logo
episode-header-image
Jul 23
17m 26s

How to start a women's pro-football team

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The founders of Dutch women's team Hera United are finalising preparations for their first ever season in the Netherlands' top flight.

They're the first women's-only professional team in the country, and want to drive the development of the sport by stepping out of the traditional male dominated club format.

We hear from Hera's founders on persuading investors to back them and the impact they're hoping to have on the game as a whole.

We talk to the founder of Glasgow City FC, who followed the same path nearly 30 years ago.

And we hear from the team behind Europe's first women's sports bar, who have taken inspiration from Hera's journey.

Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon

(Image: The Her United team. Credit: Hera United)

Up next
Yesterday
Small country: Big tariffs
We head to Switzerland, a small but very successful country with a population of just 9 million.And now coping with some of US President Donald Trump’s highest tariffs. In August the original threat of 31% tariffs was raised to 39%. Two months on, efforts to negotiate with Washin ... Show More
17m 30s
Oct 7
Should we expect more airline delays?
Passengers are suffering more disruption as technology at airports, airlines and air traffic control is failing.But why is aviation software becoming more prone to failure and vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and what is the solution to preventing delays?Presented and produced by Rus ... Show More
17m 28s
Oct 7
The cost of a shutdown
For the first time in nearly seven years, federal operations have been drastically curtailed as the US government shuts down. As it enters a second week, we look in detail at how the collapse in funding for government services is affecting America at large - from the Federal work ... Show More
19m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
Angel City FC and the rise of women’s pro soccer
The National Women’s Soccer League’s regular season kicks off next week. And thanks in part to a record-breaking media rights agreement and the growth of women’s professional sports across the board, the league is gaining more attention — and investment — than ever. Angel City Fo ... Show More
24m 7s
Feb 2022
Developing the Women's Game
Join Emile Heskey, Leicester City's Head of Women's Football Development, and Polly Bancroft, General Manager at Brighton & Hove Albion Women as they discuss the progress of the WSL, their current roles and the upcoming UEFA Women's Euro and the impact it will have on the Women's ... Show More
45m 30s
Mar 2021
Breaking Down the Barriers for Women in Pro Sports
Hilary Knight, USA Women's Hockey Player, 2018 Gold Medalist, Founder of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, talks to Dan Loney about creating more opportunities for growth for women in sports and business. This interview was part of Wharton Business Daily's Wome ... Show More
11m 4s
Jun 2025
Is Nike Finally Winning With Women?
Nike has been synonymous with sports for decades, but that cultural and commercial cachet has mostly been driven by male athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods (Serena Williams being a prominent exception). As a result, despite substantial sales, Nike historically struggled ... Show More
22m 16s
Sep 2024
Women’s Football: Kicking back
The Lionesses’ Euro victory captivated English football fans – but this success was once unimaginable. In 1921, the English Football Association banned women from playing on any of its pitches, a ban that would remain in place for 50 years. Who were the women who fought back? How ... Show More
30m 5s
May 2025
Garnacho told to find new club; Bilbao reflections
It's our first podcast since the calamities of Bilbao, and we're not just talking about the football. Who is responsible for the series of events which led to leaving hundreds, maybe thousands, of fans stranded in a city that had essentially closed for business?Ruben Amorim's fut ... Show More
58m 52s
Apr 2025
Olympique Lyonnais: The Champions League trailblazers
Olympique Lyonnais is the most successful club in women’s football, dominating Europe over the last 15 years winning eight Champions League titles. Only Barcelona have recently been able to compete. Lyon's success is the vision of club president Jean-Michel Aulas who wanted to cr ... Show More
49m 20s
May 2022
S2 001: Hélène Guillaume, founder of Wild.AI. Femtech, Sports, Female Representation 🏄🏽‍♀️🚴🏼‍♀️
Ultra-marathoner, ice-swimmer and surfer Hélène Guillame founded Wild.AI to help women to train, eat and recover across all stages of their menstrual cycle and through all stages of life. A former quant in a Hedge fund and a data scientist, Hélène is bringing finance, data and AI ... Show More
27m 37s
Jul 2023
E191 | ACT | Deepali Nangia, Speedinvest
Welcome to At The Cap Table podcast, a new series that shines the spotlight on the investors who are changing the vc industry in Europe. Today your host Savs Tan welcomes Deepali Nangia, Partner at Speedinvest. Speedinvest is a hands-on, pan-European early stage tech investor, pa ... Show More
34m 3s
Mar 2025
346. Success Isn’t Enough: Why Finding Your People Changes Everything
Feeling like success should feel better than this? After exiting her billion-dollar business, Suneera Madhani faced something unexpected — emptiness. Despite achieving her biggest goals, she realized what was missing: a circle of like-minded women who truly understood her journey ... Show More
29m 58s