- Saladar in shock move to Algorfa
By Andrew Atkinson Chief sports editor EXCLUSIVE
Sporting Saladar womens football team have departed from the town – and are to play future games under the banner of Algorfa.
The shock move comes after the 2019-20 coronavirus affected season, that saw fixtures postponed in March.
It is understood the Saladar womens football team have quit, due to a lack of financial backing from Almoradi city council.
Women’s football worldwide has made great strides in recent years, both on a professional and amateur basis.
Attendances at the women’s FA Cup Final in England continue to set new record attendances.
Now, the coronavirus pandemic has left womens football in a precarious position after the suspension of elite football in England, initially applied to both men’s and women’s competitions, there will be deeper and more far-reaching consequences for the women’s game.
The Football Association’s (FA) 2017 Game Plan for Growth, which included doubling the number of women and girls taking part in football by 2020 and improving commercial prospects, has largely been left unfulfilled.
The Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship seasons have now been cancelled. In contrast, mens football resumed in the Premier League and Championship in June.
The biggest challenge for women’s football, both professionally and amateur, is financial sponsorship.
Amid COVID-19, businesses have been hit, ending in companies – previously interested in investing in women’s football, now unable to do so.
The future of women’s football is under financial threat. Womens football in the UK is partially funded by the FA, with the association investing significantly into the women’s sport since turning professional in 2018.
The governing body has predicted a loss in excess of £100 million as a consequence of COVID-19.
The FA had banned women’s games from the grounds of FA-affiliated clubs, between 1921 and 1971.
