Women’s football was ‘pushed aside’ when WSL season was cut short, says former England striker Kelly Smith

Chelsea secured title from second place on a points-per-game basis

Former Arsenal and England striker Kelly Smith believes the women’s game has been “pushed aside” after the decision was taken to end the English domestic season.

The Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship campaigns were brought to an early end on 25 May amid the coronavirus pandemic, with second-placed Chelsea being confirmed as WSL champions on a points-per-game basis last week.

The Football Association (FA) said when the season was curtailed that the decision was made following “overwhelming feedback” from the clubs and that the move was “in the best interests of the women’s game”.

Smith is disappointed that the financial commitment to continue the men’s game, which has included the Premier League centrally funding the reported £4 million cost of coronavirus testing in an attempt to get the 2019/20 season completed, was lacking at WSL level.

“I was hearing figures of £3m and upwards [in the men’s game] for testing and putting procedures in place just to get back into training,” Smith told PA.

“That figure in the women’s game in this country is unheard of, and I don’t know if the FA would have been happy to put the money towards that, rather than just write the season off and go again.

“I would have preferred [if] they would’ve gone the route of putting the money in and making it more of a level playing field with the men. It just seems to always happen that the women get pushed aside a bit, and it’s unfortunate.”

Smith said it was a “sad” way for the season to end, and felt that being awarded the championship will have tasted less sweet for Chelsea than securing it on the pitch.

“I do feel an injustice for Liverpool being relegated, because they would have felt like they could have got out of that situation at the bottom of the league with about eight games to go,” she added.

“I also feel sorry for Arsenal, because they missed out on a Champions League spot. It’s a sad way to end the season and certain clubs are going to be hurting because of that.

“I’m sure Chelsea would have preferred the season to be finished and be called outright champions rather than it being just given to you like that because you were the best team at that point in time.”

The WSL is targeting a start date of 5 September for the 2020/21 campaign.

PA