14/06/2026
Building for the Future: Why Our Ambition Needs to Match the Growth of the Women's Game
As a ground wanderer who lives for the atmosphere and the evolution of our sport, the recent news about Brighton & Hove Albion FC plans to build the first purpose-built women’s football stadium in the UK and Europe has really got me thinking.
It is a massive statement of intent. It perfectly captures that the women’s game is finally moving away from just "adapting" environments built for the men’s game and is instead creating spaces that are intentional from the very start. Seeing how the environment, the matchday experience, and the hospitality are being tailored to a broader, family-oriented audience is a brilliant step in the right direction.
However, as someone who spends my time traveling to grounds, I can’t help but feel a bit torn on the proposed capacity. While this project shows incredible ambition, there is a lingering sentiment that we are still being sold short on scale. It often feels like the powers that be assume women’s football can only draw small crowds.
If we truly want to grow and future-proof these venues, we should be looking at 20,000-seater capacities. We need to build for where the game is going, not just where it is today. Furthermore, we cannot forget our international women’s teams, they deserve stadiums that reflect their status and the massive support they bring, yet that seems to be a missing piece of the conversation.
We are heading in the right direction, but let’s make sure we are dreaming big enough to match the growth we know is coming.
