This week on She Shoots, She Tours! – The Deep Dive, Cath Hurley explores who is really driving the growth of women’s football in England — and why this audience looks, behaves, and supports very differently to the men’s game. From player-first fandom shaped by the success of the Lionesses, to digital-native supporters who build community online rather than in the stands, Cath unpacks why traditional football assumptions don’t quite hold up in the WSL.

This episode looks at women’s football fans through multiple lenses: Gen Z women who follow players like favourite artists, older women finding connection and routine through matchdays, LGBTQ+ supporters who feel genuinely represented in the women’s game, and neurodiverse fans who can finally enjoy football in calmer, more accessible environments. Cath also tackles growing tensions around family-first marketing, the risk of sanitising football culture, and why some adult fans feel increasingly disconnected.

Digging into sponsorship, ticketing, and club strategy, this deep dive argues that growth won’t come from demographics or “one club” thinking — but from understanding motivation: why fans show up, stay online, or choose women’s football at all. Honest, thoughtful, and future-facing — let’s deep dive.

This week on She Shoots, She Tours! – The Deep Dive, Cath Hurley gets into one of the biggest structural shifts in the women’s game: how promotion and relegation will work in the WSL as it expands. With the top flight moving to 14 teams and a new playoff on the way, what happens in the 2025–26 bridge season, and what does the long-term system look like from 2026–27 onward? Cath breaks the rules down in plain English, then digs into why they matter: more jeopardy at both ends of the table, more meaningful games, and a clearer route into the elite tier.

From licensing standards and the real cost of being “WSL-ready,” to the risks of yo-yo clubs, financial cliff edges, fixture load, and talent dilution, this episode weighs the upside and the danger of a more open league. And because the WSL doesn’t exist in a bubble, Cath zooms out to tiers 3 and below - where the FA is still reshaping the staircase with bigger divisions, lower-tier playoffs, regionalisation, and even the spicy B-team proposal. Honest, balanced, and properly in the weeds - let’s deep dive.

This week on She Shoots, She Tours! - The Deep Dive, Cath Hurley tackles the WSL’s new Sunday tradition: the 12 pm kickoff — and Sky Sports’ Multiview era that’s turned brunch time into broadcast prime time. Why are so many matches stacked at noon, and who’s really winning from it? Cath unpacks the business logic behind Sky’s huge rights deal, the financial boom powering women’s football forward, and the quieter trade-offs that come with scheduling the league like a TV product.

From player routines and performance science, to matchday atmosphere, to the puzzling gap between packed stadiums and shrinking TV audiences, this episode looks past the hot takes and into the real impact. And there’s one cost that doesn’t show up on broadcast graphs: what noon Sundays mean for grassroots girls’ football and the next generation of fans. Honest, balanced, and a little bit tired after travelling for a 12pm kick off from Liverpool to London - let’s deep dive.