Watford FC Ladies

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by oxhey67, Aug 24, 2018.

  1. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    Nice write up Oxhey, cheers. Sad to see the worst part of the mens game slowly coming into the womens side.
    The club players have all been given season tickets now so I'll see if I can drag my U18 down to watch one when they haven't got a game.
     
    oxhey67 likes this.
  2. oxhey67

    oxhey67 Squad Player

    It was a horrible watch but quite satisfying when the final whistle went.
    The Chichester players were really vocal throughout, even during their warm-up routines. Nothing bad about that, it just put me off reading my book! Anyway.

    Once the coaching staff really started haranguing the ref the players followed suit.
    You could see they were getting narked by Watford's ability to stop them playing when the referee halted play so a player from each side could receive treatment for knocks to their heads. Watford had the ball when he blew so Chichester were to return the ball to us, presumably to the keeper. But no, that wasn't to their advantage so they tried kicking it off for a throw-in deep in WFC's half. They somehow failed at that - I can't recall how precisely, I just remember thinking 'Wow, that was supposed to go near the corner flag!' Not so long after the ref stopped play again - it got really niggly - and WFC had to return the ball to them this time. Helen Ward, with a hint of retaliation, tried putting it out for the corner flag throw-in too. She got it to perfection with the ball just striking the pole on the touchline side.

    The only other team I've seen (heard) anywhere near as bad as this lot were QPR but that night the ref had a bit of a shocker so didn't think too much of it. This lot though - just wow! One of the reasons I rarely watch mens football now is the behaviour (cheating) by players and this contesting of every decision by the multitudes on the sideline. It's just boorish behaviour and hopefully Chichester will be the exception rather than the rule.
     
  3. oxhey67

    oxhey67 Squad Player

  4. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    Looks like the club are ditching the Watford FC Girls academy setup. Does this mean they're going to do something "in-house" or dump womens football altogether? Seems odd to have a ladies first team with no feeder club behind it.
     
  5. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

    Interesting m8 what's your source? :)

    Watford FC Girls as I understood it had to be self-funded and received no financial support from the club. They are a private entity with a registered office in Edgware and had to pay a pretty penny to use the WFC name and kit. In short they are not part of Watford FC but are affiliated to it so there is no risk or financial drain on the club so it would seem strange if they are pulling the plug on them. I had heard the girls club were struggling financially and there was the training pitch debacle earlier this season which might have something to do with it maybe?
     
  6. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

    Speaking to somebody I know at WFC girls and they said their latest filed acccounts show a loss of £21k which is quite astonishing and might explain why WFC have pulled the plug, though as I say I was unaware of any financial commitment to them by the club.
    From 1st of June they are now going to be the 'London Girls Development Academy of Football' - as w@nk names go that can't really get much w@nkier never mind the fact they are not based in London!
    https://www.londongda.co.uk/
    My source also told me that approx 50% of the parents at WFC Girls have said they are leaving so they will need a massive influx of players over the sumer just to keep going.
     
  7. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    The financial side does make sense. It cost each player £400 this season which is a huge amount, then the club told us there was a £100K shortfall in funding which is simply bonkers. I wonder if the cost to use the badge was the big financial drain? It certainly attracted decent players so it's a massive loss. Not sure on the 50% figure myself. At the meeting where this was all discussed many of the younger players parents were very happy with the current setup of the teams. However, if the better players go elsewhere then it'll be a problem.
     
  8. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

    Will the new LGDAF carry that debt into the new entity? If so it's going to be a complete millstone round their necks as sponsors will also presumably jump ship now they are no longer associated with WFC, the only way they could then keep going would be to have a hefty hike in subs which could send already disgruntled parents running for the hills.
    I am also hearing control of the WFC Ladies 1st and reserve teams has been passed back to the Community Trust who used to run it up until two years ago, so it looks like everybody is back to square one.
     
  9. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    If the debt actually exists, (have heard some absolute whoppers told this season), then agree. I don't think it exists myself.

    From what I've heard, (amazing how many people seem to be "in the know"), Watford want to take the ladies team to a level where they're going to need a youth setup behind them. Then again, other people who also seem to be "in the know" say the club hierarchy aren't bothered in the slightest about the Womens game. All very odd.
     
  10. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

    I’ve had a look at their filed accounts on the Companies House website, the accounts up to 30th June 2018 show a loss of £21k (PDF file dated 18th March this year) so it is entirely possible that with the addition of extra teams this season that has mushroomed to the alleged figure you mention.
    https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10821154/filing-history

    It doesn’t surprise me about the whoppers being told given one particular individual involved, who talks a good talk but seems to have been knocked down by the bull5hit lorry and then had it reverse over him several times.

    I wouldn’t profess to be ITK but the claims that they don’t give two hoots about the women’s game are the only ones that I have ever heard. Time will tell I suppose.
     
    Diamond likes this.
  11. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

  12. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    That's not actually what it says, but it's a very confusing piece of reporting. Apparently Watford Girls is something separate from Watford Ladies, but this is really not explained in the article. I for one am still confused about what it all means.
     
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  13. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    From the Watford Observer:
    The Watford Observer understands that the permission was revoked by the club in part due to a perception that Watford FC Girls was the sole feeder club for Watford FC Ladies, which was not the club's intention when the permission to use the logo and name was granted.

    Which begs the question, is there a feeder club or youth setup for the Watford Ladies team?
     
  14. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Just throwing this into the mix: when my daughter played (incidentally girls football was exceptionally well supported by the local council) there were a couple of very good players who were 'picked up'/'invited to join' by Boreham Wood 2000 FC (there's just a twitter feed & FB page) - something that struck me as really odd was that the 'chosen' girls weren't allowed to play football at Herstwood school at the 'request' of BW 2000 FC. So I'm assuming they were a feeder for either 'us' or the Gooners (or even Reading at they have as link with BWFC).

    Image taken from BW 2000 FC twitter page:
    [​IMG]
     
  15. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    How were they spotted though? Without an official route the Ladies team need to be scouting local teams. In all my years involved with ladies football I've never heard of such a thing.
     
  16. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    I think the 'spotting' was from contacts between one of the the town's smaller clubs (BW Youth FC, Harvester FC, Battler FC (?)) and BW 2000 FC. In my daughter's club there were two exceptionally talented girls who went to BW 2000 (around U10/U11) but now at U18 level, sadly, neither of them are still playing. TBF @Diamond I'm not entirely sure how it worked but when I asked my daughter about how they were getting on she did mention that both of them were 'invited' to join BW 2000. I do know BWFC run an awful lot of 'open' and 'closed' kids sessions where I'm assuming they get 'seen' or 'talked about' by the right people.

    I also seem to member that when my eldest son (19) attended the "Arsenal Soccer School" (U12 at BWFC) one of his fellow GK's was 'invited' to join BW 2000 FC and it judging by the way this was spoken about it was seen as some fort of achievment.
     
  17. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

    The WFC Girls Facebook page states: “We are the only official link and pathway to Watford FC Ladies.” Which is quite ambiguous but does appear to give the impression that if you want to play for the senior Watford FC Ladies team you have to go through them – which is plainly bollox as any girl playing for any club who is good enough and wants to trial for the senior team would be eligible. It is misleading and maybe that has got up the club’s nose but I would have thought if that was one of the reasons for withdrawing the badge then they could simply ask them to remove the statement and not to use it again.

    As I say I am not ITK but the wobby report leaves a lot of unanswered questions. The WFC Girls business model where they pay WFC for use of the badge and kit is simply unsustainable and previous posts have alleged serious funding shortfalls so it is questionable whether they could have kept going anyway. One of their parents complained to me the other day that they were very unhappy that they were paying large amounts of money in subs yet having to put up with very sub-standard winter training facilities.

    I would also question the timing of WFC Girls’ statement coming in the same week that the club was preparing for its biggest game in years, however shabbily treated they might feel they did not need to do their dirty laundry in public a few days before such a big game, there is clearly much bitterness but they would have been better to save the statement for this week.

    There will be few tears shed for them in the local leagues – I have spoken to 2 coaches at two different clubs in the area who have told me that the team WFC Girls put out at their age group have been very unpleasant to play against, one of them said he had never been so disgusted in all his years of coaching at the behaviour of both players and parents – and this is at one of the younger age groups so goodness knows what sort of example that is to set for girls still learning the game.
     
  18. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    What makes them so unpleasant to play against? Beyond I imagine the swearing and occasional rough tackling which is part and parcel of football, whatever the level and gender?
     
  19. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

    It seems to have been generally bad sportsmanship, telling opposition players to their faces that they are 5hit, snide comments about how bad they are playing throughout the match, constantly pressurising the referee and the parents on the sidelines over celebrating by whooping and hollering every time a goal goes in even when they are 12 nil up and the opposition are completely demoralised, cheering when the opposition misses a penalty and swearing at and threatening the opposition parent linesman. All totally unnecessary as they have by far the best team in the league and would dominate matches anyway and completely unacceptable at lower age group girls football – all clubs have to sign up to the FA Respect Charter and agree to abide by its guidelines, if they are allegedly not sticking to that then they are not going to make many friends in the game.
     
  20. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    This is a very usual characteristic in 'elite' coaching.
    Tennis centres and clubs actually teach such behaviour in squads and 1/1 lessons.
    It has been apparent in tennis for the last 15 years and shows no sign of improvement.
    I would say some football and tennis parents exhibit some of the worst behaviour in sport,probably because in male football and tennis in general,the rewards are so great.
    Very unedifying.
     
  21. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    Disgraceful behaviour. An email came out from the club recently about this and reminding parents of the "code of conduct" they signed up for when their daughters joined. All I can say from my own experience with the club is that my daughters age group and the one below have parents that have been there, read the book and know exactly what's expected of them at matches, which is total respect all round. The issue appears to be with the younger age groups where, (and trust me, I'm not making excuses here), the "new" parents are a little too enthusiastic to the point where they cross the line. You can see straight away why their daughters mirror their parents behaviour.

    When my daughter was in the U10s we had a mother who would literally scream when the ball went near the opposition goal, then if we did score would be shouting "who are you" at the opposition. Despite repeated warnings she never reigned it in and was encouraged to leave at the end of the season with her daughter, (who was a pretty good player to be honest). Many of us used to go and stand with the opposition parents and warn them of what was coming to keep the peace.

    Then you get certain teams at certain clubs who just seem to get the "wrong" mix of parents that create a toxic atmosphere. In our age group through the years it was Garston Ladies who had that rep. Badly behaved, bad sportsmanship and my god bad at losing. When my daughters team were losing to them in a final at U12, (they were 2-0 up with 10 minutes to play), some of the parents unfurled a "Champions" banner. They couldn't have motivated our team any better and we beat them. Guess what happened next? Yep, they complained bitterly because our girls dared to celebrate.

    There are sh*tbags out there in every club, it just seems in Watford Girls case, especially at the younger age groups they have attracted more than an average amount of them.
     
  22. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    One more thing to note, many people connected with Watford FC will have daughters playing in teams in the area so may have come across these parents/players and have first hand experience. Over the years I've met a few of the higher ups at Watford watching the opposition with sons / daughters playing, one in particular who is very influential and who I had a great chat with about the club. All it takes is for one of them to be particularly aggrieved and bingo, there's why they pulled the badge.
     
  23. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    I was going to ask what makes them behave like that but you and Diamond have basically answered my question, couldn't imagine such behaviour would come naturally to them - again, parents have a lot to answer for. Because otherwise I'm guessing they're entering the preadolescent stage during which many girls unfortunately think it's cool and makes them accepted by their peers if they bitch about everything and everyone. Still, if over-competitive parenting isn't the driving factor, I'm surprised they would be so nasty - you'd think being good at sport and part of a successful team where you make good friends would be enough to make you happy, and usually happy girls aren't nasty to others. Maybe some of them feel they've failed in life elsewhere (not very good academically, no other real talents) and bullying other girls is their way of overcoming their insecurity to make them feel superior to others. Still, I'm pretty shocked that this behaviour should be allowed to go on, in a place that like all other towns/cities may have a fair few ****heads but is generally a friendly and close-knit community.
     
  24. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

    Cheers TC - good to hear that the club are aware that there is an issue and have taken steps to address it, and also that the problem is not across all age groups and more the younger ones who haven't come through the ranks at other clubs and know what is expected of them. That story about the banner at Garston was classic, as you say there are shytehouses at every club, thankfully at WLFC there doesn't seem to be that many and certainly at our age group we have an excellent relationship with Garston and it is a friendly rivalry. I think you are spot on with the theory that people from WFC may have come up against bad behaviour at some point and have been aggrieved that they have been dragging the name of WFC through the mud - that certainly makes more sense than the reasons trotted out in the wobby anyway.
     
  25. CYHSYF

    CYHSYF Academy Graduate

  26. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Lol Watford FC women lost at home today to a last minute screamer from Coventry that relegated them. Amazing
     
  27. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Probably trying to see the draw out then gave a silly free kick away .

    Ok was quite a strike but still typical .
     
  28. HampshireHorn84

    HampshireHorn84 Academy Graduate

    The first of our "600 years of relegation" curse put on us by the entire Nigerian football community has come to bear
     
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  29. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Trying far too hard to imitate the Watford men. But fair play, they have got it spot on.
     
  30. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    I went to the fun day stuff before the game and then left before KO. Still, I've seen 1 WFC women win at the Vic this season which is equal to the amount I've seen from the men.
     
  31. reids

    reids First Team

    Went to watch Watford Ladies vs Plymouth Ladies yesterday at Wealdstone. Lovely day out where Watford won 5-1, fully recommend if you wanna see a team in yellow actually win. Annie Rossiter and Gemma Davison were the main players to watch (although a google after the game showed that Davison has played for Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and England so probably not that much of a surprise that she was very good!) with Melis Mehmet and Fatuga-Dada giving good performances off the bench. although Plymouth
     

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