After we brought you news at the weekend that West Ham were looking to re-take ownership of the ladies team, the club have broken news that it has now gone through. Is this the start of a proper joint Men’s and Women’s club?
The Deal
The move will see the clubs joined in a way that most Premier League clubs are with their Ladies Teams. It will see a full integration of the teams, with shared facilities and staff. This will allow the Ladies access to some of the best facilities in English football.
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It will also see the club take over the running of the girls’ academy, from a young age. This will enable girls and young women to realize their dream of playing for West Ham. It shouldn’t be a gender specific dream to play in Claret and Blue. And this is a good move.
We’ve seen the bigger EPL clubs pour a lot of money into their ladies team, and it’s worked for them. Manchester City are reaping the benefits now of investing in the women’s game, and its a game that’s only going to grow with the increased funding from UEFA, FIFA and TV coverage from the big tournaments. To not capitalize on that would be a huge mistake for the West Ham brand.
Reaction
All of the reaction to the move by the club has been positive. Even the former Chairman of the ladies team has gone on twitter to state his support going forward. Lady Karren Brady has been a huge influence with the move and was quoted as saying:
"“The addition of the Ladies into the West Ham family is the solution my Board and I have long sought. Not only does it secure the long term future of the Ladies’ side, but also guarantees that current and future supporters, players and staff of the Ladies’ team will form an integral part of the Club’s bright future as we move forward”"
There has also been huge support from within both the ladies’ and mens’ teams. Julian Dicks, former player in Claret and Blue and now on the coaching staff alongside Slaven Bilic, praised the move as positive and forward thinking. He also revealed he tried a similar move two years ago but the timing was not right.
Ladies Captain Karen Ray was also delighted to be part of the West Ham family going forward. She claimed that it would give the women something to strive for and made the possibility of playing in the WSL even closer, and the buzz from the team was only improving.
"“As players we wanted it to happen because it will help us climb up the ladder towards WSL2 and then WSL1 so nothing but good things can come out of this and I am excited about the chance and to move on in the right direction.“Even if I am not playing then, this is what I would love to see the team achieve and have a lot of success. I want them to have the same chances that other people have"
Going Forward
With more now expected from the team, can they deliver. Will the women’s team go from strength to strength. It can only be a good thing in terms of exposure, and the club itself will benefit from being in complete control.
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It will sere as a positive message to young female fans too. No-one should feel like a smaller part of the club because of their gender. Will you be making the journey to see some of their matches? I would imagine there will be a significant increase in the number of events containing the women’s team.