PFA Reportedly Funding Surgeries For Uninsured Women's Players

The Professional Footballers’ Association "is funding surgery for female footballers because their clubs are not obliged to provide them with private medical insurance," according to Katie Whyatt of the London TELEGRAPH. The PFA is reportedly "helping those players who would otherwise have relied on the NHS or self-financing to cover the cost of operations." While all 11 clubs in the FA Women’s Super League are full-time, "­financial constraints mean the provision of private medical insurance is not required for a side to be given professional status." It is understood Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham United are among those top-flight clubs that "do provide players with private health insurance as standard," but the PFA "confirmed it had assisted with financing operations for players at other clubs." A PFA spokesperson said, "We would like to see full provision of private medical included in the women’s contracts for the professional players, the same as their male counterparts" (TELEGRAPH, 1/6).