Football News : New cash boost doubles investment in UK Women's Football

Ex-Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith and FA Director of the Women's Professional Game Kelly Simmons talked about the growth of women's football in England in the last few years after Barclays, The Football Association (The FA) and the Premier League have announced on Wednesday new three-year deals to extend the bank's sponsorships of the football organisations' elite competitions from the start of the 2022/23 season until the end of the 2024/25 season.

The renewals come as Barclays and the Premier League celebrate 20 years since the bank first partnered with the League under the Barclaycard brand in 2001.

Barclays will invest more than 30 million pounds in women's and girls' football over the period from 2022-2025, doubling the existing investment, and setting a new record for investment in UK women's sport.

The announcement follows its deal with The FA in 2019 when the bank became the inaugural title sponsor of the FA Women's Super League.

The bank will also become the first title sponsor of the FA Women's Championship.

The league will be called the Barclays FA Women's Championship from the start of the 2022-23 season, as Barclays and The FA aim to support the development of the second tier of the women's competition pyramid and encourage further investment in women's football.

Barclays will also increase its investment in girls' grassroots development, extending its sponsorship of The FA Girls' Football School Partnerships (FAGFSP) with the aim of giving girls equal access to football in schools.