How can a women’s team gain Tier 2 licence, but men’s team from same club be refused Tier 3 status? Because the FAW says so….

Question……

One football club with a senior men’s and senior women’s team.

The senior men’s team apply for an FAW TIER 3 licence and get refused.

The senior women’s team apply to retain their FAW TIER 2 licence, get refused, but win an appeal

Both teams use the same ground and facilities.

Equality in football is such a buzz objective these days, so is what happened to Powys club Berriew FC in this case actually right?

According to the FAW, the answer is YES.

Men’s and women’s teams from the same club can actually be judged on different criteria when it comes to licence applications.

Is this true equality, or a grey area which needs highlighting and acting upon ?

Why should there be a difference in men’s and women’s licence criteria within Welsh football?

The FAW was questioned about the Berriew situation…..here was its response….

“Over the last few years, the FAW has sought to align the Licensing Regulations across the men’s and women’s competitions, where possible, to reduce duplication and ensure a more consistent approach.
However, it is important to note that the men’s and women’s teams are still assessed independently against the relevant criteria.
While Berriew’s men’s and women’s teams may use the same stadium, there are other areas of the licensing process that are specific to each team and may therefore result in different outcomes.

“For example, each team is likely to have its own coaching staff, who must independently meet the relevant coaching criteria. As such, it is possible that a member of staff within the men’s team structure may not meet the required criteria, while the equivalent role within the women’s team structure does.

“As the licensing process is confidential, I am not aware of the specific reasons for any decision in this case. However, I hope the above provides some helpful context as to how one team may satisfy the criteria while another may not, even where certain elements, such as the stadium, are shared.“

So, for anyone who may have read about the Berriew women’s team licence success and the Berriew men’s team’s rejection, there is your answer.

Whether the current rules are fair to all clubs, especially one which will miss out on promotion this weekend, not because they are not league champions, not because they have not gained a Tier 2 licence, but because they will have lost a ridiculous play-off which is holding back the progression of Welsh women’s football, not accelerate it, is another matter.