Wolves Women Thread

[Tony Towner]

Mr Law, How many leagues (That are we top of), below Chelsea and City etc?

2, but winning the league only gets you into a play off against the winner of the Southern Division. Last year they lost that to Southampton. Wolves see the investment in the women's team as making facilities available to them, I believe others in the Southern League invest more in the squad

 

[Law's Bus]

Yeah, it's Tier 3, so the equivalent of League One; although the leagues themselves are much smaller so we're currently basically 25th in the country.

As Tony says, the completely ridiculous thing is that winning the league does not guarantee you promotion at all - there's 1 up, 1 down between the Women's Championship and the Women's National League; hence the stupid play-offs.

Our investment is, as mentioned, around investment in facilities; and basically in giving the Women's first team access to the facilities that are already there. All of our players are amateurs, but as TT mentioned, there's a few teams in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division like Southampton did last year basically throwing money at professionalism.

We're trying to grow organically instead, by using the facilities available to attract both first-team players who don't want to turn professional for whatever reason, and for attracting young players too. Basically, at the younger age-groups male and female players get exactly the same facilities and opportunities as one another. It's also why the Women's first team moved to Telford this year from the CKW Stadium in Castlecroft - Bucks Head both easily fits the ground criteria for the Women's Championship; and is Women's Super League ready - it's of a similar standard to the grounds the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal play at.

 

[Mel Evo]

Yeah, it's Tier 3, so the equivalent of League One; although the leagues themselves are much smaller so we're currently basically 25th in the country.

As Tony says, the completely ridiculous thing is that winning the league does not guarantee you promotion at all - there's 1 up, 1 down between the Women's Championship and the Women's National League; hence the stupid play-offs.

Our investment is, as mentioned, around investment in facilities; and basically in giving the Women's first team access to the facilities that are already there. All of our players are amateurs, but as TT mentioned, there's a few teams in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division like Southampton did last year basically throwing money at professionalism.

We're trying to grow organically instead, by using the facilities available to attract both first-team players who don't want to turn professional for whatever reason, and for attracting young players too. Basically, at the younger age-groups male and female players get exactly the same facilities and opportunities as one another. It's also why the Women's first team moved to Telford this year from the CKW Stadium in Castlecroft - Bucks Head both easily fits the ground criteria for the Women's Championship; and is Women's Super League ready - it's of a similar standard to the grounds the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal play at.

Thanks for the info and updates Mr or Mrs Bus, I really appreciate them.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Yes indeed, I always read your stuff and appreciate the time you put into posting it all.
I watched the women's competition on tv a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it.
It was an odd sensation, watching games played mostly at running speed, hardly anyone walked anywhere, play moved from goalmouth to goalmouth and whilst some of the defending was er... a little unsure, there was no silly falling over, no snipers in the crowd, no one Podencing, it was pretty much how it should be played and i was happy to watch it for that reason.
Keep it coming Mr Bus.
If you don't mind me asking, did you start off as a mini bus then to a single decker and then onto a Double decker?
Whats the story behind that...?

 

[Law's Bus]

If you don't mind me asking, did you start off as a mini bus then to a single decker and then onto a Double decker?
Whats the story behind that...?

The username is a reference to an incident that was quite famous in the mid-1990s when several of our players had a bit of a night out, and a centre-half by the name of Brian Law decided that a great way to get everyone home would be to steal a bus from the bus station...

 

[Law's Bus]

Thanks for the info and updates Mr or Mrs Bus, I really appreciate them.

*looks down*

Yep, definitely a bloke...

 

[Law's Bus]

So, yesterday saw Wolves Women in their first FA Cup tie of the season, away against Shrewsbury, ridiculously on a zero-facility pitch literally next door to the Shrewsbury men's stadium when it was a sellout.

As someone on Twitter put it:

The more I think about it, you couldn't have a better metaphor for the shameful lack of equality in resources committed to men's & women's football by clubs than the pics of Wolves & Shrewsbury playing a women's FA cup tie on a field literally outside the men's ground, can you?

But enough of me moaning about that, the final score was a much more satisfying affair, with an 8-2 victory, with goals from Maz Gauntlett, Beth Merrick, Helen Dermody, a hat-trick for Amber Hughes (so, just the 14 for the season then so far), and two set-piece goals for Anna Morphet - one penalty and one straight in from a corner. It's actually quite impressive that we scored that many as we went in at half-time 5-1 up, and how often do you see similar one-sided first halves followed up with a goal-less second half?

The next round of the Cup has been drawn, and we have Northampton Town at home on 27 November at Bucks Head; and the usual free entry to STHs will no doubt apply.

The next game is away in the County Cup to Chelmsley Colts Women, so I'm expecting us to definitely give minutes to fringe players in that one given they're one of the bottom of their Tier 6 league.

 

[Law's Bus]

The next game is away in the County Cup to Chelmsley Colts Women, so I'm expecting us to definitely give minutes to fringe players in that one given they're one of the bottom of their Tier 6 league.

Yeah.

So, that was completely pointless. It ended in a 19-0 victory, with four goals for Destiney Toussaint and hat-tricks for Marianne Taho and Beth Merrick; and presumably some other people scored several times too, but given the match ended up being behind closed doors and the Birmingham County FA website just carries the scoreline and nothing else, who knows? If I do find out, I'll mention it here.

The next game is in the FA Cup on Sunday at Bucks Head againt Northampton Town - STH free entry as usual.

 

[Law's Bus]

The magic of the FA Cup rolled into Telford yesterday, with the second round tie against Northampton.

It ended up in a 5-0 win, with goals from Jade Cross, Tammi George, Anna Morphet, Ali Miller and Beth Merrick. That's something like 8 wins on the trot now for Wolves, which is pretty special. And on top of that Destiney Toussaint is now properly back from her injury and looking just as good as before.

Speaking of special, I'm really looking forward to the footage of the goals being released - there's a Goal of the Season contender in there for folk to enjoy...

 

[Dire Wolf]

As a side note, Newcastle United Women's team had a crowd of over 28,000 for their FA Cup tie against Barnsley, I think it was. Pretty remarkable.

 

[Kenny]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1597314247180005376

 

[Wolf Hunting]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1597314247180005376

Another 25,000 + to go watch that then?
Be good for our girls to play in front of a big crowd?
Where do they play their games do you know?

 

[BillyDee]

Are there highlights from the last round yet? Apparently George's goal was something special...

 

[Law's Bus]

Are there highlights from the last round yet? Apparently George's goal was something special...

Some of them have now been released, so here it is...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1597923400734937088

 

[Law's Bus]

Another 25,000 + to go watch that then?
Be good for our girls to play in front of a big crowd?
Where do they play their games do you know?

No, there won't be a crowd that large because it's not being held at a stadium large enough. The game is being played at Kingston Park Stadium, which is Newcastle Falcon's home ground - and so not too dissimilar in capacity etc from the New Bucks Head.

 

[Dire Wolf]

No, there won't be a crowd that large because it's not being held at a stadium large enough. The game is being played at Kingston Park Stadium, which is Newcastle Falcon's home ground - and so not too dissimilar in capacity etc from the New Bucks Head.

Just up the road for me, I think I'll go along and lend my support. Are the details about the date and time of the fixture out yet?

 

[Law's Bus]

Just up the road for me, I think I'll go along and lend my support. Are the details about the date and time of the fixture out yet?

Sunday 11 December at 2pm.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Sunday 11 December at 2pm.

Ah crap, I'm working then.

 

[Law's Bus]

The best of the other goals from the weekend was Beth Merrick's:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1598293337878024196

 

[Law's Bus]

This Sunday's game was at Compton; and was in the National League Cup against Durham Cestria.

It was a closely fought game, ending in just a 7-0 victory with yet another Amber Hughes hat-trick, plus others from Destiney Toussaint, Maz Gauntlett, Ali Miller and Marianne Taho. So that's 17 for the season so far for Amber Hughes - really can't complain at that in early December!

That puts us through to the quarter finals, which will be drawn in the next couple of days.

And if you think that's a large win, the Reserves just scored the 15 goals. But then the Reserves competitions are pretty much pointless as there just isn't any competition and huge wins are a matter of course; and it means the girls learn nothing. It's also why we're starting to make use of the loan market better than previously.