The concept of health care in the women’s game is often discussed when Women’s Super League (WSL) players get injured.
Whilst the lack of health provisions for professional players is a thing of the past, teams in the Championship and below still struggle without significant help from their club when they’re out of the game through injury.
What is the issue?
Most employers have insurance policies covering workplace injury. With injuries being high risk for footballers, there should be a policy in place that would mean the club have sufficient money should they need to pay an injured player.
Not only is this not the case, but WSL players can also be sacked by clubs with three-months' notice if they are out injured for that length of time. Whereas, in the Premier League, players can be sacked if they are injured for 18 out of 20 months, with six to 12 months' notice.
As well as this meaning women are treated very differently to similar standard male players, there is also less help available in some cases. WSL clubs have smaller budgets than their male counterparts and often struggle to provide the same level of medical care. They also often require medical treatment that differs from men’s football.
Related articles: - Player’s Periods: the impact on play
When has this been a problem?
Crystal Palace striker, Gemma Bryan, complained about having been left “in limbo” by her club after she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in April 2019. Her first scan was funded by the club but she was soon left to herself, on the NHS waiting list without being contacted by team staff.
However, her team issued the statement: “Gemma remained fully paid, beyond the terms of her agreement, until the end of the season when her registration expired. She was also offered ongoing continued access to rehabilitation support beyond the end of last season”. Therefore, Bryan’s claim must be taken with a pinch of salt.
The Women’s Championship team is not legally required to provide its players with private medical insurance, unlike teams in the WSL and professional men’s teams.
In the past, players have resorted to crowdfunding campaigns to raise money to be treated privately as a result of lack of support from their clubs. For example, three London Bees players needed medical attention in October 2018. They started a justgiving page and said:
“Weʼve raised £2,350 to support and cover the medical costs for 3 Women’s Championship players in their recovery from long-term, reconstructive knee surgeries.“
How does it compare to male footballers?
At Tottenham Hotspur, Shannon Maloney and Danny Rose have both suffered from knee ligament injuries in recent years. Whilst Rose had through rehabilitation through the club’s medical staff, Maloney was left to fend for herself during recovery.
In addition to the medical recovery of players, the rules in regards to match day medical provisions differs between the genders.
This was an issue during the 2018-19 season when a Charlton vs Manchester United game was abandoned on medical grounds as they awaited an ambulance for Charlton’s Charlotte Kerr. WSL and Women’s Championship rules state that clubs must provide emergency equipment “to include as a minimum a spinal board, cervical collar, fracture splints, crutches, stretchers, oxygen and a defibrillator”. Having an ambulance on site is not compulsory, though some WSL teams do have one in case of emergency.
In the men’s game, the English Football League rules require an ambulance for crowd safety, not just as a precaution for footballers.
What does it mean at a lower level of women’s football?
In the FA Women’s National League (FAWNL) - the third and fourth-tiers of women’s football - there are very few provisions and regulations. Some grounds don’t even have stretchers, let alone an ambulance on hand at games.
Last Month - on March 8 - Lincoln City Women Development v The New Saints (TNS) Development was called off after an hour when a player hit her head on the floor and lost consciousness. She was rushed to the hospital and the game abandoned. This must have been a tough decision as TNS to Lincoln is the longest journey between teams in the league.
How have things changed?
Extra regulations have been included from the start of the 2019-20 season to ensure that every WSL club has medical funds in place to cover injuries to their players.
Additionally, the Professional Footballers' Association wants the FA to make medical insurance a contractual obligation for clubs.
However, these regulations and potential improvements are only the case for professional clubs. Teams in the Championship and below - those semi-professional and non-professional - will remain underfunded and can’t be properly cared for by their clubs due to lack of money.
These provisions can’t be demanded of teams that don’t have the funding of WSL and support from their male counterparts. Should the FA put a rule in place that medical insurance is a necessity for FAWNL teams, many clubs would cease to exist due to lack of ability to pay for pitch access and referees alongside insurance.
Therefore, whilst it is good to see these regulations enforced in teams that can afford them, until there is greater investment further down the women’s football pyramid, the improvements can’t be made at all levels.
Have your say
Would you donate to a crowdfunding page to help a non-professional or semi-professional female footballer?
Leave comment!
