Built For Her Game: Future Facilities for Women’s Football
Women’s football is entering a new era. For decades, the growth of the women’s game has relied largely on infrastructure designed for men — from borrowed grounds and shared facilities to venues that were never intended to support the unique needs of female athletes, supporters and communities.
But as participation rises, attendance grows and the commercial profile of the game continues to strengthen, an important question emerges: What should the future home of women’s football look like?
In Built For Her Game, hosts Victoria McKeegan (Town Legal), Sarah Rock (Boodle Hatfield), and Rebecca Burnhams (Quod) bring together leading voices from across the game to explore the growing drive for purpose-built facilities for women’s sport and the opportunities these spaces present for players, clubs, supporters and local communities.
Across the series, our guests share perspectives on everything from governance and planning to fan engagement, commercial strategy, design, development and research. Joining us are senior figures from governing bodies, football clubs, planning and development professionals, researchers and industry experts, all offering their unique insight into how facilities can support the next phase of growth in women’s sport.
Whether you’re involved in sport, planning, development, property, governance or simply passionate about the future of the women’s game, this podcast series provides an inside look at one of the most exciting discussions shaping sport today.
From clubs to fans, players to project managers, architects to researchers, Built For Her Game explores what it means to create facilities that are truly built for her game.
In episode two of Built For Her Game, Sue Day, Director of Women’s Football at The Football Association, shares her views the role facilities play in the continued growth of the women’s game and examine the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. Drawing on her experience at the heart of the sport’s development, Sue shares her perspectives on governance, investment and the importance of creating environments that support both participation and elite performance.
In episode three of Built For Her Game, Richard Serra, Property and Planning Director at Tottenham Hotspur, shares his perspective on the role facilities play in the development of women’s football and discusses the practical considerations clubs face when planning for future growth. From infrastructure and fan experience to long-term strategic planning, the conversation explores what clubs need from facilities and how these spaces can support the ambitions of the women’s game.
In episode four of Built For Her Game, Kathleen Carthy and Alex Kendall of AFL Architects explore how stadiums and sporting facilities can be designed to meet the needs of women’s football.
Kathleen and Alex have played a leading role in shaping the conversation around facilities for the women’s game, including their work on the Women’s Super League Stadium Design Guidance. Drawing on their experience delivering stadiums, elite training facilities and major sporting venues across the UK and internationally, they discuss the principles that should underpin future facilities for women’s sport.
The conversation explores everything from fan experience and player welfare to flexibility, sustainability and long-term growth, examining how design can help create environments where women’s football can thrive.
In episode five of Built For Her Game, Becky Stormer, Head of the UK Sports Sector at CBRE and a player for Fulham FC Women’s Team draws on her unique experience both as a sports real estate adviser and a participant in the game.
Becky offers insight into how clubs can use property and infrastructure to support long-term growth. The discussion explores the strategic role that facilities play in creating sustainable sporting organisations, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing women’s football as it continues its rapid development.
Combining commercial expertise with lived experience as a player, Becky provides a fascinating perspective on how investment in facilities can support athletes, supporters and the future success of the women’s game.
In episode six of Built For Her Game, Lydia Crudge, founder of Lunar Insight, one of the leading voices in women’s football research, shares what the data tells us about women’s football fans, participants and consumers.
The discussion explores how greater understanding of audiences can influence everything from partnerships and commercial strategies to the design and development of future facilities.
In episode seven of Built For Her Game, Gabrielle Tester, Associate Director at BDP Pattern and Sports Architect she leads the firm’s venue planning team, together they explore how sports facilities can be designed to better support the women’s game, from grassroots participation through to elite competition. Drawing on her experience delivering major sports venues around the world, including Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Gabrielle shares her perspectives on the opportunities to create more inclusive, future-focused facilities and the role design plays in supporting the continued growth of women’s football.
In episode eight of Built For Her Game, Dr Chris Paouros, Vice-Chair and Trustee of Kick It Out, Independent Member of the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board, Vice-Chair of the Football Supporters’ Association, Supporter Representative on the FA Council and Chair of the Tottenham Hotspur Fan Advisory Board. Together, they explore the role supporters have played in the growth of women’s football and how clubs, governing bodies and venue operators can create more inclusive and welcoming environments for fans. Chris shares her perspectives on inclusion, supporter engagement and the importance of ensuring fans remain at the heart of football’s continued development.
The first eight episodes are now live, with more to follow over the coming weeks. We will update the page when more episodes are released.
Click on the links below and subscribe to follow the series.
