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Writer's pictureRajan Sangha

The gender pay gap: How do West Midlands clubs compare?

Updated: May 10, 2023

In the West Midlands, just 16% of the clubs had a higher percentage of women earning a bonus compared to men.


(Credit: Pixabay)


Aston Villa are the only major football club in the West Midlands, who gave a bonus to the same percentage of men and women.


The most recent financial data found that 14.9% of male and female employees at Aston Villa were given a bonus from 2021-2022. However, there was no other West Midlands club in the Premier League or English Football League that provided an equal bonus to its male and female staff.


Football finance expert Dan Plumley believes Aston Villa deserve recognition for their decision to provide equal bonuses to their male and female staff.


He said: "It's obviously really positive that the club have chosen to go down that route as we know that the gender pay gap is still an issue not just in sport but across various sectors.


"We have seen some real positive movement in that space and this would be another example of it. The finances are still very different between the men's and women's game but that's not to say that these initiatives are good in terms of driving an agenda for change.


" The Villa women's team is up there with one of those that we look at as pioneering and being run in what is perceived as the right way. This can only be a positive and obviously you're just hoping that more clubs can take that on board in the future of their long-term operations."


West Bromwich Albion were the only club in the region to have a higher percentage of women earning a bonus compared to men.


The club provided a bonus to 78.6% of their female staff, which was the highest percentage given out by a West Midlands club. While only 57.7% of the male staff at the club were given a bonus during the same time frame.


The data also reveals that 66% of the clubs in the West Midlands had a higher percentage of men earning a bonus compared to women. Championship side Birmingham City and Coventry City were amongst those who recorded a higher percentage of men earning a bonus from 2021 to 2022.


Plumley believes sponsors will be key in reducing the discrepancies between the pay for men and women at football clubs in the West Midlands.


He added: " The marketability of players is so important and you want more of those female players to try and get involved in those spaces. Big media companies like EA Sports are well known and will promote women's football to a wider audience.


" The players will have a big part to play in reducing this financial gap and this isn't something that will happen overnight. There's a lot of off the pitch commercialisation, but I absolutely believe that sponsors and getting women's players involved in the media will assist with this.


"Players are the front and centre of football and they have the opportunity to shape the future of the game and not just for the next five years, but the next 20 years or more."


Alisha Lehmann is the highest earner in the Villa’s women team and has secured sponsorship deals with Adidas, EA Sports and PlayStation.


The next set of data regarding the gender gap will be released in early April 2023.




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