Expected Goals

Welcome to the second edition of our fortnightly podcast dedicated exclusively to answering YOUR questions!

This week Matt is joined by Adrian Jacob to tackle what league you’d ideally play in if you’re one of the best players in the world; whether enough gameweeks have now passed for the WSL to be worried about attendances; and how Brazilian football can get out of mindset of hosting women’s games behind closed doors.

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Matt is joined this week by Adrian Jacob, Head of Football at World Sevens and former Chairman and Executive Manager at Chelsea Women.

And on the agenda is investment and the global calendar.

Given there’s been several majority acquisitions made into women’s football clubs attached to men’s teams in the last month, what’s the best working structures for the men’s and women’s teams to operate in perfect harmony?

And with another competition - the Women’s Champions Cup - confirmed for London at the start of next year, how do we know when we have reached peak women’s football in the global calendar?

The article Matt references about decoupling women's team's can be read here

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Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

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Welcome to our new fortnightly podcast dedicated exclusively to answering YOUR questions!

This week Matt is joined by Charlotte Thomson tackling whether drinking alcohol in your seat is having any tangible impact; yes or no to betting sponsors in women’s football; and the commercial publishing mechanics for dedicated women’s sport media platforms.

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Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

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Today's episode of Expected Goals is the first of a new era for the podcast as Matt is joined by the first of his set of new rotating co-hosts.

And it is Charlotte Thomson - a fountain of knowledge in brand positioning, sponsorship and fan culture - who is in the (other) hotseat. Most recently Charlotte was Head of Women's Football at COPA90, and she's been on the inside of various football rights-holders and media institutions including The FA and talkSPORT.

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Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

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In this week’s Expected Goals Maggie and Matt give some exciting updates about the future of Expected Goals - which if you’ve been reading the news you might be expecting!

There's also a case study on NWSL expansion franchise Bay FC, and they step outside their bubble for a listener question about what football might learn from the current Women’s Rugby World Cup taking place in England.

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Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

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As another major fund to buy women’s football teams launches, Maggie and Matt ask the question: why haven’t we seen any news of deals closing?

They also analyse the English Football Association's new National League strategy for the women’s game, and see what impact it will have for club football outside the top-tiers, and answer a listener question about scheduling for this coming WSL season: will it prevent fans of WSL2 clubs from following the top-tier?

Here is the Financial Times article Matt references

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Off the back of a new NWSL club sponsorship report that found the NWSL’s 14 clubs generated $75 million in sponsorship revenue for the 2024 season, Maggie and Matt compare and contrast and see where WSL clubs benefit and are restricted by being part of a men's team's sponsorship proposition.

Matt also tweaks his ranking of the factors influencing someone’s decision to attend a women’s football game - based on listener feedback - and they answer a listener question about what clubs should be doing via the media to build loyalty beyond the Lionesses bump.

This is the Southampton FC season ticket video Maggie references is in the podcast.

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Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

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Maggie and Matt are back!

And with the domestic European football seasons less than a month away now, they look at how WSL clubs are looking to benefit from the Lionesses bump with season ticket on-sales.

All of which leads to one key question: are tickets too cheap?

They also mark UEFA's report card for the 2025 Women's Euros, and have a bit of fun discussing some of the weird and wonderful prizes women's teams and players have been given over the years.

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Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

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With Aston Villa reported to have sold its women’s side to ease PSR pressures on the men's team, Maggie and Matt look at the best operating model for this new era of “independent” clubs.

The UEFA Women's Euros also start today, so they will tell you everything you need to know about how successfully it has been commercialised and new off-the-pitch business innovations, and answer a question about the WSL's self-produced new content series...at the Euros in Switzerland.

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Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

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This week's podcast is a live recording from the Expected Goals Live event at SOOO London on June 19th 2025.

It starts with Maggie and Matt hosting a panel of investors and advisors to investors, who give an open and honest conversation about the decision-making processes for where the flow of money goes into women's football globally.

Those panellists are:

Nicki Boyd (Founder and Managing Partner of Sphera Partners)

There are then nine entrepreneurs operating in and around the women's football space looking for a combination of investment, sponsorship and guidance who give three-minute lightning pitches.

Those pitchers are:

Florence Lloyd-Hughes (The Cutback)

Abby Pope (Liverpool Feds)

Ivi Casagrande (Casagrande Coaching Academy)

Abiola Ijasanmi (African Sports Investor)

Lisa Anthoney (Freyja Fit)

Nicole Allison (Worcester City Women FC)

Ayisha Gulati (Hayters TV/Pitch Perfect LIVE)

Renee Fraser-Shepherd (Sloobie)

Nora Beqaj (Gals FC)

Expected Goals is an Unofficial Partner production.

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

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