60 Seconds with Hannah Buckley

We talk to Hannah Buckley, the FA’s senior facilities and project manager, Women’s Professional Game, about the rise in Women’s football and the expected impact of this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup

BY KAREN MAXWELL

How long have you worked in football?

After university, I started out as a football coach and lecturer in further education, then took on a women’s, girls and disability development role in the West Midlands before overseeing overall football development in that region. In 2005, I relocated to Devon and became development manager for Devon County Football Association where I led on facility projects worth £10m in capital investment. In 2009, I moved back to the West Midlands as the FA’s regional facilities manager and helped to deliver St. George’s Park [National Football Centre] in Burton upon Trent as well as 3G pitch projects in every local authority in that area. In 2017, I worked on the Football Foundation’s Park Life project [Hub Project], then moved back to the FA to lead on facilities with a specific focus on the Women’s Professional Game. 

Can you tell us more about your remit at the FA?

My remit is based around facility infrastructure, safety, security, sustainability and quality playing surfaces for the professional game, to ensure that players have access to decent venues and playing surfaces. Many of these venues also need to meet broadcasting standards – now that the Barclays Women’s Super League and the Barclays Women’s Championship have secured broadcasting deals with the BBC and Sky Sports. 

Five years ago, there were virtually no women’s games played in ‘main stadia’ venues, but there’s been a significant uplift in availability since England’s success at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament and the corresponding increase in spectator numbers. 

My team also encourage feedback from players and match officials in the player centric leagues so we can understand their needs and ensure the best possible playing experiences.   

We independently test natural turf playing surfaces three times a season and believe that grass can take more with a good maintenance schedule and transparent discussions with the grounds teams. 

However, as the women’s game continues to grow, we are extremely mindful of the additional pressures put on grounds staff regarding pitch preparation for additional fixtures in a congested schedule of events. 

How is the FA’s facilities strategy helping to increase carrying capacity for the women’s game?

The Women’s Pro Game has its own facilities strategy, which is based around fixture completion and pitch quality. For example, in the last five years, we have delivered five new hybrid playing surfaces through the Premier League Stadium Fund [delivered by the Football Foundation] at Everton (Walton Hall Park), West Ham United (Dagenham and Redbridge), Lewes (the Dripping Pan), Tottenham Hotspur (Leighton Orient) and Chelsea (Kingsmeadow).

Another important driver is player experience. We’ve engaged with players in the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship to get feedback on playing surfaces and have consequently taken out the 3G pitch venues for Women’s Super League games. Now 10 of the 12 surfaces they play on are hybrid.

 

How do Hub venues, such as the new Ella Toone Pitch help to grow the game?

Hubs such as this already exist in the core cities of Southampton, London, Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield – and more are coming online, such as the £11.9m Derby project. 

As the women’s game grows, it’s important that we have ‘fit for purpose’ facilities to meet the needs of women and girls who are starting their sporting journey, and a facility like the one in Ella’s back yard is great to see. However, these projects take time and money, so we need to ensure that we deliver the right facilities in the right locations and acknowledge that as capital costs increase, they meet sustainable standards for future use. 

How will the FA harness the potential 2023 Women’s World Cup increase in pitch demand? 

Based on the impact the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament had on the game, I think this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup will have a really positive impact in terms of playing opportunities at grassroots level and spectator attendance at main stadia. Providing opportunities for girls to play is critical and Hub sites are a good example of this.

We are working strategically to understand where the women’s game sits within the football pyramid and are ensuring that any investment that goes into future venues will support women and girls’ football too.