A FOOTBALL club has become the first in the UK to pay its women’s team the same amount as the men’s.

Lewes Football Club bosses announced the move yesterday and now hope others across the world will follow suit.

The unprecedented move is part of the club’s Equality FC campaign. It aims to establish a sustainable model of funding to support the women’s and men’s football teams on an equal basis.

As well as equal pay the club has pledged to providing equal resource for coaching, performance and strength and conditioning staff and invest in local grassroots outreach to gain equal participation in football from girls and boys.

The overall budgets for both the women’s and men’s first teams will also now be the same.

The first tranche of funding for the campaign has been approved by the Lewes FC board which has established pay parity.

The club aims to make the pay parity sustainable through donors and sponsors, as well as by encouraging more people to become owners of Lewes FC.

Jacquie Agnew, director of Lewes FC, said: “At Lewes FC we believe that there should be a level playing field for women in football.

“By committing to paying our women’s and men’s teams equally, and providing equal resource for coaching, training and facilities, we hope to spark a change across the UK that will help put an end to the excuses for why such a deep pay disparity has persisted in our sport.

“Together with our owners, donors and sponsors, Lewes FC can show that equal pay can be implemented to the benefit of both women and men in sport and beyond.”

John Donoghue, Lewes FC women’s first team manager, said he was proud to be part of the pay parity move.

He said: “Every day I see the passion and commitment our players have for the game, and I am sure this is mirrored across the country in women’s football. For female players to have the same rewards as their male counterparts for doing the same job is a fantastic leap forward for women’s football.

“This sends a powerful signal to not only our players and our club, but to the whole UK football community that women’s football deserves an equal voice and support to men’s.”