WOMEN’S GAME AT THE MOMENT CAN’T JUSTIFY EQUAL PAY WITH MEN SAYS MANCHESTER UNITED WOMEN’S BOSS

Casey Stoney, the Manchester United Women’s manager welcomed the idea of equal pay for both the men and women football teams, which the English national team has been doing since January this year, but she has claimed that the women’s game is not ready to demand for equal pay compared to the men.

“It’s a positive move,” Stoney said. “I’m a realist in terms of equality. I think you get paid the same when you bring in the same revenue.

“Women players want the same opportunities, we want the same resources and it’s a great move from the FA.

“I think until we get more people in the stands, more revenue coming in, more commercial money coming in, then we can start talking about equal pay.”

When asked if female players should be getting closer to the pay of their male counterparts, Stoney replied: “No. You look at some of the salaries in the men’s game, you’re talking £100,000 or £200,000 a week.

“How can the women’s game justify that when we get 3,000-5,000 people in the stands?

“We need to invest more money in our marketing. Get more people in the ground, making sure the game is more visible.

“We need to get more commercial revenue back in before we start talking about paying players more towards the equivalent of the men.”

Stoney’s side, who finished fourth in their first season in the Women’s Super League, will aim to close the gap on the top three of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in the new campaign.