Thread by @carriesparkle

Was interested to hear @rach_brown1 and @AlexScott talk about the Lionesses' talent pipeline last night. I've written about this over several years so am going to weigh in...

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott Rachel made a great point about the introduction of the WSL suddenly changing the set-up of Centres of Excellence/Regional Talent Centres and their locations. I'd say this is key - we're just over a decade on from that and now seeing its impact in demographic terms.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott I've started to theorise in the past few years that elite women's football in England is becoming more and more middle-class - if you're a keen player, you'll need your parents to have the time and capacity and money to drive you to training.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott Or even in some cases, you'll need your parents to have the time and capacity and money to set up a team so you can play.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott And @NicenNeetz has made this next point - she grew up having role models in that England team who looked like her. So this is a new thing and I don't think it can be untangled from the very quick moves towards full professionalisation.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz (NB - I don't think it's helpful to draw comparisons with the men's professional game here, so I shan't.)

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz In my book The Roar of the Lionesses, I talk to people at the FA who were involved in the strategies prior to the launch of the WSL, and they say 'Gamechanger' was more of a commitment to targets rather than a fully detailed strategy, because of lack of resources at that point.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz And that's all completely fair enough, and one of the WSL's intentions was to create a successful England team, and the WSL and the Lionesses have had masses of success, and that is absolutely brilliant.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz But it has had knock-on effects which we're seeing now and which are triggering difficult discussions. @jwelf and I wrote in our book in 2014 that it was difficult for the WSL to set long-term targets because it was a new approach and it was changing rapidly.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz @jwelf However, one thing that hasn't been done and I do keep saying is that former players' knowledge is not and has not been harnessed. And I'm not just talking about the same dozen players who have been part of the WSL and then retired - go further back.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz @jwelf The women who played in the 70s and 80s are very well aware of the challenges women's football has faced, and they've faced huge challenges just being able to play. They've seen plenty of things go wrong, and they've got ideas about how to stop that happening again.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz @jwelf Speak to them. They'd love to be acknowledged and be able to help shape the future of women's football in England - from the Lionesses down to the grassroots.

@rach_brown1 @AlexScott @NicenNeetz @jwelf Anyway, just a few thoughts on the topic. Interested to hear what anyone else is thinking.