Is there something about a winning side spurring on their gender opposites to also win the FA Cup? Apparently so. Last year, Chelsea Ladies beat Arsenal 3-1 in front of a record crowd of 45,423 to clinch their second title, the men going on to beat Manchester United, albeit slightly less decisively with a 1-0 result.
In Pep (Guardiola) we trust
This year it’s Manchester City who have dominated the season in both the men and women’s game, meaning it’s City who will be chasing their sixth FA Cup title on the 18th May against Watford, while their Women’s team is hoping to secure their second, squaring up to West Ham United on Saturday 4th May.
FA Cup – it’s still got it FA Cup behemoths Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Spurs are noticeably absent from the pitch in May, allowing for arguably more interesting games to play out at one of the most attended domestic football events in the world. The remarkable Watford v Wolves semi-final proved that the FA Cup can still stir the senses, building heady anticipation for May’s Wembley showdowns. While the Women’s FA Cup competition is a relative youngster at only 39 years old, this is the 138th FA Cup Final for men, Man City last winning it in 2011, while Watford has never won the competition - finishing as runners-up in 1984.
Heroes & Hotwheels
Off the pitch, players often swap fancy footwork for fancy motors, with Jaguars, Audis and Lamborghinis firm favourites. But while the Professional Footballers’ Association has over 4,000 members, an average basic salary for a League Two male footballer is around £50,000 – a world away from the average annual first-team men’s player salary in the English Premier League of around £2.6m, even up to c.£13m for some of those taking to the pitch on Saturday 18th. Top scorer for Insurance Given this massive disparity in income between male footballers, let alone the comparatively paltry sums earned by professional women players, the range of motor insurance needs from one player to the next is dramatically diverse. It’s surprising then that price comparison websites and online insurance portals often bundle all types of sportspeople together, penalising those they characterise to be in high-profile professions. Granted, those few Premier League footballers attract more attention than the average driver, and one serious injury could hobble any professional’s career and earning potential; but they are also clean living, high performance athletes – something the insurance industry would celebrate in other circumstances.
ERS Product Manager for Prestige, Annie Ward, commented, “At ERS we work closely with brokers to provide a bespoke service to sports professionals that doesn’t penalise them for their success. Whether a Mercedes bought with one week’s wages, or a spacious, family runaround to last for years, we manually underwrite every policy on an individual basis, ensuring the unique requirements of every football player are considered. What’s more, ask us for a quote and we’ll aim to turn it around within 4 hours.”
Back of the net
ERS’ Prestige service for sportspeople delivers all the ingredients of a great FA Cup: heart, speed, precision and flair….but leaves the nerves to the fans! If you would like to understand more about how ERS can help your football client, please do call us on 0333 241 2445 or check out our Sports & Entertainment product page.
Where to watch the action:
Sat 4th May: Manchester City Women’s v West Ham United to kick off at 17:30 on BBC One
Sat 18th May: Manchester City v Watford : 17:00 on BBC One
