The road to Wembley: creating a lasting legacy for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup
This Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur will take on Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final. Sunday’s showdown is the culmination of an extraordinary competition that’s seen 460 clubs battle it out since the competition’s start in September 2023, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
The first Women’s FA Cup took place in 1971 and since then, the competition has built a reputation for exciting knock-out football, giving amateur clubs an opportunity to prove themselves against the very best in the country. This year’s competition has lived up to that legacy and I’ve loved every minute of it. It was incredible to watch sixth-tier Darwen FC reach the Third Round after a nail-biting penalty shootout victory over Leeds United back in November, and that excitement carried through all the way to the Semis; Martha Thomas’ dramatic extra-time winner for Spurs sealed their place in the final.
The quality of football throughout the tournament has been exceptional but what excites me most about our partnership with The Football Association (The FA) is our mission to elevate the profile and prestige of the competition by empowering fans, players, and clubs - from amateur to elite - to unleash their creative potential and share their stories with the world. In doing so, we’ll inspire a new generation of girls and women to join the game and pursue their dreams, leaving what we hope is a lasting legacy for the game.
Ahead of Sunday’s historic final, I’m enormously proud of what we’ve delivered so far to turbocharge the women’s game and we’re not done yet! What we have planned will provide even greater support to the fans, players and clubs, helping spread the magic of the women’s game to millions more people.
Growing the game
Over the last six months, brand new Adobe Women’s FA Cup TikTok and Instagram channels have launched and the results have been astounding. Take the semi-final for example: 12 million views of AWFAC action was seen across social channels - an increase of almost 2000 percent on last year!
This clip of Mary Earps' incredible save became the most viewed video ever on the AWFAC X channel (5.5M views), with the Man Utd v Chelsea highlights becoming the most viewed (2.5M views) video for the competition on AWFAC TikTok. The use of Adobe Creative Cloud apps – including Adobe Express - have also supported The FA in driving its digital content creation and engagement.
These results strike to the heart of our mission for this partnership. We're passionate about spotlighting clubs across all levels at every stage of the competition. By raising awareness of the entire competition, which begins in September each year, we'll excite existing fans and inspire new ones by illuminating paths previously unimagined for girls and women.
Beyond fan engagement, we’re supporting clubs at every level of the footballing pyramid. More than 80 clubs across the country are now using their complimentary Adobe Express Premium plan, which gives them access to premium templates, Adobe Stock content and brand kits so they can create social content that maintains a consistent look-and-feel. We’ll also be hosting workshops to support all clubs and players when it comes to digital content creation. This is a game-changer for clubs in the lower leagues, empowering them to promote their brands throughout the season and produce marketing content to increase merchandise sales and drive match-day revenue. To top this all off, social media scheduling features within Adobe Express means clubs can share content with their fanbase, all from one place.
Additionally, it was important for us to make the AWFAC accessible to more fans and so we launched a Final ticket giveaway on Instagram featuring FA Cup legend and former Lioness, Jill Scott. Partnering with the super-talented Kelvyn Qaugrine, we worked with Jill to bring to life what the Women’s FA Cup means to her using Adobe Express. Our ambition is to connect as many people as possible with this incredible competition and we're excited to welcome our competition winners to Wembley on Sunday.
A Cup Final to inspire a generation
I cannot wait to take my seat at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. History is guaranteed as neither Spurs or Manchester United have won the Women’s FA Cup before. Anyone who’s experienced the thrill of a cup tie will appreciate the magnitude of the occasion. A sell-out crowd of over 80,000 will gather in anticipation and, in true Adobe style, we have a few creative surprises in store to add to the magic of the day.
Come match day, Wembley Stadium will be brimming with colour like never before and outside Wembley Stadium, our Fan Zone will offer Spurs and United fans the chance to flex their creative muscles. On Sunday, we’ll also be giving fans gathering on Wembley Way the chance to snap their match-day selfies and use one of our many Adobe Express templates to share their love for the game. They’ll each be given a chance to win tickets to next year’s final, along with a signed shirt from a player.
We also asked creator, Sarah Madden, to design one of the most captured moments at the game itself, the player tunnel. The tunnel is a homage to the women’s game, championing the impact of the players and fans that make it so special. Players from both Spurs and Manchester United will walk through the tunnel to a sell-out crowd, accompanied by their match-day mascots, in Adobe-designed kits! One of many moments I can’t wait to see.
For the Spurs and Manchester United players stepping out onto the prestigious pitch on Sunday, their dreams began long ago. This game is the culmination of their ambition, skill and dedication. The moment that one of those teams - whether they’re in white or red - lifts the trophy will be the realisation of lifelong dreams for those players. But for millions of girls and women around the world, it will mark the beginning of a new one.