FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - England FA Press Conference - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 16, 2024 FA CEO Mark Bullingham during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
(Reuters) - The FA wants to achieve equal access to soccer for girls in 90% of schools by 2028 and boost the number of female coaches in the game as part of its new strategy to grow women's football, England's governing body said on Thursday.
"We have identified challenges that need to be met head-on and opportunities which could transform our game," CEO Mark Bullingham said in a statement. "The result is a focused strategy with clear targets."
The four-year strategy's targets include the delivery of 4,000 new grass pitches and 300 additional 3G pitches. It also aims to increase the number of female match officials at all levels of the game by over 1,500.
The FA's previous strategy oversaw the men's and women's national teams reaching four major finals and the delivery of 6,500 grass pitches, along with a significant growth of commercial interest in the Women's Super League.
The new strategy was launched a day after UEFA pledged to invest one billion euros over the next six years to develop women's soccer.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
