The Manchester City and England goalkeeper has her eye on a tight title race but is also keen to encourage girls to pursue their dreams of becoming footballersIn 2014 the Women’s Super League expanded into two tiers comprising 18 teams and Manchester City were ready to take the opportunity to climb. Having worked their way into the Premier League National Division, they ambitiously bid for a place in the top two leagues. Controversially, the side were granted a place in the top flight, relegating Doncaster Rovers Belles to the second tier to make way.City were serious about cementing their place at the top, and one of the players they recruited to help do so was Lincoln Ladies’ Karen Bardsley. Now...
London Bees goalkeeper navigates two male-dominated lines of work with aplomb but may soon have to choose between her abiding passion and her workThe London Bees goalkeeper Nicola Hobbs was between the sticks at the Hive on Saturday as the Bees recorded their first win of the WSL2 season, a 2-1 victory over Oxford United. Yet just 24 hours earlier she was sitting in a gilded hall in the capital at the excellence in fire and emergency awards 2017. Because Hobbs is also a firefighter, and one who was nominated for this year’s most influential woman in fire award.A woman navigating one male-dominated line of work is impressive, but two is rarer. Related: Ellie Brazil, the English teenager testing herself...
Deadline for teams to stay in the revamped top two tiers has passed, with Watford and Sunderland announcing that they are not even applyingThe deadline for Women’s Super League clubs to apply to stay in the top two tiers next season closed last Friday. Less than 50 days after announcing the controversial plans to restructure women’s football, clubs have had to submit details of how they will meet the new strict criteria set out by the Football Association that will see the establishment of a fully professional top tier and semi-professional second tier. The changes have brought a mixed response from clubs and now we have the first glimpse of their effects.Last Tuesday the WSL 2 club Watford announced they would...
From Arsenal to Yeovil, we assess the contenders and likely strugglers for the maiden winter campaign – as Manchester City look to maintain their supremacyOnce the dominant force in women’s football, Arsenal have slipped behind Chelsea and Manchester City in recent years and have not lifted the title since 2012. Not that they should be taken lightly – they were the only team to remain unbeaten in the Spring Series. However, finishing third highlighted the need for greater efficiency. Related: Winter wonderland? Women’s Super League prepares for 2017-18 kick-off | Suzanne Wrack Yeovil know they will be up against it after finishing bottom with one point in the Spring Series Continue reading...
The switch from a summer to winter season has been a big talking point but the real interest once the action starts this weekend will be how promoted clubs fare in the two WSL divisionsThe Women’s Super League starts a new chapter this weekend. Since its launch in 2011 the league has been played during the summer months, now it embarks on its maiden winter season. The gap created by the switch was filled by the Spring Series, a one-off mini-league that helped give game time to players before the summer’s European Championship finals.The WSL now has 20 teams competing across two leagues. BBC Online and BT Sport are broadcasting more games than ever before. Some of the best players...