It’s a fair assumption that women’s football hasn’t been in the best of places in recent months with the saga surrounding the Mark Sampson and Eni Aluko allegations as well as the continuing decrease in competitiveness in the WSL. The later point the FA continues to try and address and I’ll address in this article too, while the first point the FA has failed get hold of the situation, a bit like a slippery eel. Anyway, the point I’m addressing today is the issue surrounding the league with the FA announcing this week that the licence format including a league revamp will start next season with a new 8-14 team top tier made entirely out of professional clubs, while WSL 2 (the current second tier) will become a semi-professional league. I believe this will be catastrophic for the game as it has become clear over recent seasons that a professional women’s club is only sustainable if it has significant financial backing from their men’s side (if associated), as clubs who don’t have this fail as seen with the demise of Notts County and the continued uncertainty surrounding Sunderland. In my honest opinion the structure is broken as the top priority of FAWSL when it was launched in 2011 was to increase popularity of the sport and to increase participation amongst girls taking up football. By making the league fully professional and by changing the criteria to get a WSL 1 licence some clubs will see attendances decrease and struggle as a result, while aspiring footballers will be left without a top tier side in close proximity. My reservations, which I have stated numerous times if you follow me on Twitter is that the WSL 1 will just turn into the women’s equivalent of the men’s Premier League, where positions are dictated by money and where the participating teams will be from London and the North-West only meaning it erects barriers to aspiring footballers from other parts of the country. My radical idea, not that anyone will take note of it as money talks, would be to implement a franchise system where teams are not backed by a sole individual / club as they will be based in regions. Let me explain, an example would be to give a franchise to the South-West where the likes of Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City can support a franchise and games can alternate between stadiums. This in my opinion is a much more sustainable approach to the women’s game in the country as it allows teams to be spread fairly evenly across England while not relying on one sole party to bankrole it, thus decreasing the likelihood of teams going out of business. Hopefully this approach would also increase competitiveness of the league and give girls from all over the country a chance to access professional football and not just the ones lucky enough to live within a certain area. Below is the list of regional franchises I believe the FA should focus upon with examples of clubs which could invest:
· North-West (Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United) · East Midlands (Leicester City, Mansfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Notts County) · West Midlands (Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Brom, Wolves) · South-West (Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Exeter City, Plymouth Albion, Yeovil Town) · North-East (Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, Sunderland) · London (Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur) · Oxfordshire & Thames Valley (Oxford City, Oxford United, Swindon Town) · East Anglia (Cambridge United, Ipswich Town, Norwich City, Peterborough United) · South-Yorkshire (Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United) · West-Yorkshire (Bradford City, Huddersfield Town, Leeds United)
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After the sad news last Friday that Notts County Ladies were no more certain questions have been raised about the sustainability of the league. Of course, the news surrounding Notts County Ladies comes in the same off-season which saw Sunderland (another WSL 1 team) announce that they were going to part-time status after a couple of years being professional. Being professional is all well and good as you can attract better players which means more chance of winning trophies, however it soon becomes apparent that not every club can sustain that as certain clubs linked to wealthy men’s Premier League teams are able to throw money at it without a care in the world. The money element is partly linked into the gastronomical amounts of money they receive through the English Premier League deal, which of course you do not see a sniff off if the men’s team the women’s club is linked to does not play in the top flight. This then means that teams have to budget specifically for women’s teams and as seen with Notts County Ladies the figures simply don’t add up. The quoted figures suggest that in order for the team to play the following season it would have cost £500,000 with only £28,000 generated in revenue from sponsors. This outlines the major flaws in WSL and suggests that unless you are the likes of Manchester City or Arsenal where £1 million can be given away without noticing it in the yearly balance sheet, you will not be able to compete and ultimately struggle. The FAWSL competition started off with much potential especially after the world took note of Great Britain’s performance at the London Olympics in 2012. At the time the competition was new, fresh and had a USP of summer seasons as opposed to the regular winter seasons in an attempt to increase attendances which it achieved in my opinion. In the final season (2016) as a summer league a number of teams averaged over 1,000 supporters per match including Notts County, while Manchester City pulled in over 2,000 on some occasions (although this could be attributed to their constant success). Switching to a winter season like leagues in France and Germany is logical as it gets teams in sync for the Champions League competition and it is suggested that as a result they will do better, only time will tell on that front. Furthermore, the switch makes sense as the league has grown, but with games stretched out and possible more time between games will we see other teams go the same way as Notts County Ladies or possible follow Sunderland’s lead and go part time? This brings me on to other European League which have gone through similar struggles. For example, the Dutch women’s top flight league, or the Eredivisie Vrouwen to give its official name has gone through certain changes in order to make itself more sustainable since forming 10 years ago. the Eredivisie Vrouwen which is in its third reincarnation with its first spell ending in 2012 before a three-year spell as a joint league with Belgium to 2015 and its current spell as solely a Dutch league of 7, 8 and soon 9 teams. Originally the league started with six teams, with only half of them still existing today, the league is currently up to 8 teams with an introduction of a 9th being introduced for the 2017/18 season, thus showing a gradual expansion. On the face of it you may think, “isn’t this similar to what FAWSL are doing?” Well, yes in a way, but the Eredivisie seems to strategically approve teams on a regional basis as opposed to just adding teams with the most money. For example, when a Dutch club folds in the Eredivisie another club from the same region or close by replaces them. Arguably the most successful team in the 10-year period was AZ Alkmaar, but when they decided to discontinue their women’s section, Telstar formed theirs. Same happened when Utrecht stopped theirs with Ajax forming theirs, likewise when Willem II folded, PSV began theirs. By taking this approach teams stay in the same region, thus giving local girls specifically access to a team to support, watch and be inspired. Personally, when FAWSL was launched the FA and those in charge of the competition should’ve looked into having regional team franchises as opposed to be club affiliate sides. This would have made a lot more sense as teams would not be reliant on their male counterparts to provide the cash as well as creating a broader supporter base whereby fans of men’s teams were not put off by going to watch their female rivals. I’m not saying they should’ve scrapped the likes of Arsenal and Doncaster Belles, but just not have them at the top level where the elite players can join, instead using them as more of a feeder club. I’m also not saying that owners of men’s clubs shouldn’t have got involved with women’s football, but instead of pumping money into the women’s affiliated team, pump the money into a regional franchise instead. To me this was the main reason FAWSL was created, in order to provide girls an opportunity to join a club near them and be inspired by the current stars as well as giving the players a living. However, if the current model does not make drastic changes I fear that in 10 years’ time you will only be left with clubs based London and the North West thus cutting off the access to many girls who aspire to be footballers.
It’s been a while since I last wrote a women’s football blog so I thought I’ll do one now, albeit not in great circumstances. I did plan on writing one in the coming months on who Notts County Ladies should sign in the summer ready for the season switching to the winter calendar, sadly I’ll never get the chance to do that now. Today marks a sad day in the women’s game and for fans like myself who have been lifelong Notts County fans and have embraced the Ladies side ever since their controversial move from Lincoln three years ago. The club started off with huge optimism with a number of various signings of international quality. These included goalkeeper Carly Telford, which some would argue (including myself) is the best in the league and forwards Ellen White and Jess Clarke (who have both moved on recently), all of whom are England international. In addition to this over the recent seasons we have Laura Bassett, who proved a great leader on and off the pitch, Rachel Williams who’s a workaholic on the field of play, as well as recent additions Jade Moore and Jo Potter who would’ve helped the club push on. Then you had the likes of younger players like versatile defender Amy Turner who to no one’s surprise will become an established England international in the future. The list goes on as every single player who has put on the black and white jersey over the last 3 years has done by always giving 110% every time. Sadly, the journey for these players ends today as some will try to find a new club in pursuit of building up match practice ahead of Euro 2017 in the summer, while others may have to take a long hard think and wonder whether being a professional women’s footballer is a viable option anymore. My deepest sympathy goes to the many players and backroom staff who today have found themselves unemployed, where some will be much more affected than others. Also, condolences to fellow fans who unlike myself attend every game, home or away, whatever the weather to cheer on this great club and invested a lot money buying merchandise and built up great friendships with fellow players. The question remains now, what next for women’s football in Nottingham? The club folded with a debt of nearly £1 million with relatively new owner Alan Hardy stating that for the club to continue it would have been ‘financial suicide’ with the upcoming season costing £500,000 in wages for playing staff just for a measly income of £28,000 from sponsorship. You can see and understand his logic as a smart businessman, it is just a shame it has had to come to this. In my view, there is an appetite for women’s football as seen over recent seasons with attendance figures for the Lady Pies, achieving one of the highest averages in the league. Despite a slight decline last year, did still manage to average 1,100 fans which is great bearing in mind the team finished in the lower half of the table. Furthermore, Notts County Ladies were one of only a couple of clubs to play at the same ground as the men’s team which is something to be proud of. This is why I believe a new is a viable option and should be seriously looked into. My proposal would be to create solely a women’s club which is not dependent on the success of a men’s side and able to function by themselves. I would suggest a meeting between representatives of Notts County, Nottingham Forest, Nottingham University, Trent University and Nottingham city council to discuss a way forward to make this a viable option. It is also worth noting that Nottingham Forest Ladies does still exist so essentially, they could act as a feeder club for the new Nottingham FAWSL club, notwithstanding players from the University sides. By creating this link, it would help create a bridge from grassroots football to professional football and provide many girls an opportunity to play. Why do I believe this can be a success? Firstly, Nottingham is the city of football and would have a great USP if it were to form a club unlike most FAWSL 1 & 2 teams (Durham being the stand-alone exception) to have solely a women’s team. Some fans may be uncomfortable with the link between to rival men’s clubs but let me say this, the structure I am proposing works well in the Netherlands (where I’m currently living) with PSV and FC Eindhoven forming a partnership, as it’s for the greater good of women’s football. A similar model to follow would be that of Glasgow City in SWPL, whom have built a successful model over the last decade. Secondly, by joining forces with various parties it makes it more financial viable compared to a 4th tier men’s side trying to run 1st tier women’s team, thanks to various partners and sponsors the 2 Universities may have. In order to represent the city, I would propose a Green strip (represents the city's origins), thus being neutral to both Notts County and Nottingham Forest and call the team Nottingham City (although this should go to a fan vote). Concluding I am passionate about making this work and returning professional women’s football to the city of Nottingham for future generations to enjoy, so if you like my proposal and wish to discuss it further, please feel free to contact me.
As well as the previous ideas I've posted in the blog previous to this, I have come up with an idea for FAWSL to release an annual sticker album featuring teams from WSL 1 & WSL 2. The reason behind the idea is to broaden the appeal of the league an continue to grow the sport. Below I've put a template of what should be included in the album.
On the opening pages there are features on the leagues various competitions with stickers to collect of the trophies. Following on from this is a history makers section featuring five players who have been capped over 100 times by England (all the 5 players come with a shiny background. After the history makers section comes the WSL 1 teams with each of the 9 teams having a total of 20 stickers each in the collection, with a club badge, a team photo and 18 players making up the 20. As well as the stickers there will be information on the teams history. To break up the WSL 1 & 2 sections, there is a special tribute to the Lionesses fantastic World Cup journey from last year in Canada. It will include a double page spread with 5 stickers in total featuring the most iconic moments from their incredible journey. Each sticker will be accompanied by information detailing the moment from the World Cup. Next we have the WSL 2 section featuring all 10 teams, much like the WSL 1 section but smaller with each team having a total of 12 stickers each. Unlike WSL 1 teams there will be no club badge or team photo to collect, but will feature 12 players from each respective team. That concludes the album and I hoped you enjoyed reading my ideas. Like I said in my previous post I did send these ideas of to FAWSL a couple of months back but I've not heard anything since, hence why I've now taken the decision to post them on my blog. Feedback is appreciated as always. Executive summary Women’s football in England has developed hugely over recent years, none more so than with the introduction of the women’s super league in 2011 as well as the unprecedented success of team GB at the London Olympics in 2012. The London Olympics was vastly important in one’s opinion and a major turning point with over 70,000 attending the final group game against Brazil. Additionally the recent friendly for England against Germany last November has created a further appetite for women’s football in this country with over 45,000 attending this one off friendly. Furthermore looking at the league as a whole it is clear that the competiveness of it has improved too with a number of teams becoming professional as well as the title being decided on the last day this year and last. With various approaches to marketing and types of merchandise, I feel the sport can continue to grow and inspire youngsters to get behind their local ladies side. I hope you enjoy reading this and consider the ideas I have mentioned. This is a MUST for any fan of the women’s game, but also a fan of football in general. I feel by launching this your giving all the fans of the WSL a platform to make connections with each other over various social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook. Furthermore by having FAWSL Fantasy Football it is a way to increase interest in the women’s side of the sport from followers of men’s football. The reason I say this is that we all know how popular fantasy football is with all the different versions across various websites, but given that part of the season takes place when there is no men’s football this would be an irresistible opportunity to turn down as there would be no competition against alternatives and that fans of all ages would be desperate to give it go. The way the FAWSL Fantasy Football would work would be each participant would have a given budget to create their team with a selection pool of players from WSL1 & WSL2 to pick from. Each player from the FAWSL would have a price tag based on WSL performances and form, such as clean sheets, assists and goals scored depending on their position. Every time a FAWSL match is played points will be awarded when goalkeepers and defenders keep clean sheets and when any player provide an assists or score a goal as well as bonus points for things such as player of the match or penalties. While points would be deducted for goalkeepers and defenders when they fail to keep a clean sheet, for any player when they concede a penalty, miss a penalty or receive a yellow card as well as a double point deduction should a player be sent off. Also one of the chosen selections will be made captained meaning for example if the participant chose Steph Houghton as captain, her points for that week would be doubled. Rules in brief
Action Points Player of the match 6 Goal scored 5 Goalkeeper clean sheet 5 Assist 3 Defender clean sheet 3 Appearance 2 Yellow card -1 Penalty conceded -1 2 goals conceded -2 Own goal -2 Red card -3 This sponsorship contains ideas of companies I believe the FAWSL can target to secure sponsorship rights to the league. The companies/organisation I have selected I feel can add value to the league and portray the positive message about the women’s game. Vitality PruHealth is the first suggestion as it portrays healthy living, which is what fits in with the FA’s strategy of getting children and young adults to partake in football and become more active as a result. A major factor to PruHealth becoming the title sponsor would be the various brand ambassadors they currently have like Jessica Ennis-Hill. So by signing a deal there may be scope for PruHealth recruiting a number of ‘big name’ FAWSL players to be brand ambassadors. Bannatyne Health Clubs could be another option. Similar to PruHealth it would help promote a healthy lifestyle as well as proving to be a key commercial partner in FAWSL. For example the league could have deals with Bannatyne’s which allow FAWSL season ticket holders to get a discount on using its gym along with many other deals. In return Bannatyne would be the leagues title sponsor and would be able to tap into the current rise of women’s football, partly due to the Lionesses success at the recent World Cup. An alternative sponsor would be a supermarket chain given that Tesco has been the sponsor of the Premier League since 2007. However there should be a lot more marketing of the FAWSL supermarket sponsorship, as opposed to the Premier League one. I suggest that a deal could consist of 3 star players on a poster all posing in the chosen supermarket branded kit in the clubs local store, as this would get the attention of young fans and adults alike as they do their daily shopping. Also the FAWSL logo should appear in the corner of the supermarket television adverts, in return the supermarket should receive 4 advertising hoardings in prime positions around the ground on matchday’s. Another improvement which I feel could be beneficiary lies within the marketing of the league. I feel the MLS in the men’s game can be looked at for inspiration with the way it markets itself. For example for the 2015 season the MLS developed 1 patch with a range of colours depending what the colours of that specific team are. So for example a Notts County Ladies patch would be black & white with black trim, whereas an Arsenal Ladies one would be red & white with red trim. Below are the MLS patch examples I have mentioned. So I feel the FAWSL can do something similar based on this idea as it has helped engage fans give clubs their own identity. Another suggestion which I would like to make which will further add to the FAWSL ‘own identity’ is the shirt printing. So instead of having printing from the means team (i.e. Arsenal Ladies wear Premier League numbering, whereas Notts County Ladies wear Football League numbering), introduce player jersey numbers with the FAWSL logo on. By doing this I feel it will enhance the league as a brand as well as getting the public and fans alike to take note. Additionally to this an innovative idea would be to include the FAWSL Twitter handle or hashtag on the numbering as this would be a very original way to gain followers, especially when matches are televised and the consumer sees this during the match. Above is the example of the lettering proposed for the clubs to include the FAWSL # or the twitter handle. This is an issue that has got a lot of fans of the women’s game including myself talking. Each year interest in the game keeps increasing and its pleasing to see that is being recognised with the coverage on television. However I feel more could be done as currently BBC’s the Women’s Football Show is only on once a month, while BT Sport show the WSL Review Show which is on after each round of games. What I am suggesting is that each show is expanded in coverage, so starting with the Women’s Football Show it would be beneficial by making it a weekly show and possibly expanding the running time from the current 30 minutes slot to between 45 minutes to 1 hour. However I appreciate this will be down to production costs and after speaking to various people on social media the preferred option would be to make the show weekly rather than keeping it monthly with an expanded running time. The other show which is of a game by game format is the WSL Review Show which despite only seeing a couple makes for excellent viewing. In my opinion it is quite difficult to improve this show as it offers a lot already by giving coverage of both FAWSL 1 & 2 as well as extended interviews which give viewers a further insight into the women’s game. As touched on in the second paragraph I and a lot feel it would help strengthen the women’s game further is if the Women’s Football Show was made weekly (or at least every matchday) for terrestrial TV. Failing this a women’s equivalent to Match of the Day could be introduced showcasing both FAWSL leagues, as WSL2 hardly receives any coverage. Again this will be a discussion between the league and the TV companies, but in my opinion would really help to build on the legacy that women’s football is creating. Leading on from the previous point is the suggesting of televising FA Cup coverage. I like many fans enjoy watching the women’s FA cup final, but I feel the enjoyment factor could be enhanced by showing games from previous rounds of the FA Cup. This would increase interest in the game as well as giving a range of teams much needed publicity. Furthermore as women’s cup football is not that widely watched the TV Company in charge of airing this may be able to show games for limited costs as the teams involved in televised matches would receive plenty of exposure from the game itself. By showing more games fans of all teams would experience the journey that their teams go on in order to put themselves in the history book. Also by airing various games it hopefully would get people following their local women’s team, or it may get spectators of the men’s game to follow the women’s part of the club (such as Arsenal & Arsenal Ladies or Portsmouth & Portsmouth Ladies). This is vitally important for growing the league as a competition and as a brand. Women’s football is known for its family friendly atmosphere, so by bringing out a range of FAWSL merchandise that appeals to kids (and adults alike) it would inspire them to take up the game as well increasing attendances further.
Summary of merchandise/products:
FAWSL card game collectionThis involves both leagues (1 & 2) and would be aimed at a similar target market like the above product. Each card would have a player from one of the teams on it and would include a number of ratings (e.g. defence & attack) which would form part of a game where young fans can collect, play and trade with other likewise fans. The cards would come in a pack of 5 and the price point I would suggest is 50p (£0.5) per pack. FAWSL car stickersThese would be a cheap item where fans can pledge their loyalty to the women’s game through these unique scar stickers which read “I am a proud supporter of the women’s game”. I would suggest that each car sticker has a retail price of 20p (£0.2). Soft toys with the WSL logo onThe soft toys could be the bear which is the mascot of the league. I feel this product would have a broad appeal to the fanbase and even attract new fans to the game. The retail price for this can range from £2.00-£5.00 and be sold in all FAWSL club shops. Drinks bottle with WSL logo onThe drinks bottle could come in a range of colours and on the FAWSL logo on. With manufacturing costs quite cheap for this product I think the price could be around £1.00-£2.00. Adult/Kids silicon wristbands with WSL logo on.These wristbands would come in a range of colours and appeal to fans of all ages. The wristbands could have a mini imprint of the logo on it along with the FAWSL twitter handle or hashtag. By having this on the bands I feel it would increase fan engagement and help grow the game further. The retail price for a single band should be £1.00 and there should be about 6 different colours to collect. FAWSL annual calendarThis would appeal to all fans of the league with the calendar having significant moments that have happened throughout the previous year. The moments to go into the calendar could be things like the FAWSL 1 & 2 winners, FA Cup winners, Continental Cup winners and important/landmark goals. I would suggest pricing the calendar at £9.99 due to it being of A3 size. This season sees the second year of the two tier WSL (WSL 1 & WSL 2) with relegation, having been introduced in 2014. However this season will see two teams promoted from WSL 2 taking the total to nine teams in WSL 1. It is part of a two year plan of having 2 leagues of 10. Last season saw Everton relegated from the top flight for the first time in 21 years, while Sunderland achieved promotion to the WSL 1 ahead of this year’s campaign. Meanwhile at the top end of WSL 1 saw the closest finish to the league ever with the title being decided on the final day with Chelsea, Birmingham and Liverpool all standing a chance with the latter sealing their second successive title in dramatic fashion. 2015 is expected to be even more dramatic with the standard getting better year on year as well as teams strengthening and becoming more professional too. Don’t rule out excitement in WSL 2 either with two teams going up it’s sure to be another enjoyable or nervy season depending which team you follow. WSL 1 Arsenal Manager: Pedro Martinez Losa Captain: Kelly Smith Stand-out star: Lianne Sanderson On the rise: Jordan Nobbs The 2014 campaign saw a disappointing start by Arsenal’s standards along with a managerial change half way through the season with Shelly Kerr leaving after guiding them to FA Cup glory to be replace by Spaniard Pedro Martinez Losa who guided the Gunners to 4th place. Arsenal will be hoping to make a more promising start to this season and have made a number of astute acquisitions in the off-season to help them including the returning Lianne Sanderson who will be sure to add plenty of fire power to the attack as the Gunners pursue a top 2 finish. Sanderson will be helped in attack by Natalia who arrives from league rivals Bristol and will be hoping to replicate her impressive form which has seen her stock rise over previous years. Both Natalia and Sanderson join a team full of exciting young talent including midfield maestro Jordan Nobbs and striker Danielle Carter who bagged 8 goals last year. It is not only the young talent Arsenal have with experienced trio Casey Stoney, Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith all looking to play their part in what sets to be an exciting campaign for the Gunners. In my opinion Arsenal will bounce back from their 2014 campaign in which they experienced a disappointing 4th place finish (which fans of the men’s side are all too familiar with). When Martinez Losa took over the results did pick up and Arsenal became hard to beat again and I expect that to continue. The Gunners were the highest scorers in the league last term so goals are not the problem, however they will need to improve defensively if they are to mount a title challenge having conceded 21 goals in their 2014 league campaign. Predicted finish: 3rd Birmingham City Manager: David Parker Captain: Karen Carney Stand-out star: Karen Carney On the rise: Jade Moore The Blues can look back at their 2014 campaign with a lot of pride, having come so close to snatching the title on the final day after being tipped at the start of the season to get relegated. Birmingham who are managed by the highly rated David Parker have a relatively young squad and pride themselves on developing players on a limited budget as seen with young strike duo Kirsty Linnett and Melissa Lawley. Both of whom give defenders sleepless nights due to their work rate and pace. The team are led by the evergreen Karen Carney who’s showing no signs of slowing down and is arguably one of the greatest players to play for England. It’s probably a fair assessment to say that Birmingham are strongest in the midfield area with the likes of Jo Potter, Jade Moore and Remi Allen are adding their unique skill and flair to the team. For the new campaign Birmingham will be hoping to prove more people wrong and try to replicate their 2014 and push on for a Champions League place. This may be tough though as the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Notts County have all strengthened further and will all have similar aspirations as them. The key for Birmingham if they are to achieve this is being able to keep Karen Carney fit as well as scoring enough goals to go hand in hand with their hard to beat defence (having the third best defensive record last term in WSL 1, conceding 14). The question is can Birmingham beat the odds again? Predicted finish: 6th Bristol Academy Manager: Dave Edmondson Captain: Grace McCatty Stand-out star: Nicola Watts On the rise: Mary Earps Bristol, who the previous year qualified for the Champions League in which they embarked on a successful campaign beating Barcelona along the way to the quarter-finals where they’ll play Frankfurt, finished a disappointing 7th in 2014 and one place above relegation. The Vixens will be hoping to improve on last season’s showing but suffered a huge body blow during the off-season with the departure of strikers Natalia who joined WSL1 rivals Arsenal, while Welsh wonder Natasha Harding signed for Manchester City after her proposed move to American side Washington Spirit fell through on Visa grounds. This was compelled with the loss of Captain Corinne Yorston who made the surprise step down to WSL2 to join Yeovil while defender Gemma Rose joined Arsenal. However Bristol who be looking to upset the odds as they look to stay in WSL1 for another year and have made a number of signings themselves with the triple capture of Hayley Ladd, Nadia Lawrence and Sharla Passariello from Coventry and South Florida Bulls respectively. Looking at the way the other teams have strengthened I believe that it will be a straight slog between themselves and Sunderland as to who goes down come October. Final Prediction: 8th (Relegated) Chelsea Manager: Emma Hayes Captain: Katie Chapman Stand-out star: Eniola Aluko On the rise: Claire Rafferty Chelsea will be looking to put last season’s final day heart break behind them as they look to cement another challenge for the WSL1 title. When the Blues blew it on the last game of the season the players were left distraught on what could have been, but I’m sure Chelsea have become stronger and learnt a lot as a result of this. Couple this with a number of signings including Gemma Davison from Champions Liverpool, Chelsea have a squad to rival just about any team in the league. In addition to this Chelsea have England International striker Eniola Aluko who throughout her career has been lethal in front of goal and proved it once again last year. Chelsea will however be missing joint top scorer from the 2014 campaign as Yuki Ogimi has joined German side Wolfsburg. Last season Chelsea qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history and will go into new season wanting to prove themselves in this competition as well as wanting to get their hands on some silverware closer to home. Expectations will by high having taken the decision for most players to go professional this year, but the question is can the players handle such high expectations? Predicted finish: 2nd Liverpool Manager: Matt Beard Captain: Gemma Bonner Stand-out star: Natasha Dowie On the rise: Martha Harris Liverpool’s 2014 campaign ended in some final day Drama which saw the Reds retain their WSL1 title which was quite remarkable having begun the day as outsiders in 3rd place. However Liverpool face an even tougher task if they are to retain the title for the 3rd consecutive year having lost a couple of key players since the end of the last campaign. Gemma Davison has moved on to pastures new after only one season with the Red’s as she joins last years runners-up Chelsea, while Lucy Bronze joins ambitious Manchester City. Despite these changes Liverpool will be hoping to carry the winning momentum into the new season and do have the help of new signings of their own. In the off-season Liverpool were able to complete the signings of Satara Murray from Tar Heels in Ameria, Ingrid Ryland and highly rated, Line Krogedal Smorsgard from Norwegian sides Arna-Bjornar and Klepp IL respectively. My view is that with the players they lost in the closed season along with the time it will take for the new players to bed in, so I cannot see Liverpool retaining their title on the grounds of due certain clubs around them becoming stronger and the reds losing players to rival teams. Final prediction: 5th Manchester City Manager: Nick Cushing Captain: Steph Houghton Stand-out star: Toni Duggan On the rise: Nikita Parris In their debut season in the WSL the Citizens made a slow start with everyone at the club insisting that the project will take time and they were right as signs showed that towards the end of the season the team was clicking into place and recorded a number of impressive wins, most notably defeating Chelsea on the final day to deny them the title. The team though did enjoy some Silverware by lifting the Continental Cup (League Cup) by defeating Arsenal 1-0 in the final. This Year City will be expected to improve on last year’s 5th place finish by mounting a top 2 challenge and I for one expect them to do that given the squad they have available to them. On paper few would argue that any other team has a better to than they do, but the question is how will the team gel with a number of new signings in the off-season including virtually a new defence with the likes of Jennifer Beattie, Demi Stokes and Lucy Bronze all adding strength in depth. Manchester City have also strengthened their forward line with the loan capture of Everton youngsters Nikita Parris, who will be looking to assist the likes of Toni Duggan in the goals department. I feel this season we may see the best of City and if they do show their true potential then I’m sure there will be no looking past them for the WSL1 title. Predicted finish: 1st (Champions) Notts County Manager: Rick Passmoor Captain: Laura Bassett Stand-out star: Jess Clarke On the rise: Amy Turner The Lady Pies will be looking to build on their 6th place finish in their 2014 inaugural campaign having moved from Lincoln for last season. Last year saw mixed fortunes having started brightly in the league, but a number of long term injuries coincided with a number of defeats and ultimately saw Notts slide down the table. They did however end the season strongly by picking up 10 points from their last 4 games which saw them finish a comfortable 14 points above the relegation zone. This season though looks bright for Notts with Ellen White back to full fitness and banging in goals during pre-season which is a major boost as the Lady Pies were very reliant on Jess Clarke to score the goals last season. County have made some very impressive signings in the closed season having had to replace a number of last season’s top performers including player of the season Rachel Corsie who’s moved to America to play for Seattle Reign. The players to arrive include Danielle Buet, Laura Bassett and Rachel Williams who all arrive from Chelsea, while Alex Greenwood and Fern Whelan joined from Everton. These players will add to what already is a very talented bunch of players and could realistically challenge for a top 2 position, but I’m sure the Lady Pies would be happy to try and achieve a top half finish. Predicted finish: 4th Sunderland Manager: Carlton Fairweather Captain: Stephanie Bannon Stand-out star: Beth Mead On the rise: Keira Ramshaw Newly promoted Sunderland will face a daunting task in trying to maintain WSL1 survival, but have one of the most highly rated English strikers in the Country with Beth Mead who has an impressive scoring record of 67 goals in 71 games in 3 seasons in her career with the Black Cats. She will be needing to maintain a similar scoring ratio if Sunderland are to keep their WSL 1 status beyond this year. Mead will be helped through fellow forwards Abby Joice and Sophie Williams who both chipped in with a number of their own as the Black Cats claimed WSL 2 success in 2014. In addition to this Sunderland have young exciting players coming through the ranks including midfield duo Rebekah Bass and Keira Ramshaw, as well as number of others looking to make a name for themselves in the top flight. 2015 looks set to be an interesting season for Sunderland Women with former male professional footballer, Carlton Fairweather taking over the managerial reigns from Mick Mulhern who departed the club last November after leading the Black Cats to promotion. So Mead along with her team mates will be hoping for similar form they showed last season as Sunderland look to be the first WSL2 side to successfully stave of relegation and I for one believe they can do it. Predicted finish: 7th Predicted WSL 1 final standings
WSL 2 WSL2 Aston Villa The ladies in claret and blue somewhat went under the radar last term having gone about their business quietly by finishing the season in a respectable 4th place after going on an impressive run in the latter half of the season. If they are to replicate a 4th place finish in 2015 or something similar the team will need to score more goals, as although they were the fifth highest scorers in the league both Doncaster and Reading scored double the amount of goals Villa scored. The Villains will be pleased that last season’s top scorer with 6, Katie Wilkinson has joined permanently from WSL 1 side Birmingham City. They will however be hoping Wilkinson can double her tally from last season having lost academy product Emma Follis to WSL 2 rivals Reading. With Villa having lost a number of key personnel I can’t see them challenging for the top 2 spots, but I can’t see them scrapping right at the bottom either. Villa will also be aiming to improve on their Continental Cup campaign, having only picked up a solitary win last term, but it will be difficult with three WSL 1 teams in their group as well. Doncaster Belles The Belles are one of the most prestigious teams in the history of the women’s game, having been dominate through the late eighties and the early nighties, however last season saw them start in WSL 2 after controversially being relegated in 2013. Doncaster lived up to their favourites tag in 2014 but Sunderland proved they had more by piping the Belles to the title, consequently condemning them to another season in the second tier. This season Doncaster will be wanting to take full advantage of the two promotion spots available this season, but to do that they will have to gel quickly with a number of new faces including a new manager coming in during the closed season. After just missing out on promotion Gordon Staniforth left the club with former Lincoln Ladies manager Glenn Harris taking over the reins and bringing in some new signings which he believes will give them added impetus for their promotion assault. A number of the signings include Sophie Barker who Harris knows well from his time managing Lincoln, while also adding midfielder Emily Roberts who arrives on loan from Notts County. The Belles look in good shape heading into another campaign with a number of goal threats including Courtney Sweetman-Kirk who grabbed 10 in 13 appearances since arriving halfway through the season. However I believe that Everton and Reading have slightly more to offer meaning Doncaster may miss out again. It may go down to the wire though! Durham Women One of the surprised packages from 2014 which saw Durham finish a surprising 6th despite most tipping them to be rock bottom with the squad lacking experience with the makeup of the Wildcats team consisting of mainly students from university and college. Durham are continuing to build year on year as proven with some of their signings the club made since the end of the previous campaign. In comes young goalkeeper Helen Alderson from WSL 2 champions Sunderland where she was second choice and is expected to take over the mantle from the departed Danielle Hill who joins league rivals Doncaster Belles. Also joining is experienced Northern Ireland international defender Julie Nelson, who arrives from Glasgow City. For the new campaign Durham will be looking to carry last season’s momentum into 2015. It will be interesting to see how the Wildcats get on after surpassing most people’s expectations last year, but they face a tough start away to Doncaster Belles. If they can get off to a solid start though, Durham may surprise a number of people again. Everton Everton’s relegation from WSL1 saw many changes during the off-season with a number of players opting to stay in the top flight with other clubs while highly rated Nikita Parris joined Manchester City Women on loan for the upcoming campaign. However Everton can look forward to the new season with renewed optimism with some new signings of their own including defender Danielle Lea who drops down a division joining from Manchester City. Lea joins a team full of exciting youngsters including highly rated young centre back Gabby George and Northern Irish forward Simone Magill. They will also be helped by the fact that two teams will be promoted in this campaign as opposed to the usual one. With this taken into consideration I believe that Andy Spence will be able to lift the girl’s confidence from last season after failing to win a game and bounce straight back with a slightly new look squad of youth and experience. London Bees To put it bluntly the Bees 2014 campaign was terrible which saw them prop up the WSL2 table, despite starting the season brightly. London Bees though will be looking to dust themselves down and put last season’s disappointments behind them as they look to use that experience to build a solid footing in the league this term. This is proven with the amount of new faces the Bees have brought in with over a dozen players arriving from a number of clubs as they look to avoided finishing bottom of WSL 2 for a second consecutive season. Like Oxford, a successful season for them would just be an improvement on the last. So if the Bees can get into double figures in their league campaign and achieve at least one win the Continental cup (League Cup), then I’m sure they’ll class that as progress. Millwall Lionesses Last season by their own admission was a disappointing one for the Lionesses after finishing 8th having been expected to at least challenge in mid-table. Millwall will be looking to improve on this and cause a few upsets as the season progresses to prove that they are no pushovers. This may prove difficult though due to WSL 2 being a highly competitive league and everyone wanting to outdo everyone else. However the Lionesses have had time to reflect on their 2014 and will be raring to go with their new manager Dan Milner, who was during the season break. The squad has experienced the least amount of player turnover in WSL 2 which may prove an advantage with only one leaving (Kylie Davies who joined Reading, while signing just three. Milnar will have his work cut out to get the Lionesses firing, but in my opinion they will improve on last season’s poor showing of 8th and you never know may find themselves challenging at the top half come October. Oxford United Last season will be one which Oxford will hope to improve on after finishing second bottom last season with 3 wins and 3 draws from their 18 matches. The players will want to use last season as a learning curve with it being a relatively young squad and aim to surpass their points total from 2014. The U’s would also want to improve on their showing in the Continental Cup (League Cup) having failed to register a single point in the league of six. Looking forward to this campaign and my view is that Oxford will struggle again and potentially could be propping up the WSL 2 table. However I’m sure a successful season for the U’s would be to just improve on last season’s showing of 9th. Anyhow Oxford can rest assured as there is no relegation yet from WSL 2, so whatever happens they will live to fight another day. Reading The lady Royals showed plenty of promise last season after challenging for promotion to WSL 1 for the majority of the campaign, just slipping away in the final months. It’s fair to say Reading have the hottest property in the league in the shape of 21-year-old forward Fran Kirby, who became the first WSL 2 player to be called up to the senior side last August and has since established herself in Mark Sampson’s team. By being able to keep hold of someone of the quality of Kirby I give Reading and excellent challenge to win promotion and gain the opportunity to be able to play in WSL 1 in 2016. This has been helped as there a two promotion places available this year as opposed to one and I feel Reading will be one of the two teams to achieve the feat. Watford The Golden girls started the 2014 season positively and at the earlier stages looked as though they could challenge towards the top, however their season began to peter out and eventually finished 7th, 10 points clear of bottom placed London Bees. The loss of influential Welsh international forward Sarah Wiltshire to WSL 2 rivals Yeovil midway through the 2014 season was one of the causes for their downturn in form. Nonetheless Watford have had time to regroup and this season could be a promising one with a number of new additions including former Arsenal goalkeeper Cherie Rowlands who joins from London Bees as well as striker Anneka Nuttall who also signed from the Bees. I see Watford improving on last season’s finish, but I don’t think they will have enough to challenge for promotion. Most likely to finish around mid-table. Yeovil Town The Glovers had a campaign which they can be pleased of in their debut FAWSL season, finishing mid-table and have set the bar high for 2015 with promotion in the clubs sights. Their ambitions have been underlined with the signing of experienced defender Corinne Yorston, who joined from Bristol Academy, dropping down a division in the process. Yorston adds to what already is a strong squad with the likes of Welsh international Helen Bleazard who’s played for the likes of Chelsea and Bristol Academy during her career. However Yeovil will have to deal with the loss of young forward Sarah Wiltshire who moved onto pastures new by signing with ambitious WSL 1 side Manchester City. My view is Yeovil will perform well and match expectations to an extent, but I feel a number of other teams will have slightly more than them on the pitch, enabling them to finish higher than the Glovers. Predicted WSL 2 final standings
Selected In’s & Out’s
Alex Greenwood – Everton to Notts County Alex Windell – Bristol Academy to Birmingham City Corinne Yorston – Bristol Academy to Yeovil Town Demi Stokes – South Florida Bulls to Manchester City Emily Roberts – Notts County to Doncaster Belles (loan) Fern Whelan – Everton to Notts County Gemma Davison – Liverpool to Chelsea Gemma Rose – Bristol Academy to Arsenal Hayley Ladd – Coventry City to Bristol Academy Jody Handley – Everton to Doncaster Belles Jennifer Beattie – Montpellier to Manchester City Laura Bassett – Chelsea to Notts County Lucy Bronze – Liverpool to Manchester City Marija Banusic – Kristianstad to Chelsea Millie Bright – Doncaster Belles to Chelsea Natalia – Bristol Academy to Arsenal Natasha Harding – Bristol Academy to Manchester City Niamh Fahey – Arsenal to Chelsea Nikita Parris – Everton to Manchester City (loan) Sarah Wiltshire – Yeovil Town to Manchester City Sharla Passariello – South Florida Bulls to Bristol Academy |
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