Coaching staff resignations at Solihull Moors highlight urgent need for progress in women’s football
Incidents of alleged neglect at Solihull Moors Women have ignited discussions around gender inequalities in women’s football, following the resignation of manager Tom Blaymires and his entire coaching staff this week. Their decision came two weeks after the players publicly criticised the club for treating them with a “lack of respect,” citing unfit conditions and logistical failings.
The team, which competes in the Midlands Division One of the Women’s National League, expressed their frustration after they were forced to forfeit a cup game against West Bromwich Albion. They claim the club failed to secure a pitch for the fixture, leading to a significant fine and elimination from the League Cup and Plate competitions.
Player Alex Liddiard, speaking on behalf of her teammates via X , detailed the challenges they face. This includes ill-fitting kits, a lack of basic equipment, no transportation for distant games, and no guaranteed pitch access for midweek fixtures. “We cannot help but ask – would the men’s team ever be placed in this position?” she wrote.
Blaymires supported the players’ statement, exhibiting his own disappointment on X: “All we have ever asked is for our players to be given the respect they deserve … Sadly, this seems to be too much to ask for and fills us all with great sadness and anger.
“We are still hitting the same barriers the women’s game did over 20 years ago.”
Despite the Solihull Moors Foundation’s claim that it takes these issues seriously and will seek genuine solutions, these complaints reflect the wider, systemic issues plaguing women’s football.
Persisting inequality
The situation at Solihull Moors is far from an isolated incident. Former England international Jill Scott recalls similar difficulties accessing pitches during her youth.
With priority given to male teams, the Lioness legend told i News that her side frequently had to wait for later slots to train, occasionally being left without a pitch entirely. “One day we had to go to the car park and do shuttle runs. You know the lines of the car park spaces? That was our training session. I’m surprised I didn’t quit football there and then.”
Research from Sure UK found that women’s football continues to lag behind the men’s game in this regard. According to the study, 40% of female footballers surveyed lack access to their own pitch, while 25% are without changing rooms.
Further highlighting these inherent problems, Women in Football (WIF) surveyed 885 women, and 89% of respondents reported experiences of discrimination in the sport. Yvonne Harrison, CEO of WIF, said: “Everyone knows that gender discrimination happens in football. There’s an even bigger problem around how football deals with it … many women don’t feel they can report [gender discrimination], and when they do report it, too often no action is taken.”
From explicit sexism to subtler forms of male prioritisation, these studies reveal how prejudice in women’s football remains deeply entrenched. Boys are invested in from an early age and receive better training, superior equipment, and easier access to pitches throughout their development, exacerbating gender disparities in adulthood.
Why do females suffer more ACL injuries?
Another startling example of inequality in women’s football is the higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries compared to men. Female footballers are six times more likely to sustain this injury than their male counterparts.
Dr Katrine Okholm Kryger, a Medical Specialist at UEFA, told the Guardian: ‘’We have literature from other sports, such as ballet, where ACL injury numbers are the same in women and men because they go to the same schools and train in the same environment. But if we look at sports such as football and rugby, where what we offer each gender is very different, you see a disparity.’’
Her research reveals that football boots are predominantly designed based on the feet of a generic white male (UK size eight). This fails to account for anatomical differences in women: “Women are lighter … and don’t have the same muscle mass to push off, so we need less traction.” A lack of consideration for female-specific boot designs increases the risk of women’s studs sticking into the ground, which can prompt ACL injuries.
The disproportion in ACL injuries between men and women is a glaring reflection of how the broader imbalances in facilities, products, and injury prevention strategies can have tangible consequences on female footballers’ careers and wellbeing.
Challenges remain despite improvement
Women’s football has undoubtedly made significant strides in recent years. Attendances in the Women’s Super League have increased by 239% since 2021, the Women’s FA Cup final has sold out at Wembley for the past two seasons, and the top flight became fully professional in 2018.
However, obstacles persevere. A lack of funding, sponsorship, and adequate equipment hinders progress, particularly at the grassroots level. Greater resources and financial investment from top to bottom of the football pyramid are crucial for enhancing the quality of play on the pitch but also for tackling injustice off it.
The Solihull Moors Women players’ statement echoes the frustrations voiced by countless women in football. Their complaints serve as a powerful reminder that significant changes at all levels of the sport are necessary to drive progress and address long-standing inequalities.
