By Richard Murray |


Over 10 years ago, I became enthralled by professional women’s football. I saw the French women’s team and thought, “They’re good.” Many of the players were recent transfers to the Ligue 1 side I follow closely, Olympique Lyonnais. While I support OL, it is originally a men’s team that developed a women’s side through sharing resources with the former. Chelsea; Atlético Madrid; Borussia Mönchengladbach; Olympique Lyonnais; Santos; at one time, Botafogo; AC Milan (which recently absorbed Brescia Calcio Femminile): All are men’s teams that share or shared infrastructure with a women’s team.

Two clubs I support, Turbine Potsdam in the Frauen-Bundesliga and INAC Kobe in Japan’s Nadeshiko league, are standalone women’s clubs. They have no straight or dis-connectable affiliation with a men’s club, though behind-the-scenes relationships exist.

Photo: turbine-potsdam.de

In the National Women's Soccer League in the U.S., a regional problem exists. The Northeast, home to New York City, Boston, and most of the highly rated colleges in the U.S., such as Colombia University, Harvard, Yale, and NYU, is unable to maintain a women’s soccer team.

The annually poor-performing Boston Breakers finally folded. The Western New York Flash, who achieved great success at times, were sold to North Carolina FC and rebranded as the North Carolina Courage. A new version of the Flash plays in the second-division United Women’s Soccer league and is still owned by the Sahlen family which sponsors the stadium the Courage play at.

Meanwhile, Sky Blue FC replaced the Boston Breakers as the Northeast’s bottom club that has no sign of getting better.

A Deadspin article by Erica L. Ayala and RJ Allen goes into a little detail about Sky Blue FC’s troubles, citing former players and staff, as well as former US. international goalkeeper Hope Solo.

But the article missed a key point – in its early stages, men’s football was no different. One of the problems people have concerning sport is they forget or ignore the time to grow the infrastructure some revered sports clubs use today. Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and even PSG, which was founded in 1970, did not have the infrastructure they do now.

I saw photos of early men’s football and read some biographical info; their pitches were like the many women complain about all throughout women’s soccer. The players’ relationship to owners or salary was less positive compared to many at Sky Blue FC.

Earlier this year, OL Féminin won its third straight Women’s Champions League title. But it does not fill up the stadium like the men’s team, which has never won the men's CL, not even after becoming Ligue 1 champion and having held the spot consecutively for seven seasons (from 2001-02 to 2007-08). It still does not get sponsors or fan attention superior to the men’s team.

RENVERSANT. FANTASTIQUE. HISTORIQUE. ⚡⚡⚡
Notre équipe remporte pour la 3ème fois consécutive la Women’s Champions League ! La #TeamOL s’est imposée 4 à 1 face grâce aux buts d’ @amandinehenry6, d'@ELS_9_FRANCE, d'@AdaStolsmo et de @cam10abily23 !
Bravo ! 😍😍😍 #UWCLFinal pic.twitter.com/ed5L0Aa9pk

— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) May 24, 2018

Women’s-only football clubs have to survive. Those that do will have a great story. They will be able to say they survived not only the early years where fiscal absence or organizational neglect were more common, but will also be able to state the competition in their environment to fellow clubs who are benefiting from already existing infrastructures was a large mountain, one men’s clubs did not have.

When I first watched the Frauen-Bundesliga, Turbine Potsdam and FFC Frankfurt were the top clubs. Then Wolfsburg came in, as well as Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Essen, Gladbach, and others. However, Frankfurt and Turbine are the sole standalone women's clubs in the top flight, part of a small number of similar clubs in the top flights throughout UEFA.

Is that a bad thing? No. I have nothing against affiliation with men’s clubs, but I do not think women’s football must have them, and that is where the surviving has value. Not every men’s football club has an affiliated women’s club. Many men’s clubs thrive well in finance or fandom without them. Why can’t women’s clubs do likewise?

Richard Murray’s work has appeared in The Botafogo Star. Follow him on Twitter at @thetenner10.

by Aleks V |

2017 marks the 160th anniversary of the world's first football club, Sheffield FC. Sheffield 160 is a bi-weekly series that goes behind the scenes of the historic club through interviews with players and staff.

This week, Aleks chats with former Sheffield FC Ladies defender, Natasha Cooke, on her time at the club.

Cooke was instrumental in helping the team win the treble in the 2013-14 season, as the SFC Ladies became champions of the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, also taking home the FA Women's Premier League Cup as well as the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Women's Challenge Cup. In 2014, she became the 15th player to make 100 appearances for the club. Her individual awards include 2011/12 Manager's Player.

Natasha Cooke playing for Sheffield FC Ladies away at Bradford City, 2014.

What were your first impressions of Sheffield (the city and club)?
When I first turned up to a training session, I found the players to be very friendly. They made me feel at ease straight away. The players showed real togetherness, which was great to feel and be a part of. The club was also very professional, and I got a good feel for the club immediately.

What made the experience at SFC unique?
If it wasn't for [General Manager] Helen Mitchell, then there wouldn't have been a club. She lived and breathed the club. She wore many different hats; being the manager, club secretary, coach, marketing/PR, to even washing the kit! She was very well respected, and if we ever needed a reason to perform to our best (which we did anyways), then she was the reason.

Describe your most memorable game at Sheffield. 
I was a part of so many memorable games at the club and have a variety of silverware. But for me, it has to be the friendly against Doncaster Rovers Belles. I was up against [winger/forward] Sue Smith and [midfielder] Millie Bright and at the point we played them, they were in Super League One, which meant we were the underdogs. We didn't win the game, but drew 2-2, and the passion and commitment from all the players was amazing. It felt like a cup final. Prior to the game, I had been hesitating whether or not to commit for another season, and after that game, it confirmed for me that I would be making the right decision in committing myself for a further season.

Do you stay in touch with anyone at the club? Have you been back to visit?
I have been in touch with a few people, like [midfielder] Leanne de Silva, [defender] Ellie Gilliat and Wardy (SFC Ladies Captain, Carla Ward). I haven't spoken to any of them for a while now, but follow their progress on social media. I haven't yet been to watch them play, although I do keep saying I would like to, but never have got round it. However, I may get a chance to play against them in a pre-season friendly this summer!

You missed the first half of a season, traveling around Canada and the US. Can you talk a bit about that?
This had been something that I had been wanting to do for a while. My dream was to visit America. The hardest thing apart from leaving family was having to leave the club for six months. I had an amazing time over there and learnt a lot about myself. It's something I would recommend to anyone.

The intention was to go out to Canada and train with a team, but unfortunately they had finished their season, which was disappointing. So I played for a volleyball team instead.

There were many significant moments for me out there, like meeting Robert Downey Jr. at Venice Beach, being caught up in a shoot out in Hollywood. I stayed in Hollywood for a week and every day I visited the Runyon Canyon, which was full of hills and a great place for running and walking. Each time I visited that place, I would stand at the top whilst looking at the Hollywood sign, which was breathtaking. Mainly, the culture was completely different to the English. The Canadians and Americans are so laid back, happy and really friendly. It makes you realise how the English are so fast paced and are wrapped up in everything.

What has been your biggest challenge thus far?
For me, there have been two challenges that stood out. The first was coming back from travelling and joining the team halfway through the season. I felt I was forever playing catch up and didn't feel

100% fit. I remember my first game back against Manchester City and thinking, "Oh my God, what have I done?" I didn't feel or appear to be the player I was before I went away. Secondly, a big challenge for me was taking the decision to quit football due to personal reasons. Football up to then was everything to me, and it was a very hard decision to make, but it needed to be made. It was never anything about the club, as it was fantastic.
Is there one piece of advice you would give yourself before you began your career?
To give yourself the best possible chance to play at the highest level. Take the opportunities given to you. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to play at a higher level and receive top coaching, but decided to stay put and play with my mates. It is a decision that I regret a lot. Also, work just as hard off the pitch as you do on the pitch.

Natasha Cooke with the FA Women's Premier League Cup, 2014. Photo: Sheffield FC via Flickr

Natasha Cooke is a former defender for Sheffield FC Ladies.

Join the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #Sheffield160.

Defender Ellie Gilliatt takes a shot for Sheffield FC Ladies in their first game of 2017. Photo: Kay Shackleton

I’m not sure I have a style or any sort of planned approach. I’m self-taught and just like to spend time experimenting and taking lots of photos. I’ve taken a lot more photos over the past couple of years and football has provided me a unique chance to practice, practice and practice. My only influence is my dad. Which is why I only generally use Canon cameras. I still have my dad’s old 35mm Canon safely stashed away and that is never going anywhere.

Sheffield FC Ladies vs. Watford, August 2016. Photo: Kay Shackleton

Sheffield FC Ladies Captain, Carla Ward. Photo: Kay Shackleton

Join the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #Sheffield160.

by Aleks V | 

2017 marks the 160th anniversary of the world's first football club, Sheffield FC. Founded on October 24, 1857, the club went on to become a part of many other firsts. The founders, Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, wrote the first official rules of the game. Sheffield FC's rivalry with Hallam FC became the world's first derby. They were pioneers of heading the ball. In more recent history, Sheffield FC were awarded the FIFA Order of Merit, an honor given to only one other football club, Real Madrid. Although the club currently competes in the 8th tier of English football, their popularity knows no geographic bounds.

Sheffield 160 is a bi-weekly series that goes behind the scenes of the historic club through interviews with players and staff.

This week, Aleks V chats with Sheffield FC Ladies captain Carla Ward. The midfielder, who joined the Ladies in 2010, has since become a SFC legend, contributing to five league title wins, winning multiple individual honors, and equaling a record for scoring in consecutive matches. Her 100th appearance for the club, which also included a goal, marked a triumphant return after undergoing back surgery for a herniated disk. A year later, she reached 100 goals.

With Ward in the mix, the SFC Ladies became the first team to win promotion to the FA WSL 2. 

Off the pitch, she runs Havana Stitch and Print, a company that supplies custom clothing and accessories.

Away vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2014. Photo: Sheffield FC via Flickr

Growing up on the Isle of Wight, playing for clubs in Bristol, Leeds, and elsewhere, did you ever think you'd end up in Sheffield?
Honestly...no. However, it's proved to be the best move I ever made. I originally joined on loan from Lincoln in the transition year from WPL to WSL and immediately felt at home. The way the club operates and the "family" atmosphere they have was something I was really impressed with.  

I read that you played a year at S.P.A. Alicante in Spain before joining Leeds. What did you learn from that?
I spent two seasons there and learnt a lot, it's a far more technical game out there and training every day I felt I learnt a huge amount. They really put a lot of time into individual work as well as collective and that really did start to show in my game. I would say those two seasons really developed me as a player.

Carla Ward vs Newcastle United, 2014. Photo: Sheffield FC via Flickr

How is Sheffield FC different from all the other teams you played for?
As I mentioned earlier, it's a club that, in my opinion, has done things very different to any other club I've been at. The management and committee are not only interested in players at football, they go out of their way to understand you personally, and I think that's a great thing. In football nowadays we know the loyalty is falling away, with money coming into the game we don't see too much of it anymore. Each year over the past 6 seasons at Sheffield with so many promotions you would expect a lot of signings, yet each year they have trusted and rewarded the players who got them there whilst adding 3/4 each season, and that's credit to them.


You've been with the Sheffield Ladies since July 2010. How has the club changed over the years? How have you changed?
You might be surprised by this answer, but I don't feel it's changed a massive amount. The philosophy has stayed the same, a lot of the same faces are still here and the attitude and mentality is still the same - can we improve, can we progress, how will we get there?! This season obviously has been a little more challenging, but I feel we've really learnt some valuable lessons and hopefully that will stand us in good stead moving forward. 

Photo: Sheffield FC via Flickr

Winning five league titles must be exciting. What was the most difficult victory?
Without question the play off final against Portsmouth. That was one of the most mentally and physically demanding games. With so much at stake, the game was so tight from start to finish. It was always going to be heart-breaking for the losing team, but for us it was definitely a day to savour, and the work of Helen Mitchell over the previous 13 years was rewarded with the big prize of joining the country's elite. 

You've had offers from several WSL clubs. Why did you decide to stay at Sheffield?
Again, it's a club that's massively close to my heart now, the ambition was always to make it to the WSL and I'm proud to be a part of that. To lead the side at this level means a lot to me, and I wouldn't want to be playing anywhere else. 

Great day coaching at Benalmadena International school, talking all things @SFCLadies and the #WorldsFirst pic.twitter.com/ktxQpjTgmY

— Carla Ward (@cwardy7) June 3, 2016

In June 2016, you became a UEFA B licensed coach. You've already coached at Benalmadena International school. What have you learned from coaching that can be applied to playing?  
I've learnt a lot in the past two years coaching. Thankfully, I've had some great people to learn off. Current first team manager Zoe Johnson has been a great mentor, along with a couple of others, so I'm thankful to have great coaches around me to learn off. No matter your age or experience, you learn every time you coach or train, and it's definitely helped me as a player.

Where do you see yourself coaching in the future?
I'm currently head coach of our scholarship education programme, and have enjoyed a good spell with our development side when I had a long term injury, so I think it's fair to say I would see myself within Sheffield FC. In what role, I'm not sure yet, but my end goal would be the top job. 

Photo: @cwardy7 via Twitter

How do you balance playing, your coaching aspirations, and running a business (Havana Stitch and Print)?
It's tough at times, and a lot of people tell me I do too much but I enjoy it all so I manage it, thankfully I work around my football so if I need to go in early or stay late sometimes that has to happen.

Compared to the men's team, the women's team have only been around since summer 2003, yet they've already made their mark in the club's history and in women's football. Do the men's and women's teams at Sheffield ever collaborate on or off the field?
Not massively. However, we have closer links with the men's team now, the first team manager shows a lot of interest in the Ladies, which is great. 

2017 marks Sheffield FC's 160th anniversary. Is there a special edition kit in the works?
I think that's a question for the club, not myself. However, the club and Havana have a very strong relationship, so if there's anything I can do I most certainly will. 

Photo: Ben Webster via Flickr

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Read more on Sheffield 160 here.
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #Sheffield160.