Alex Scott launches own women’s football show months after BBC ends Football Focus

Alex Scott has moved quickly to establish a new platform for women’s football following the cancellation of the BBC’s long-running programme Football Focus. The former England international, who presented the show from 2021 until its axing in May after 52 years on air, has launched her own production company and debuted a fresh weekly programme dedicated to the Women’s Super League.

In May, Scott quietly founded First Cap Productions. She has described the venture as beginning with no formal announcement, no external funding and no assembled team – simply an idea rooted in the concept of taking a first decisive step. The name itself draws on the significance of a player’s first international appearance, a moment she associates with finding a voice and using it with courage. Four months after registering the company, that idea has materialised as a fully realised show.

The programme, titled One More Word: The WSL, released its opening episode on Monday, coinciding with the start of the new Women’s Super League season. It was recorded in front of a live studio audience and featured guests Anita Asante and Fara Williams, both former England internationals with deep experience of the women’s game. Rather than seeking a traditional broadcast slot, Scott chose to distribute the show on YouTube, a decision that reflects both the independent nature of the production and a desire to reach audiences directly.

In a social-media statement accompanying the launch, Scott explained the thinking behind the project. She said she had spent the preceding months developing the format away from public view. The recent surge of conversation, frustration and ideas within the women’s football community convinced her the moment was right. “This is exactly why I started First Cap,” she wrote. “Because sometimes you don’t need permission, you just need to say ‘right, let’s do it.’ So we did.” She emphasised that the first episode was assembled without a large budget or a conventional studio, relying instead on contributions from people inside the women’s football community who offered time, equipment, ideas and practical support.

The transition from established broadcaster to independent producer marks a notable shift in Scott’s media career. After retiring from professional football in 2017 she built a successful second career in punditry and presenting, culminating in the high-profile role on Football Focus. The BBC’s decision to end the programme after more than half a century left a gap in weekly football coverage and, for Scott, an opportunity to create something tailored specifically to the women’s game.

Her playing credentials remain a central part of her public identity. Scott won 140 caps for the England national team, scoring 12 goals while operating primarily as a right-back. At club level she enjoyed three separate spells with Arsenal and also represented Birmingham City and the Boston Breakers in the United States. That depth of experience on the pitch lends natural authority to her work off it, whether analysing matches or facilitating discussion among fellow former players.

One More Word: The WSL arrives at a time when interest in the domestic women’s game continues to grow, yet opportunities for sustained, specialist coverage outside major tournament windows can still feel limited. By producing the show independently and releasing it on a freely accessible platform, Scott and her collaborators have bypassed some of the traditional gatekeepers of sports television. The involvement of recognised figures such as Asante and Williams in the first episode signals an intention to ground the conversation in the knowledge and perspectives of those who have played the game at the highest level.

The practical realities of launching a production company from scratch are evident in Scott’s description of the process. Without initial funding or a permanent staff, the early months appear to have relied on personal commitment and the goodwill of a network of supporters. The fact that a finished episode with a live audience was delivered within four months suggests both organisational focus and a clear sense of purpose. Whether the model can be sustained and expanded will depend on audience response, potential future partnerships and the ability to maintain consistent output as the WSL season progresses.

For viewers, the new programme offers an additional regular destination for discussion of the women’s game. For Scott herself it represents a tangible expression of the principle that motivated First Cap Productions: the decision to create an opportunity rather than wait for one to be offered. The cancellation of Football Focus closed one chapter; the appearance of One More Word: The WSL opens another, this time under her own editorial control.

As the opening episode begins to circulate, attention will turn to how the show develops its voice and whether it can carve out a distinctive place in an increasingly crowded media landscape. Scott has made clear that the project was born from a conviction that the women’s football community possesses both the passion and the expertise to sustain its own conversations. The coming weeks will test how effectively that conviction translates into regular, engaging content. For now, the former Lioness has demonstrated that the gap left by the end of a 52-year BBC institution need not remain unfilled.