Partner, Sarah Rock joins the Upfront podcast by Football Ramble to discuss the future of women’s football infrastructure, drawing on her experience advising on sports focused design and construction projects.
A central theme of Sarah’s contribution is the case for purpose-built stadiums. Rather than relying on existing men’s venues, she highlights the opportunity to design spaces that better reflect the audience, scale and commercial dynamics of the women’s game – creating more inclusive, family-friendly environments while maintaining a strong matchday experience.
She also emphasises the importance of investment, noting that purpose-built infrastructure is not always feasible for every club and pointing to emerging models such as shared stadiums. Alongside this, she highlights the growing focus on high-quality training facilities as essential to attracting talent and supporting the continued development of the game.
Looking ahead, Sarah points towards right-sized, dedicated venues and considers the potential role of neutral stadiums in creating a more rounded, full-day fan experience, while stressing that future growth will depend on building the right infrastructure to support increasing attendances.
Overall, her contribution underscores that women’s football is at a critical point in its development, where thoughtful, well-planned investment in infrastructure will shape its long-term future.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube.
Hosted by Chloe Morgan and Rachel O’Sullivan, Upfront covers the latest developments across the women’s game. In this episode, Sarah joins from around 36:50 to explore the case for purpose-built stadiums and the future of football infrastructure.
Insights shared in The Athletic on the “Built for Her Game: Women’s Football Panel Event”, run by Construction Partner, Sarah Rock, highlight how leaders across the game are rethinking stadium and training infrastructure. From gyms and recovery spaces to family‑friendly amenities and audience‑focused design which aim to better serve female athletes and their growing fanbase.
Read more
