Women's Championship going pro would grow game

The England women's team are hoping to build on their victory at the Euros in this summer's World Cup

The second flight of women's football in England needs to go fully professional to grow the game, according to the chief executive of Lewes FC.

Maggie Murphy said the Championship should follow the Women's Super League.

It comes in the wake of a report into the potential of the women's game, which said it could become "a billion pound industry" in a decade.

The Women's World Cup kicks off in Australia on 20 July, with England hoping to build on winning the Euros at home last summer.

Only the top tier of women's football in England is professional, while Lewes play in the second tier.

"We still have players that are having to have another job or two on the side to keep them going," said Ms Murphy, "and that puts added stress around their recovery, their rehabilitation, their ability to eat well and exercise properly and rest appropriately."

She believes going fully professional would allow the Championship clubs, and the whole women's game, to grow.

She said: "You cannot focus on just one part, you have to grow the entire ecosystem, and that’s not just the top and the bottom, it’s also about the players, the medical staff, the coaching staff, the commercial staff, the media staff.

"This ecosystem is at a very, very early stage and we need to invest in all of it, and only then can we grow."

Maggie Murphy believes Lewes FC's women's side needs to go fully professional, along with the rest of the Championship

The report, chaired by former England international Karen Carney, also recommends both top tiers going fully professional, with investment needed to lift the game to the next level.

Ms Murphy is giving the report her full backing.

"My biggest fear is without that kind of focus on implementation, these are going to be great recommendations and in 10 years’ time we’ll wonder why we didn’t implement them."