Arsenal Women

I'm not entirely sure when I first became aware of women's football. I, too, grew up in a society where the sport was played, organised and controlled almost entirely by men. A lot has changed since then, and I’m genuinely glad that women’s football has become a familiar part of the sporting scene across so many countries. In the UK, one of the clubs that has helped drive this change is Arsenal Women.

The presence of Arsenal in Woolwich – historically home to the Royal Arsenal – is impossible to miss. I lived in Woolwich for over three and a half years, and everywhere around me people wore Arsenal shirts, and the local pubs were filled with fans. The club’s influence in this part of London felt tangible, even though the team itself is based in North London. It still catches people by surprise that Arsenal Women regularly draw crowds that would make many of the top flight clubs in Britain and a few on the continent too quietly envious.

For years, long before television cameras began to follow women’s football and before major clubs across Europe started investing heavily, Arsenal Women were quietly building something remarkable in North London. Their success didn't happen overnight, of course. Arsenal Women wasn't and isn't a one-hit wonder either. It was rooted in the simple realization that it's enough to do the right things instead of following the patriarchal mainstream. The Scandinavian countries, and later the UK, created an environment that massively promoted this industry. This is still evident in the viewership figures today.

The team was founded in 1987 by Vic Akers, who had previously worked in various roles at Arsenal. It started with modest resources and even less recognition, but with an unwavering pursuit of success. Vic subordinated virtually everything to this goal.

By the early 2000s, Arsenal Women had become the most successful side in England, winning league titles with authority, reaching cup finals consistently, and earning respect in Britain and across mainland Europe. By 2007, Arsenal Women had been working steadily for years. Winning the UEFA Women’s Cup was an important moment, showing what the team had quietly built over time.

What makes Arsenal's story so special is its uncharacteristic continuity. While other clubs entered, withdrew from, and returned to women's football depending on their finances or changing priorities, Arsenal remained true to its course. Since the club became part of Stan Kroenke’s company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), the issue of premium sponsorship has also been handled with care. This stability allowed the club to produce generations of players who shaped the sport in Britain: Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey, Faye White. Their careers were intertwined with the club in a way that seemed deeply rooted and not opportunistic. Or to put it another way: of course it's a job, and it's about money, nothing else. But Arsenal and the players mentioned often give the viewer the impression that this isn't the case. And somehow, this illusion is also part of this sport that we love so much.

As the Women’s Super League took form and professional standards rose across the country, Arsenal had to adapt. Other clubs began investing sums that would have been unthinkable ten years earlier, and the competition naturally tightened. Yet Arsenal remained central to the conversation, partly because they had long operated with a professional mindset and partly because their style of football continued to attract talent from Britain and abroad. Players like Kim Little, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson helped the club maintain its place at the top in a rapidly changing landscape.

Today, Arsenal Women operate within a Premier League-sized institution. They share training facilities with the men, work with top-level medical and performance staff, and play select matches at the Emirates to growing crowds. The club understands the value of visibility, and the supporters have responded with enthusiasm. I would argue that their social media presence is better than that of some Premier League clubs. Arsenal Women are part of the Arsenal family, yet they feel different in the best possible way. Perhaps it’s because they managed to get certain things right that Arsenal struggled with in the past – in staffing, decisions, and the general running of the club.

If the growth of women's football in Great Britain is one of the few positive developments of the last decade, Arsenal's journey serves as a reminder that some paths begin quietly and only later become part of the bigger picture. I have no idea where Arsenal's men will be in ten or fifteen years. But Arsenal's women will undoubtedly have another successful season. I also don't know if women's teams are generally more adaptable. However, when I look at women's football in the UK as a whole, I can't come to any other conclusion. Typical sports-political vanities are less prevalent here, even though they still exist. They are simply not systemic.

I would like to thank Martha Stacey for kindly and effortlessly providing the photographs used in this article.