defender Anita Asante recently announced her retirement

"This is a great starting point and hopefully it will work up to, in the future, seeing more visibility and diversity across the top tiers of the game."

Asante also said she hoped "the driving forces behind it understand the process by which it is going to be utilised, because it's also having the right people that understand how to connect and communicate with certain communities, in order to be pro-actively engaging them".

Asked about that, Campbell said: "One of the big ways we're working within the host cities is training leaders from different communities to use football as a tool for development.

"We know that you need to empower communities, not parachute in and then bob out again. She [Asante] is absolutely right and I hope what we're doing will evidence that we've heard that and we're going to do it."

Women's Euro 2022: Fixtures, venues, full schedule and kick-off times for tournament

The groups

Group A: England, Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland

Group B: Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland

Group C: Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Switzerland

Group D: France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland

The schedule

Group stage:

Wednesday July 6

Group A: England vs Austria - kick off 8pm, Old Trafford

Thursday July 7

Group A: Norway vs Northern Ireland - kick off 8pm, St Mary's

Friday July 8

Group B: Spain vs Finland - kick off 5pm, Stadium MK

Group B: Germany vs Denmark - kick off 8pm, London Community Stadium

Saturday July 9

Group C: Portugal vs Switzerland - kick off 5pm, Leigh Sports Village

Group C: Netherlands vs Sweden - kick off 8pm, Bramall Lane

Sunday July 10

Group D: Belgium vs Iceland - kick off 5pm, Manchester City Academy Stadium

Group D: France vs Italy - kick off 8pm, New York Stadium

Monday July 11

Group A: Austria vs Northern Ireland - kick off 5pm, St Mary's

Group A: England v Norway - kick off 8pm, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium

Tuesday July 12

Group B: Denmark vs Finland - kick off 5pm, Stadium MK

Group B: Germany vs Spain - kick off 8pm, London Community Stadium

Wednesday July 13

Group C: Sweden vs Switzerland - kick off 5pm, Bramall Lane

Group C: Netherlands v Portugal - kick off 8pm, Leigh Sports Village

Thursday July 14

Group D: Italy vs Iceland - kick off 5pm, Manchester City Academy Stadium

Group D: France vs Belgium - kick off 8pm, New York Stadium

Friday July 15

Group A: Northern Ireland v England - kick off 8pm, St Mary's

Group A: Austria vs Norway - kick off 8pm, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium

Saturday July 16

Group B: Finland vs Germany - kick off 8pm, Stadium MK

Group B: Denmark vs Spain - kick off 8pm, London Community Stadium

Sunday July 17

Group C: Switzerland vs Netherlands - kick off 5pm, Bramall Lane

Group C: Sweden vs Portugal - kick off 5pm, Leigh Sports Village

Monday July 18

Group D: Iceland vs France - kick off 8pm, New York Stadium

Group D: Italy vs Belgium - kick off 8pm, Manchester City Academy Stadium

Knockout phase

Quarter-finals

Wednesday July 20

Quarter-final 1: Winners Group A v Runners-up Group B - kick off 8pm, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium

Thursday July 21

Quarter-final 2: Winners Group B v Runners-up Group A - kick off 8pm, London Community Stadium

Friday July 22

Quarter-final 3: Winners Group C v Runners-up Group D - kick off 8pm, Leigh Sports Village

Quarter-final 4: Winners Group D v Runners-up Group C - kick off 8pm, New York Stadium

Semi-finals

Tuesday July 26

Semi-final 1: Winners quarter-final 1 v Winners quarter-final 3 - kick off 8pm, Bramall Lane

Wednesday July 27

Semi-final 2: Winners quarter-final 2 v Winners quarter-final 4 - kick-off 8pm, Stadium MK

Final

Sunday July 31

Winners semi-final 1 v Winners semi-final 2 - kick off 5pm, Wembley

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