If you’re a fan of women’s soccer, there’s a good chance you were brought back to reality with a bang.
The WSL was postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth, the FA grossly misunderstanding that, if she were alive, she almost certainly wanted everyone to watch soccer. She wanted fans to head to Stamford Bridge or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch their new heroes, or if you wanted to whet your appetite, Queen Elizabeth would’ve wanted you to watch the mouthwatering tie between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Academy.
The promise, excitement and buzz were there. But, as a mark of respect, soccer was postponed.
Of course, you can’t forget how close the Football Association is to the royal family. The queen was a patron of the association and Prince William, now heir to the throne, is president.
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Some teams were probably grateful for the extra week of preparation, especially considering that Friday last week was the first time all players were back from the international break.
But the “ride the wave” impact could be huge. The beginning of the English women’s domestic league followed a major tournament home victory and the first trophy for an England team since 1966.
As well as missing out on some crucial “ride the wave” hype, questions will arise whether there is a spot in the soccer calendar for these fixtures to be played at men’s grounds. Of course, you could look to put the women’s game on during the men’s World Cup in Qatar. After all, nobody is home. However, will the fans still come out on a dark, gloomy November evening rather than a lovely sunny Sunday in September?
The stumbling blocks for putting women’s games on in the men’s ground are the status of the pitch, the availability of staff, and the tight fixture scheduling occurring because the World Cup has been squeezed into a regular soccer schedule. Only time will tell, but Barclays, the league sponsor, has asked each club to play one game at the men’s stadium, but the club will decide when. So, a lot relies on good faith and hoping co-operation will happen.
To add to post-Euro hype, the referees and assistant referees for Spanish football have officially gone on strike and have said they will not officiate any women’s First Division matches due to the uncertain conditions of employment and economics.
For context, the Professional Women’s League (LPFF), which runs the First Division, is now in a dispute with the Spanish FA (RFEF) over several issues which, includes the registration of non-EU players, the lack of a finalised calendar, and a TV schedule that had yet to be confirmed despite the need for Spain to come off of a Champions League and European Championships hype to bring in more fans.
Sure, it’s a stroke of bad luck for the WSL, but mismanagement in Spain and a shroud of secrecy here in Ireland highlights how bad structures can hold you back.
Closer to home, Galway Women’s Football Club have announced that they will not apply for inclusion in next year’s Women’s National League at the end of the season.
In a very lengthy statement, Galway WFC has said that the cost of running a football club is no longer manageable for them. In a Galway Bay FM interview, chairman Stephen Moran explains how at the first WNL season in 2013, their budget was €20,000, and they had spent €18,000. However, with rising costs and calls for semi-professional standards, he has claimed that they will not get change out of €160,000.
The statement and interview came at an awkward time when Ireland are still celebrating qualifying for playoffs for the World Cup in Australia/New Zealand. Galway WFC have produced many international stars, including Republic of Ireland senior stars Savannah McCarthy and Julie Anne Russell, along with current U19 squad members Jenna Slattery, Eve Dossen and Kate Thompson from their successful underage set-up.
Add to that, the tone of the statement indicated that they were giving up and effectively passing a hot potato to someone who could cope. Right now, Galway United are hoping to try to bring a women’s team under their wing, which makes that statement more peculiar.
Either way, the scenes over the weekend proved women’s soccer is still shaky at its foundation. Sure, it’s a stroke of bad luck for the WSL, but mismanagement in Spain and a shroud of secrecy here in Ireland highlights how bad structures can hold you back.
Women’s soccer isn’t a charity. You shouldn’t have to support women’s sports. Women’s soccer is compelling enough to stand independently rather than be treated as community service. Women’s sports is an investment, it’s a good business with future potential. And until we treat it as such, we’re always going to have tragic headlines rather than hype.
