Even that is an improvement on where the sport was. For Tongue, one of England’s biggest triumphs at the Euro 2022 final was that companies are no longer asking their players to make corporate appearances for free: “I was very used to hearing ‘There is no charge.’ That’s the main change.” This is the reality of women’s football in England today. A small group of the national team’s top players, nicknamed the Lionesses, are on the verge of becoming household names and earning significant sums of money, with sell-out stadiums and huge television audiences watching them take on Germany in the Euro 2022 final on Sunday . Lucy Bronze has already signed sponsorship deals with Nike and Visa, while captain Leah Williamson has signed with fashion house Gucci. Each England player is reportedly in line for a £55,000 bonus if they win the tournament on Sunday – with further, significant sums available through possible endorsement deals. But for the rest of the professional game there is the constant fear that interest in women’s football will fade once the tournament is over, people will not attend domestic league games and there will be another false dawn. “It’s not great to have this disparity,” Tongu said. “There are some lionesses who will take everything because brands can be slightly lazy.” However, this time she is hopeful that there will actually be a change in attitude towards embracing the wider world of women’s football, with her management agency inundated with interest throughout the tournament. “Previously you would get all the requests a day before the final. Everyone wanted to talk to you on the day of the game or the day after, and then it stopped,” he said. He praised the early corporate sponsors of English women’s football such as Barclays, Visa and Nike, but said many other companies were waiting on the sidelines. Euro 2022 has boosted the interest of potential sponsors: “Brands are now looking at long-term deals. They want appearance and authenticity. Women respond well to brands investing in their sport – which is almost a grateful mindset.” More than a decade since the start of the Women’s Super League (WSL) in England, the money is just starting to flow into the domestic game, with a much-improved broadcast deal involving the BBC and Sky. Mainstream media coverage – such as the Guardian’s new Women’s Football Weekly podcast – also helps. Nicole Allison, the chief executive of women’s football consultancy NA Sport, praised UEFA’s decision to sell the sponsorship rights for the women’s Euros separately from the men’s tournament. Allison said the audience is different: “The men’s game is so fixated on traditional metrics – how many people watch and see the billboards. Sponsorship has moved on and it’s not about the eyes, it’s about how you can engage immediately. This now gives sponsors in women’s sport, people really see what a brand stands for. “Women’s football didn’t get airtime in traditional media, so we had to create our own content and create our own buzz. Social media has enabled brands to engage with the passionate fans of women’s football.” He added: “We have seen international success in the past followed by a natural dip. When the domestic leagues start again, it is the job of the clubs and the FA to keep attendances high and maintain the same level of interest.” Tongue said too many people still perceive women’s football as a grassroots sport where players take part for the love of the game, rather than a full-on professional spectacle. In particular, clubs must move on from playing in remote non-league grounds with limited facilities and few opportunities to entertain corporate clients with the high-level treatment many have come to expect, he said. “There is no opportunity to take customers to WSL games because there are no hosting options. There are some people I try to get involved with the game, but I can barely buy them a drink at half time. I’m very happy with a Bovril but I’d like to get Mr PricewaterhouseCoopers and I can’t. We have to show that this is a circumstance, this is an event.”
