Dawn outside Wembley at the SSE FA Cup Final
Dawn scored major changes to the way that the Premier League and FA will schedule the Women’s FA Cup Final and Premier League games in the future. Dawn wrote to the Interim Chief Executive of the Premier League, Richard Masters, following the news that the Premier League had turned down West Ham United football club’s request to bring forward their men’s game, held on 4th May, to allow for fans to also attend West Ham United’s women’s FA Cup final fixture later that day. West Ham’s Women's team are set to take on Manchester City in the Women’s FA Cup Final at 17:30 on Saturday at Wembley Stadium, which is in Dawn's constituency of Brent. However, West Ham United men’s team are scheduled to play against Southampton at 15:00 the same day which will force fans to choose watching one game or the other. After writing to the Premier League, and holding discussions with both the FA and Premier League, Dawn has now secured assurances that the two organisations will work closer together next year to ensure that any future scheduling clash will be avoided. This will allow the Women’s FA Cup to secure the highest possible viewership and attendance. Dawn said:
“I’m delighted to have been able to secure substantial changes in the way that future Women’s FA Cup Final scheduling will be made. It's a victory for the game of football and further commitment to ensuring that the game is accessible to as many people as possible. Women’s football in the UK is thriving and I can’t wait to cheer on the two teams this weekend, at Wembley in my constituency, celebrating their great achievements in making it all the way to the FA Cup Final. I would also like to place my thanks to both the FA and the Premier League for their willingness to listen to my concerns and the decisive action that has been taken to avoid future clashes.”