As Chelsea Women gear up for their FA Cup quarter-final against Birmingham on Sunday afternoon at Kingsmeadow, the prize money has just been increased tenfold to £3million for next year’s competition. Shamed into revising the enormous gulf between prize money in the men’s and women’s game, the FA has decided to ‘level up’ and boost
As Chelsea Women gear up for their FA Cup quarter-final against Birmingham on Sunday afternoon at Kingsmeadow, the prize money has just been increased tenfold to £3million for next year’s competition.
Shamed into revising the enormous gulf between prize money in the men’s and women’s game, the FA has decided to ‘level up’ and boost the women’s prize pot from £309,000 to £3m in 2022/23.
As things stood, the men’s cup final winning team would get £1.8m, while the women’s winners would collect £25,000. The women’s runner-up would win £15,000, while their male counterparts will get £900,000.
Bonus payments for the early rounds of the competition are also being bolstered after first-round qualifying winners complained that their £400 prize money didn’t even cover getting to the match!
A detailed breakdown of prize money at all tiers will follow, but for now the FA is keen to emphasise that it has listened to criticism from – among others – Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes, and has responded.
The Vitality Women’s FA Cup has steadily grown, with 417 teams entering the competition this season. But although the final takes place at Wembley, the so-called minnows who take part in early rounds at grassroots level barely make enough in prize money to pay the petrol bill or wash their kit.
“This increased investment from The FA highlights that we want clubs competing in it to be rewarded, while also highlighting our ongoing commitment to the women’s game,” said Sue Campbell at the FA.
This year’s final is to be played at Wembley on Sunday May 15.
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