Irish FA Director of Women’s Football Angela Platt is hoping that an Under-23 programme will help bridge the gap between Under-19s and senior football.
Platt helped to launch the association’s new five-year strategy targeted towards helping women’s and girls’ football in Northern Ireland reach the next level.
‘Together We Thrive: Elevating The Game For Everyone’ is aimed at accelerating the development of the women’s and girls’ game.
Enhancing player pathways and supporting Northern Ireland’s international teams are among its objectives.
The introduction of another age-group team is viewed as vital if Northern Ireland wish to remain a force on the international stage.
Euro 2022 winners England and Scotland both have Under-23 teams.
“The more players we can have in a high-performance environment will help us with that progress,” explained Platt.
“There is a big jump from the Under-19s to seniors so we are planning to introduce an Under-23s programme to try to retain some of our players who have just stepped out of the Under-19s and perhaps aren’t ready for the senior programme.
“An Under-23 set-up will help the players’ development and keep them involved in the game.
“We also need to provide them with more competitive opportunities against strong nations so qualifying for the Euros in 2022 wasn’t a one-off.”
‘Clubs and competitions — delivering a sustainable women’s and girls’ football pyramid’ is another strategic pillar in the strategy.
A thriving domestic game will enhance international prospects and Platt acknowledges there is more work to do in this area.
“We have a great relationship with NIFL (Northern Ireland Football League) and the NIWFA (Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association) and have already begun a piece of work around reviewing our women’s football pyramid,” continued Platt.
“It’s important we are investing in that area and improving standards on and off the pitch.
“NIFL is also committed to looking at that. At the top end of the game, we want to close the gap between the leagues and to make it a more competitive infrastructure.
“International football doesn’t happen without club football bringing those players through and we need to focus on that area and give it the attention it deserves.
“Since the last strategy, we have seen a growth in participation — a 613% increase across registered players which is incredible, while we have more girls-only small sided games centres and youth leagues across the country.
“And in terms of the adult leagues, we have an increase of teams and have introduced club licensing within the Premier League structure.
“We have added more players to our international programmes who are on full-time contracts and our world ranking has risen.
“But we have to build on those foundations and take the game to the next level.
“We have focused in on our clubs and competitions pillar, it is really vital we work hard with our clubs and partners in NIFL to strengthen our club infrastructure and that competitive end of the game.”
The strategy is aligned to the Irish FA corporate strategy ‘A Roadmap For Football (2022-2027)’, the Uefa women’s football strategy ‘Unstoppable (2024-2030)’ and the Fifa Women’s Football Strategy 2024-2027.
“The title of this strategy — Together We Thrive: Elevating The Game For Everyone — speaks for itself and it covers all aspects of the game,” said Platt.
“Our performance pathway which is about our national teams is important as is the people who develop the game from referees, administrators and coaches.
“We will continue to advocate for the game and we are showing our commitment to build it further. There are certainly some areas we need to focus on to develop the game further.”