WSL club to stop wearing white shorts next season due to period concerns By Michelle
BBC Sport have reported that Women´s Super League club Manchester City Women will stop wearing white shorts next season due to period concerns, following a statement released by the club.
This is to help players “feel more comfortable”. The WSL club said the decision was made to create an environment for players to “perform at their highest level”
Man City currently wear white shorts but now follow West Brom, Stoke and Scottish side Livingston in changing kit colour.
A joint statement from Manchester City and kit manufacturer Puma said the move away from white shorts in home, away and third kits from the 2023-24 season was made as a result of player feedback.
Starting from the 2023/24 season, we will not be providing white shorts to our female athletes, the statement read.
We will always provide an alternative for our home, away and third kits to solve the issue highlighted by women across all sports.
What Jonas Eidevall had to say on other WSL clubs changing their white shorts?
It is a really important step for the clubs and kit manufacturers to listen to the players and what they feel comfortable in. I think that is the most important thing. I’m not directly in those conversations at the club, but I know that we have them. At the moment the players are comfortable playing with the kit that we provide, and that’s the most important thing. If that will change in the future, I don’t know but I know that I work for a club that will listen to the players in cases like this.
A women’s health advocacy group The Well HQ says 64% of school-age girls will stop playing sport by their mid-teens because of period pain and shame. A group of 50 elite female athletes have joined a campaign aimed at normalising language around periods.
An Adidas survey in 2021 reported one in four girls dropped out of sport in adolescence, with fear of period leakage a key reason.
Man City are the most high-profile women’s football side to change their shorts colour because of period concerns. So, with other clubs starting to move away from white shorts for female players we´ll need to wait and see if Arsenal Women will follow suit..
Michelle Maxwell
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