The club that beat their reserve team in a cup final. How do they prepare to play their own when they share facilities? And how were both even able to get there? www.nytimes.com/athletic/720... via @NYTimes
Why Hashtag United signed and sold AI footballers: ‘AI is not going anywhere’
www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...
London City Lionesses once played in front of 400 fans. As the WSL’s only club independent from a men’s team, how can they build a fanbase without an existing supporter base? What does fandom mean in the WSL? Feat. dogs, running clubs and arts and crafts
www.nytimes.com/athletic/712...
What if the key to growing attendances in women’s football isn’t staging games in men’s grounds, but building new ones designed especially for female players and fans?
This is the growing view in the WSL - and could be the key to unlocking revenue
www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...
What’s going on in the minds of players in their late 30s/early 40s? What motivates them? What are they putting their bodies through? How much emotional energy does it take to keep going back season after season?
Five players doing it share their views
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
Would you be able to be your own agent in a move from a WSL club to a Serie A one? Sophie Howard did so for her move from Leicester to Como, negotiating with her manager one minute and training under him the next. How she did it and her advice to others
www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...
#TheTraitors finale tonight, which raises the question: how well would professional football prepare you for the show?
Managers, players, staff, previous Traitors winners on the parallels between both: would football’s soft skills work in the castle?
www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...
#TheTraitorsUK finale tonight, which raises the question: how well would professional football prepare you for the show?
Managers, players, staff, previous Traitors winners on the parallels between both: would football’s soft skills work in the castle?
www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...
Japan is the joint-largest market for the WSL outside of the UK, fuelled by EA FC, YouTube and the social media posts of the Japanese national team players playing in the WSL and one YouTube channel called Japarton (an amalgam of Japan and Everton)
www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...
A photo shows Elsa Thora, a blonde woman who is an OnlyFans creator. Headline on photo: Soccer and OnlyFans: Sex Workers Discuss Their Experiences. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6925109/2026/01/05/football-onlyfans-sex-workers-discuss-experiences/
From @theathleticfc.bsky.social: Soccer has become a key part of some sex workers' online brands. “I’ve never seen that amount of money, ever, in my life,” one woman said. nyti.ms/4q4LSFn
Lots of work went into getting this right: I wanted to speak without judgement or sensationalism to some of the sex workers who use football clubs to promote their OnlyFans pages
What are their experiences, how did they get into SW and what role does football play?
www.nytimes.com/athletic/692...
If you’ve watched the Women’s Rugby World Cup, you’ll have seen England’s Abi Burton make the most extraordinary sporting comeback. Three years ago, she was in a coma and had to learn to walk and talk again, having also been mistakenly sectioned. Interview www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...
Wonderful evening in Wrexham for Kerry Evans’ book launch. Saw it in Wrexham Waterstones (even saw my other baby) and proud to hear how much the book has meant to those who have read it. Foreword & afterword by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
Order: amzn.eu/d/i441ruC
Ahead of the Euros final today, @charlotteharpur and I collected messages for all 23 Lionesses, Sarina Wiegman and Arjan Veurink from special people: friends, family, former coaches, football royalty and some famous faces
www.nytimes.com/athletic/651...
Ahead of tomorrow’s final, the parents of Georgia Stanway, Lauren James, Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead and Maya Le Tissier on what goes into making of a Lioness: extra jobs, bank loans, four-hour round trips to training, emotional support and sleeping in meetings
www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...
What goes into making a Lioness, and why do it when there was no pathway for your daughter?
Extra jobs, second cars, bank loans, four-hour round trips to training that leave you so tired you sleep in work meetings
The making of a Lioness – as told by their parents:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...
Why does football often look to Black players to solve racism through their emotional pain and labour? And when they have no control over the structures enabling racism? What powers do players have v social media companies?
www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...
All of the Lionesses were involved in boys’ football en route to the top
Mixed football has always been politicised in England, reflecting ideas around femininity and ability
It’s now seen as best practice & is more accessible: on its history and changing landscape
www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...
For #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek , I wrote a very personal piece about depression, anxiety, loneliness and how the community I’ve found following #bcafc this year, regardless of the results, has helped football become a place of healing
www.nytimes.com/athletic/635...
18 years today since Jacqui Oatley was the first female commentator on Match of the Day. Oatley on her memories of that “isolating” time, and how it led to the founding of Women in Football and a lifelong mission to help more women enter the industry
www.nytimes.com/athletic/629...
As someone who’s pretty shy and always struggled with social anxiety, anything with big groups is massively out of my comfort zone and I was low-key mortified at the thought of doing this but we had such fun 🎤🎶🎤🎵 Gearing up for performance two on TV next week
If you were in Broadway at lunchtime today you’d have seen the #bantamoftheopera #bcafc #bantams choir’s first performance ❤️💛 singing Habanera to unsuspecting members of the public. You can see the videos on BBC Yorkshire socials
A pleasant surprise!
In the past few weeks, Arsenal and Manchester City Women have launched huge commercial campaigns around periods and menstrual care
The brains behind both campaigns on how and why they did it - including how Arsenal players created the adverts with them
www.nytimes.com/athletic/621...
In the past few weeks, Arsenal and Manchester City Women have launched huge commercial campaigns around periods and menstrual care
The brains behind both campaigns on how and why they did it - including how Arsenal players created the adverts with them
www.nytimes.com/athletic/621...
How do you scout players in the lower reaches of women’s football, where data and clips are scarce?
With LinkedIn, volunteers and goodwill
Meet the team building a scouting network for the lower reaches of women’s football - with help from 1/5 of Dragon’s Den
www.nytimes.com/athletic/608...
How do you scout players in the lower reaches of women’s football, where data and clips are scarce?
With LinkedIn, volunteers and goodwill
Meet the team building a scouting network for the lower reaches of women’s football - with help from 1/5 of Dragon’s Den
www.nytimes.com/athletic/608...
“Ref! Stop the game! They have a boy on their team! Not fair!”
Girls on this under 12s team received such aggression from opposition parents that they grew scared to keep playing
So they have started a campaign: ‘Girls can have short hair - get over it’
www.nytimes.com/athletic/613...
“Ref! Stop the game! They have a boy on their team!”
Meet the under 12s team conquering grassroots football with their campaign ‘Girls can have short hair - get over it’