Numbers Never Lie

“Numbers never lie, after all: they simply tell different stories depending on the math of the tellers.”

— Luis Alberto Urrea

What a start to the new year and especially the month of February. February is the month of love and I am in love with all the great things happening in women’s football.?

Last month the record for a female player transfer was set by NWSL club Portland Thorns who according to The Telegraph paid close to $316,000 (￡250,000) but that was shattered by the Thorns competition and new incumbent to the league Bay FC who signed Zambian forward ?Racheal Kundananji from Liga F’s Madrid CCF for a whopping $860K transfer fee.?

Bay FC is really putting VC money into the game and building quite the squad.?

While last week I mentioned the problems over paying and following the footsteps of men’s football can have on the game, this week I want to highlight the benefits and how it demonstrates the growth.?

1. Big numbers are great headlines. Media outlets will pick up flashy headlines that use big numbers and the word record. Bringing much needed attention and clout to the game.?
2. Big transfer fees will encourage clubs to invest in youth and academies something that in my opinion has been overlooked.
3. Transfer fees prove that players are sought after commodities and the market is swinging in favor of buying and selling players.
4. Will bring more people to the game, hopefully the right kind of people. It will encourage people to invest more into clubs know there could be return on investment.
5. It can encourage investment in areas usually overlooked and bring not only sporting change to an area but also societal change. Take Right to Dream as an example who have built academies in Africa which then create opportunities for its graduates to start playing professionally in Europe. This has had a strong positive impact on those communities and giving young talent possibilities outside of their rural communities. For little girls this could have an even wider impact. This will also allow girls to step out of the societal restraints usually placed on them and allow them to not only play the game but succeed in it.?

Another big number we can not overlook is 60,000. Arsenal sold out the Emirates for the second time. The first being a UEFA Champions League match. While the team is no stranger to playing there, filling every single seat is an incredible accomplishment and should not be overlooked. There are many men’s teams that would not be able to sell out a 60k seat stadium.?

Arsenal Women's team is planning to play all their matches at the main stadium, marking a significant moment in their history. As more women's teams globally follow suit, similar stories are expected in the future.

The growth is a clear reason why Mercury/13 has chosen to only focus on women’s football and are currently building the world’s most valuable multi-club ownership group by acquiring women’s franchises and supercharging their commercial trajectory. The proof is in the numbers and we will demonstrate it so stay tuned. Something exciting is about to happen!