I have heard that Mo invested in a women's team many years before the women's game became professional, and later gave it up. Given (I assume) it would not affect our FFP and could bring in extra revenue on match days, why have we not looked into the possibility of an FFC women's team?
Please someone tell me if the club has recently spoken about this at an FST meeting, but given the success if our National Team at the recent world cup, I would like to know if the club has given the idea any serious thought.
I for one would love to see an FFC Ladies side, and really think given our previous connection we could pull off a decent side!
(Certainly might be able to give us more cheer on the pitch!)
Anyone else agree?
I believe we have a Fulham Foundation Ladies team but nothing Women's Super League ready. http://www.fulhamfc.com/ladies
This is something I'd like to see if we were to reconsolidate our position as a Premier League outfit. Rachel Yankey of course was the first professional female in the country at Fulham. It's easy for a Manchester City or a Chelsea to have really professional female teams - clubs like us, especially in the division we're in, probably could do without the extra financial strain of a female team as well as the mens.
I agree that it's more something we should look at in the Prem, but given teams like Notts County can field a good women's side I feel it's something we could really invest in.
Our very wealthy owner cannot use his wealth because of FFP, yet surely by investing in a female team (which would surely only require fairly nominal investment given many teams in the top two divisions are semi-professional) he could improve our brand after a disastrous few years, whilst also drawing in more female local fans. Though we have a significant number of these already, it would be a chance to boost our support, perhaps by offering discount tickets to those who also attend the women's matches.
We hosted the 2011 Champions League Final and had a 14,000 capacity crowd so there's certainly demand.
Quote from: Yonderwhite on April 14, 2016, 03:06:58 PM
I have heard that Mo invested in a women's team many years before the women's game became professional, and later gave it up. Given (I assume) it would not affect our FFP and could bring in extra revenue on match days, why have we not looked into the possibility of an FFC women's team?
Please someone tell me if the club has recently spoken about this at an FST meeting, but given the success if our National Team at the recent world cup, I would like to know if the club has given the idea any serious thought.
I for one would love to see an FFC Ladies side, and really think given our previous connection we could pull off a decent side!
(Certainly might be able to give us more cheer on the pitch!)
Anyone else agree?
I was heavily involved in the ladies team, and yes Mo funded a professional team for a season hoping that other clubs would follow suit, unfortunately the only other club that really could go with them was Arsenal and they did not feel the need to go professional. We had a fantastic team that dominated for that season with 3 of the Norwegian National side that won the olypics in the squad. I understand that the present Fulham ladies team is not connected with the club now. It was great while it lasted.
Very frustrating. I predicted that the Womens game would take off as a Summer sport. Well it may not be a strictly Summer sport but close enough. We were just ahead of our time and it is a great shame that we stopped financing it properly.
However the time will come that football will see that the game needs a Professional Womens game that will be a big draw for ALL clubs. A different type of football certainly but one that will continue to grow.
Quote from: alfie on April 14, 2016, 05:26:19 PM
Quote from: Yonderwhite on April 14, 2016, 03:06:58 PM
I have heard that Mo invested in a women's team many years before the women's game became professional, and later gave it up. Given (I assume) it would not affect our FFP and could bring in extra revenue on match days, why have we not looked into the possibility of an FFC women's team?
Please someone tell me if the club has recently spoken about this at an FST meeting, but given the success if our National Team at the recent world cup, I would like to know if the club has given the idea any serious thought.
I for one would love to see an FFC Ladies side, and really think given our previous connection we could pull off a decent side!
(Certainly might be able to give us more cheer on the pitch!)
Anyone else agree?
I was heavily involved in the ladies team, and yes Mo funded a professional team for a season hoping that other clubs would follow suit, unfortunately the only other club that really could go with them was Arsenal and they did not feel the need to go professional. We had a fantastic team that dominated for that season with 3 of the Norwegian National side that won the olypics in the squad. I understand that the present Fulham ladies team is not connected with the club now. It was great while it lasted.
I thought mo funded it for 3 years. And Rachel Yankey was some player. She could really play
Yes it was 3 years, he pulled the plug because he felt let down by the FA who had promised to promote ladies football but failed to do so.
Absolute disinterest...I remember the club giving away thousands of free tickets to the Women's FA Cup Final against Doncaster Belles. The club certainly wasted a load of money for a couple of seasons. It's flogging a dead horse - who would go and watch a Fulham ladies team when the mens' team is affordable and accessible?
Not interested !
I think the lack of interest - from the authorities, other clubs, and fans was what killed Fulham's Ladies team.
Mo thought he was investing in the future, but no-one seemed interested, apart from the female players that is.
Women's football could be big in this country, as it is in others, but it needs investment and promotion.
Quote from: Wolf on April 14, 2016, 10:38:03 PM
Absolute disinterest...I remember the club giving away thousands of free tickets to the Women's FA Cup Final against Doncaster Belles. The club certainly wasted a load of money for a couple of seasons. It's flogging a dead horse - who would go and watch a Fulham ladies team when the mens' team is affordable and accessible?
Women's football is a good watch. I for one would go along.
There have been major attempts in the past few years to promote women's football by some clubs and the media, but much as I think it's great that anyone should play and enjoy any sport, watching women's football, like most of women's sport, is not, for most people, at all exciting.
Some of the claim's for women's football have been ludicrous too. Let's be honest, a reasonably organised pub side could beat any women's eleven no matter what level they had reached in the women's game.
The only exception to the above, in terms of spectator appeal is golf. The
women professionals play the game like a dream and hackers like me can learn a lot (swiftly forgotten when on the course) that it's about timing not power.
Feel free to abuse me with politically correct nonsense, but when women's football regularly pulls in 20,000 plus spectators for a regular league match, I will then attend re-education courses by Germaine Greer.
Our ladies went the same way as the Rugby League team. Too little support & not financially viable. A shame to loose both as I thought they would be a useful tool in promoting the Club in general.
Quote from: fulhamben on April 14, 2016, 05:46:04 PM
Quote from: alfie on April 14, 2016, 05:26:19 PM
Quote from: Yonderwhite on April 14, 2016, 03:06:58 PM
I have heard that Mo invested in a women's team many years before the women's game became professional, and later gave it up. Given (I assume) it would not affect our FFP and could bring in extra revenue on match days, why have we not looked into the possibility of an FFC women's team?
Please someone tell me if the club has recently spoken about this at an FST meeting, but given the success if our National Team at the recent world cup, I would like to know if the club has given the idea any serious thought.
I for one would love to see an FFC Ladies side, and really think given our previous connection we could pull off a decent side!
(Certainly might be able to give us more cheer on the pitch!)
Anyone else agree?
I was heavily involved in the ladies team, and yes Mo funded a professional team for a season hoping that other clubs would follow suit, unfortunately the only other club that really could go with them was Arsenal and they did not feel the need to go professional. We had a fantastic team that dominated for that season with 3 of the Norwegian National side that won the olypics in the squad. I understand that the present Fulham ladies team is not connected with the club now. It was great while it lasted.
I thought mo funded it for 3 years. And Rachel Yankey was some player. She could really play
Of course it was for 3 seasons I have no idea why I said one season considering I was there, and yes Rachel was a fine player and a dam good coach, done a few sessions with her in a couple of schools.
Having a daughter who plays and loves the sport I personally would love to see Fulham support a women's team. As said if Notts can do it don't see why Khan and company couldn't do it also.