Identifying Best Practice in Women's Football - FIFA/CIES ...

European context, with a strong emphasis on national associations and their involvement. 54 Interms of elite women’s football on a club level, research has either been conducted at anational level, most often not published, or on the former American professional league,WUSA. Interestingly, Markovits and Hellerman argued, before the WUSA demise, that the“exceptionalism” of American culture would sustain a fully professional women’s footballleague. 55 However, after the failure of the WUSA, Southall, Nagel, and LeGrande, dissectedthe marketing strategies and perceptions within the league. They found a confusing blend ofexchange theory, strategic philanthropy, and cause marketing, which resulted in loftyexpectations without subsequent revenue generation. 56There is more recent research being conducted on the marketing and sport businessaspect of women’s football. For example, Dr. Herbert Woratschek at University of Bayreuthis currently performing a research project, studying ticket-buying habits for the Women’sWorld Cup 2011. 57 However, a pan-European research project on European women’s eliteclub football has yet to be published. The aim of this research paper is to begin, to somedegree, to address the void in the body of research conducted on women’s football. To quote,Linda Whitehead in her MBA dissertation, a comparative analysis of top women’s footballleagues:“Future research into club operations would be extremely beneficial perhapsstudying what separates the successful clubs, in terms of business practices, from theothers in their own country.” 582.3 Professionalism and Women’s Football:One of the fundamental concepts in the development of this research project was anunderstanding of being a professional athlete. There is a complex set of interrelations thatunderpin the understanding of professionalism in sport. Not least, the “amateur” ideals that so""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""54 Yvonne Weigelt, Y., K. Kanoh, “Elegance and the Offense – Women’s Football in Europe,” Football Science3 (2006): 21-28.55 Andrei S. Markovits and Steven L. Helleman. “Women’s Soccer in the United States: Yet another American‘Exceptionalism’,” Soccer & Society 4 (2003): p14-29.56 R. Southhall, M. Nagel, and D. LeGrange, “Build it and They Will Come?” Sports Marketing Quarterly 14(2005): 167.57 H. Woratschek and T. Ströbel, ‘Germany: Update’, Sports Marketing Quarterly, 18,2 (2009) 118-119.58 L. Whitehead “Women’s Professional Soccer” (MBA Dissertation, University of Liverpool, 2007)"!6"