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

5.4 Growing costs for clubs, staying competitive and the UEFA WCLA further challenge linked to finances is the growing costs for clubs to compete at the highestlevel. The rise of player’s wages and other costs, mentioned by many interviewees, put aneven greater importance on exploring new sources of revenue. In order to stay competitive ona national, European and even global level, clubs are forced to compete in terms of wages andother benefits for players and coaches, as well as facilities and general environment. The‘feet-drain’ mentioned by UEFA, which describes the player-migration towards the WPS, is atrend that clubs and leagues have to deal with. UEFA has tried to help stop and even reversethat trend by giving the European club competition more importance, by re-branding it andlifting it to a new level of importance. Although many stakeholders in the clubs areappreciative of this fact, there has also been some criticism that financial support from UEFAis often not sufficient. Subsidies of 20,000 Euros per stage often do not even cover travellingexpenses that occur to the teams, while they also have to cover the board and lodging ofUEFA officials at the home game and transport for the visitors. 172 Also, by moving the finalof the Cup to a neutral ground, UEFA has effectively taken a unique opportunity away fromthe finalists to have a one-off event that is both commercially beneficial and a strong brandbuildingopportunity in the home market. Although the finalists both get a fixed premium, itbecomes more difficult and costly for fans to see their team, as they usually are not willing orable to travel far. This has a negative effect on attendance and atmosphere in the stadium.5.5 Low league attendance and problems in the marketing mixA problem that all leagues have in common is the relatively low average attendance. Whilenational team games and cup matches can attract crowds that easily go up to thousands andalso ten thousands, the regular league attendance averages below 1,000. 173 This issue is oneof the most difficult to solve, because it means winning over regular customers. Whenlooking at the leagues, there might be a lack of strategy or simply the wrong ‘marketing mix’.There is the element of timing: in many European countries, the league is played at the sametime as the various men’s leagues, as well as other sports. The question is whether there isany good reason for it other than holding on to the ‘tradition’. The new English Super League""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""172 UEFA 2010-2011 UEFA Women’s Champions League Regulations, Nyon, 2010: 29."97"