Women's football handed major boost as FA and Barclays sign £30million deal

The Football Association has announced Barclays is to invest more than £30million in women's and girls' football over the next three years.

The bank has agreed new sponsorship deals running to 2025 with the FA and the Premier League, with which it has been a partner for 20 years.

Barclays became the title sponsor of the Women's Super League in 2019 as it pledged to invest in excess of £15million in the women's and girls' game.

It will now also be the title sponsor of the Women's Championship from 2022-23 and is doubling the previous figure - setting, the FA has said, a new record for investment in UK women's sport.

Sponsorship of the FA Girls' Football School Partnership, which over 12,000 schools have joined, will also be extended with the FA targeting a goal of 20,000 schools offering football to girls by 2024.

Kelly Simmons, the FA's director of women's professional game, said in a statement from the governing body: "Barclays have played a crucial role in the growth of women's and girls' football, so it is excellent news that they are committing to a new record investment in the women's and girls' pyramid until 2025.

"As part of the FA's 2020-2024 women's and girls' strategy, Inspiring Positive Change, we set ourselves the ambition of providing equal access for all girls at 90 per cent of primary and secondary schools in the UK, and Barclays' continued support and investment has allowed us to make great strides in achieving this ambition.

"From grassroots to the top tiers of women's football, we are also extremely excited to welcome Barclays as the new title sponsor of the FA Women's Championship. The FA Women's Championship plays a pivotal role in the ongoing development of the pyramid structure and the credible history and association to football that Barclays has will make the league even stronger."

The Premier League's chief commercial officer Will Brass said: "Barclays has always been a fantastic partner of the Premier League and we are very pleased to be extending our long-standing association for another three years.

"Over two decades Barclays has demonstrated their support for football, both on and off the pitch. And together we share an ambition of creating opportunities at all levels and ensuring everyone is welcome to enjoy the game. We look forward to further developing our relationship over the coming years."

Barclays has also partnered with the charity Sported to make small grants available, from January, for grassroots groups looking to start offering football or expand to new audiences, with the fund to primarily support young people in deprived or under-represented areas through local organisations.