Karen Carney: Women’s football in England could be a ‘billion pound industry’ in next 10 years

While the 12-club WSL is fully professional that does not extend to English women’s football’s second tier.

A significant drop in broadcast fees and FA central funding means that turnovers can be as high as around £7m in the WSL but as low as £150,000 in the Women’s Championship, where player wages can be below £5,000 per year.

Reading’s recent relegation from the WSL saw them revert to part-time football due to the financial implications.

When it was put to Carney that more than £10m would be required to redress some of that balance, she passionately defended the need to attract additional income to the game.

“Do I want players to have to go on the NHS [for treatment of injuries]? No. Do I want players to have to use bin bags for curtains? No,” she said.

“I don’t want any of this situation any more. There was a lot of evidence in the review of the marketing strategy in place not being able to help the revenues grow.

“It is what is needed. It is not a negative to invest in women’s sport, we have to change the mindset. I understand there is a reality to it.”

On proposals to provide one source of funding from levelling FA Cup prize money across the men’s and women’s game, she added: “I’d hope there would not be a backlash.

“There are so many issues and women’s sport has struggled for so long I’d hope there’d be an understanding but with anything there’ll always be someone who will challenge it.

“I could have said equalise prize money right now but that would have taken down the pyramid of men’s football. We should absolutely be going for equal prize money [in the future] from the FA Cup and the FA should be putting a timescale on that.”