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Governing body publishes women-focused design guidance for English stadiums
Last month, the governing body of the top two women’s football divisions in England – Women’s Super League Football (WSL) – published what it says is the world’s first advisory framework to guide the construction and upgrading of women’s football venues. Its forward-looking “Design Guidelines for the Delivery of Elite Women’s Stadiums in England” intends to support clubs, local authorities and architects in building and upgrading venues specifically for their women’s teams.
As with many things in the world, football stadiums have historically been built with men in mind – centering male athletes and fans at the heart of the design process. At a time when the women’s game and women’s sport in general is booming, WSL wants to change this and create a “welcoming an inclusive environment” for women athletes and supporters.
Hannah Buckley, Head of Safety, Sustainability and Infrastructure for WSL Football, led on the project’s development. She shared that the idea arose following discussions in 2022 on how suitable host venues were for the UEFA Women’s Euro that took place in England that year. “For ourselves as a league, it is critical that new infrastructure is a part of our clubs’ future plans – to allow the game to continue to grow, stadium primacy – and venues built through the lens of our players – is key, and our hope is that this guidance will be a catalyst for change moving forwards,” she later expanded.
The document notes that “women’s football stadiums represent a new architectural typology that is distinct from “traditional” football stadiums. They demand innovative designs that prioritize the specific needs of female players and one of the most diverse fan communities in the world of sport.”
In partnership with AFL Architects, Mott Macdonald and Forward Associates, the league led a comprehensive consultation process that included supporters, clubs, current and former players, managers, matchday technical staff including medical professionals and match officials, media, broadcasters, governing bodies, engineers, sports architects and sustainability experts.
The resulting guidelines offer tools for creating inclusive, adaptable and sustainable facilities that focus on design and construction rather than operational aspects. It covers a broad range of topics across Inclusivity & Accessibility, Changing Facilities, Fan Experience, Facilities & Safety and Media/Broadcasters. The percentage of toilets allocated to women and men, separate changing areas for under 18s, seat sizing, menstruation provisions in changing areas and futureproofing for environmental/climate change are just some of the subject areas.
“Our stadiums are where all this magic happens – both on and off the pitch – and where memories for players, staff and fans alike are made… With that in mind, Women’s Super League Football have developed this guidance… to help our clubs – the heartbeat of our game – to deliver the best match day offering possible,” stated WSL Football CEO Nikki Doucet.
The guidelines can be downloaded here: www.wslfootball.com/publications.
Sources: WSL Football, The Stadium Business
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