What really happened when the FA took over women’s football in 1993 – and why does it still matter today?

In this first episode of 2026, co-hosts Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton are joined by Rafaelle Nicholson of Bournemouth Media School to unpack the hidden history, politics and governance of women’s football in England – from the rise and fall of the Women’s Football Association (WFA) to today’s debates over WSL independence and the recent introduction of NewCo governance.

Drawing on archival evidence and first-hand accounts, the conversation challenges the long-standing claim that the 1993 handover was a “merger.” Instead, it argues it was a takeover – one that dismantled a rare, gender-balanced governing body and replaced it with male-dominated FA structures, with lasting consequences for representation, accountability and grassroots autonomy.

The episode explores:

• How the WFA (1969–1993) built women’s football during and after FA hostility
• Why the FA takeover reduced women’s voice in governance, even as the game later grew
• Cross-sport parallels in women’s cricket, rugby, and hockey under 1990s “single governing body” policies
• What today’s WSL/Newco model could learn from both the Premier League breakaway and past governance failures
• Why women’s sport is still treated as a media apprenticeship, and how journalism education may be quietly changing that

With women’s football booming on the pitch but still contested off it, this episode asks a blunt question: growth for whom, and at what cost? And as the WSL edges towards greater autonomy, are we about to repeat history – or finally correct it?

Essential listening for anyone interested in women’s football, football governance, the FA, the WSL, sports politics and the future of the women’s game.

For those interested in reading the full article by Raf, it is available at the Sport in History website here.