England captain Leah Williamson has said that women’s footballers would not rule out strike action amid growing concerns over fixture scheduling.
Williamson’s Arsenal team-mates recorded the second highest average minutes played per player last season as they made it deep in competitions, including to the final of the Women’s Champions League. Some of the squad, including Williamson, Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey, then made it to the Women’s Euros final nine weeks later.
Many of the women’s players have struggled with injury coming back from the tournament into the current campaign, including at least 10 of Williamson’s England team-mates.
Among those affected were Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Lauren James, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone and Williamson. Michelle Agyemang also suffered an ACL injury at the beginning of the season.
Williamson has only recently returned to the squad after five months out, recovering from the knee injury she suffered in the Euros final.
Leah Williamson is not ruling out strike action amid growing concerns over fixture scheduling
Williamson’s Arsenal team-mates, including Alessia Russo (left) and Chloe Kelly (centre) recorded the second highest average minutes played per player last season
Speaking ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, the 28-year-old centre-back said: ‘There’s obviously not that many of us, if any of us, who have a scientific background and expertise in it other than experience, so I think what we can do is say how we feel and the toll that’s taken on us.
‘(We can) offer up our data, the training loads, female health, everything. I think we are quite forthcoming with giving that to people so they can make more educated decisions for us.
‘But it’s mainly around the rest periods and trying to get all governing bodies to align. It always sounds like we’re asking for a holiday, but that’s not the case.
‘I’m a professional footballer and part of my job is also to rest, which I’m encouraged to do by my managers and environments we play in. So why is that not prioritised when we’re left to our own devices?’
The number of games is growing, too, while recovery time is getting limited.
Spain’s Aitana Bonmati participated in the most games last season, playing in 60 in six competitions for Barcelona and Spain. Fifty-seven percent of her matches followed less than five days of recovery time since the last one.
Williamson said: ‘Across men’s and women’s football, the possibility for growth in the game never seems to end, and the money that’s on the table for everyone involved. We benefit from that too (but) there has to be a balance.
‘I would never rule out further action from the players because I think if it needed to happen for people to protect themselves, I wouldn’t blame anybody.’
Aitana Bonmati played 60 games across six competitions for Barcelona and Spain last season
Asked whether strike action would be a possibility, Williamson replied: ‘I’ve not had any conversations about this right now, but if a group of people don’t feel like they’re getting listened to, then history suggests that’s the only way they can be heard, so I would never take it off the table.’
But, she clarified: ‘I don’t think that’s where we are now. I think we’re still in a place where we can collaborate, listen and educate.’
Williamson’s team-mate Keira Walsh has also been outspoken about the congested fixture schedule, saying there ‘wasn’t enough recovery time’ between games.
