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FA to launch women's Super League


FA chairman Lord Triesman heralded the changes

A new women's Super League is to run over the summer months from 2010.

The Football Association will invite clubs to apply for membership of the league, with the lower tiers continuing to play between August to May.

The FA has also given the green light to central contracts for England players to help them financially.

FA chairman Lord Triesman said: "It's good news England's biggest female participation sport will achieve maybe the biggest boost in its history."

To further help the development of the women's game, the FA has backed the proposal to appoint a women's performance manager.

"The new Super League will provide a concentrated, high-quality competition, and during the summer months give the game an exposure when there is no other top-flight football being played," said England women's coach Hope Powell.

"I also hope that it will prevent our best players from joining the women's professional soccer organisation in the USA.

"I am very confident that the new performance unit and central contracts will help us raise the bar further at the elite level and build upon recent successes.

"Our teams will now arrive at tournaments in early or mid-season, rather than at the end of a long nine to 10 months, as was the case at Euro 2005 and in last September's Fifa World Cup in China."

Arsenal Ladies manager Vic Akers is facing the biggest challenge of his 20 years at the top of the women’s game. The introduction of a new professional League in America may mean his best players leave Emirates Stadium.

It was announced on Thursday that Kelly Smith and Karen Carney have already been allocated to Boston Breakers and Chicago Red Stars in an international draft. This is before contact has been made with the Club or their release approved by Arsenal.

At the same time, the Football Association have announced proposals for:

* the launch of a Summer Super League in 2010
* national players to be centrally contracted
* women's performance manager to be appointed leading to a women's performance unit

The Arsenal manager is in his last season in charge of the first-team. Next season, he intends to move upstairs to take on a ‘Director of Football’-type role.

However before that, these changes need to be either countered or catered for.

Akers spoke to Arsenal TV Online about the current situation. Subscribers can now see this exclusive video.

Subscribers can now watch this exclusive interview by clicking the black panel opposite.

The women are doomed

no they're just poo

They are great!