Popular Post KivoOwl Posted September 11, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted September 11, 2023 Wednesday's Ladies team have never been one of the biggest in the women's game, but I'm still scratching my head at just how far they have fallen in recent years. They were founder members of the FA National League in 1991, and lingered around the second tier until the early 2010s, but they have since suffered numerous relegations down the pyramid - from the Northern Combination, to the North East Regional League, to the North east Regional League Division One South, and after finishing bottom of that division, they were relegated this summer fo the seventh-tier Sheffield & Hallamshire Women's League - the women's equivalent of the County Senior League. This is Sheffield Wednesday we're talking about - in a county league. Playing against village teams and reserve XIs. Yesterday they played my little village club Kiveton Park in the Women's FA Cup 1st qualifying round, and Kivo comfortably beat them 3-0. This isn't a dig at the management or players at SWLFC - the side seemed to comprise of a very young set of players who were technically very good just beaten by a better side. But why on earth is our great club not represented way higher up in the women's pyramid? I know women's football isn't for everyone, and the issue of how the game funds itself is another debate altogether, but generally speaking, most professional clubs now have a women's team officially affiliated with them. As far as I'm aware, SWLFC are only affiliated in that they have the name and kit, but don't have any official connections with SWFC. I know that we currently have a chairman completely obsessed with getting to the Premier League, above anything else, but our club is one that has served the Sheffield community for over 150 years, and women's football is now very much a part of the community we need to be catering for. This isn't also a dig at SWFC alone. Where was the support for them yesterday? As I mentioned, this is a team of young girls who have some very good footballers - yesterday there were 400+ at Kiveton - and there weren't many Wednesday shirts in the crowd. 12 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Eaton_Swfc Posted September 11, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted September 11, 2023 SWL is about as high on DC's agenda as fan engagement unfortunately. He can't even run our lot right nevermind the women's side. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlinexile Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 They are just a random local club that SWFC lets use it's name and branding for free, aren't they? Probably the quickest fix would be to just rescind that permission and pick a more successful one to grant it to. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ever the pessimist Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 Being linked to SWFC is as much a handicap as a benefit. Can’t source their own kit so have to buy from the club (with associated costs and delays). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Lestrade Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 Have never attended a woman’s game, but after all the positiveness around the sport I would like to go along and watch, pity Wednesday aren’t in the reckoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Meadows Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 Only £45 a ticket a too 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch McLovin Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 On the long list of things that needs a complete reboot at the club. Yes I’m aware they’re not at the club and haven’t been but like you say it’s growing in popularity and positivity and something we as a club seem to be behind on as per. I know he’s discussed having it come back in house and DC has a million other issues to sort out but the lack of any sort of plan going forward won’t help this situation at all. We should be having a decent ladies team in this day and age. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kopman9 Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 Pumping money into a womens team is not a good use of funds at the moment, maybe when the mens team is in a more stable position it can be revisited 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quinnssweetshop Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 Why are you asking? chansiri and paxo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miffed Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 58 minutes ago, kopman9 said: Pumping money into a womens team is not a good use of funds at the moment, maybe when the mens team is in a more stable position it can be revisited Not sure it actually needs that much money to support a women’s team. Advertising is cheap. Promoting their games is cheap and easy to do. Doesn’t have to cost the Earth 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggae Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 6 hours ago, owlinexile said: They are just a random local club that SWFC lets use it's name and branding for free, aren't they? Probably the quickest fix would be to just rescind that permission and pick a more successful one to grant it to. Totally true and a situation that has been discussed many times. Re the branding rights. Nothing really to do with swfc. My missus plays with swfc ladies and they are under no illusion that a professional team is under review as and when the swfc first team problems are sorted 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scram Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 41 minutes ago, Miffed said: Not sure it actually needs that much money to support a women’s team. Advertising is cheap. Promoting their games is cheap and easy to do. Doesn’t have to cost the Earth It doesn't cost the earth - true - but the costs build up surprisingly quickly And it's so far down the list of priorities for our seemingly very limited budget that it's currently a non starter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Bizzly Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 37 minutes ago, reggae said: Totally true and a situation that has been discussed many times. Re the branding rights. Nothing really to do with swfc. My missus plays with swfc ladies and they are under no illusion that a professional team is under review as and when the swfc first team problems are sorted If that happens then the current team becomes 'Sheffield Wednesday Community '; same as what happened at United Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggae Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 2 minutes ago, Grizzly Bizzly said: If that happens then the current team becomes 'Sheffield Wednesday Community '; same as what happened at United Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basement Jack Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 Like everything else associated with the club… light years behind The women’s game is growing massively and now is the time to make moves Of course money makes a difference but even showing a little interest would be progress at this stage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSN SYSOP Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 8 hours ago, KivoOwl said: Wednesday's Ladies team have never been one of the biggest in the women's game, but I'm still scratching my head at just how far they have fallen in recent years. They were founder members of the FA National League in 1991, and lingered around the second tier until the early 2010s, but they have since suffered numerous relegations down the pyramid - from the Northern Combination, to the North East Regional League, to the North east Regional League Division One South, and after finishing bottom of that division, they were relegated this summer fo the seventh-tier Sheffield & Hallamshire Women's League - the women's equivalent of the County Senior League. This is Sheffield Wednesday we're talking about - in a county league. Playing against village teams and reserve XIs. Yesterday they played my little village club Kiveton Park in the Women's FA Cup 1st qualifying round, and Kivo comfortably beat them 3-0. This isn't a dig at the management or players at SWLFC - the side seemed to comprise of a very young set of players who were technically very good just beaten by a better side. But why on earth is our great club not represented way higher up in the women's pyramid? I know women's football isn't for everyone, and the issue of how the game funds itself is another debate altogether, but generally speaking, most professional clubs now have a women's team officially affiliated with them. As far as I'm aware, SWLFC are only affiliated in that they have the name and kit, but don't have any official connections with SWFC. I know that we currently have a chairman completely obsessed with getting to the Premier League, above anything else, but our club is one that has served the Sheffield community for over 150 years, and women's football is now very much a part of the community we need to be catering for. This isn't also a dig at SWFC alone. Where was the support for them yesterday? As I mentioned, this is a team of young girls who have some very good footballers - yesterday there were 400+ at Kiveton - and there weren't many Wednesday shirts in the crowd. Can you list the games and where played as I'd love to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crookesowl Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 I genuinely think a women’s team playing their top games at Hillsborough would get some attendance. Not massive but a few thousand. This is all down to the appetite of the chairman to support the women’s game and he clearly doesn’t prioritise it. That’s not to say he doesn’t care, but he doesn’t see a business case in it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scram Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 There is no business case for it It's why quite a few womens teams are part of the community arm of their club - so not directly funded by the club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSandersonOWL Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 48 minutes ago, scram said: There is no business case for it It's why quite a few womens teams are part of the community arm of their club - so not directly funded by the club There is no business case for the men's team. It loses DC millions. It's for the fun. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakowl Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 I know Wednesday have been trying to bring the ladies under SWFC for a while but the existing "Owners/Management" don't want to let go. I think they have dropped because the women's game has progressed so much over the last few years that they have been left behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now