The Scottish FA’s ‘Accelerate Our Game’ is designed to enhance all areas of girls’ and women’s football within the next five years.
Accelerate Our Game has been produced in partnership with UEFA and outlines the association’s journey within six key pillars of activity, each with a Gamechanger objective to make a difference to all areas of the girls’ and women’s game from grassroots to the elite level.
The Scottish FA were selected by UEFA as one of six national associations to embark on building a women’s football strategy where, led by the Scottish FA’s head of girls’ and women’s football Fiona McIntyre, UEFA assisted the process which has had input from wide ranging areas of the game in Scotland.
A core objective of the strategy will be for Hampden Park to become the home of the Scotland Women’s National Team, with all home matches of the forthcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying campaign to be held at the national stadium.
The five-year strategy is published after Pedro Martinez Losa was announced as the new head coach of the Scotland Women’s National Team. It outlines the association’s new Vision and Mission for the Girls’ and Women’s game:
Vision
Harness the power of women’s football by changing perceptions and empowering people to inspire the nation, transform lives and build an inclusive, respected and successful game.
Mission
Protect, develop and promote women’s football for all, by investing in the people, product and pathways, so current and future generations can enjoy and love the national game equally.
Accelerate Our Game is designed to provide focus to the Scottish FA’s commitment to progress the girls’ and women’s game in Scotland with six key pillars identified.
Each has a Gamechanger objective to inspire leadership and progress in the key pillars of activity:
- Increase participation and have over 25,000 registered players by 2025
- Professionalise the elite club game
- Qualify consistently and compete at major tournaments
- Showcase our game so that it is valued by stakeholders and the general public
- Double commercial revenues
- Ensure women’s football is appropriately represented and has a voice on key decision-making bodies
Accelerate Our Game also sets out a number of key targets within the Gamechanger objectives in order to progress the girls’ and women’s game with highlights including:
- Make Hampden the home of the Scotland Women’s National Team and increase crowds by 10 percent annually
- Review how elite competitions are delivered and implement an improved governance model by the 2022/2023 season
- Introduce a national Under-23s programme to help bridge the gap between youth and senior international football
Fiona McIntyre, the Association’s Head of Girls’ and Women’s Football, told scottishfa.co.uk: “Accelerate Our Game is our commitment to ensure women’s football in Scotland fulfils its limitless potential.
“The new strategy sets out our vision for the next five years encompassing all aspects of the game as we aim to continue to make improvements across the board, from increasing participation numbers to improving the representation of women’s football on decision- making bodies.
“Hampden Park will become the new home of the Scotland Women’s National Team, which will not only inspire the nation but also the players as they aim to return to the biggest stage in women’s football, the FIFA World Cup.
“The game has grown immeasurably in recent times and we are focused on continuing that progression. We are committed to encouraging future generations to become involved with girls’ and women’s football whilst also ensuring the club game and our national teams excel.”
You can read the strategy here.
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