Southampton FC Women

[SouSaint]

Not even 6k there. Is there really any point in having these games at St. Mary's? 

Edited March 22 by SouSaint

[ant]

Not sure that's entirely fair. It's pretty much twice what they can fit into, say, Snows Stadium. And if you constrain matches to smaller grounds it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

With the League Cup being priced increasingly less competitively, these matches are a good, inexpensive route to give young fans a taste of the big stadium experience.

It's also 1.5x more than attended for the youth cup match when we beat the skates 7-0. Should that not have been played at St. Mary's?

[Tommy Mulgrew]

38,502 attended Newcastle v Sunderland earlier today in the women’s championship, a new record figure.  Now, that’s a proper derby and puts our attendance figure on Saturday into perspective.  The previous record was 15,387 in the reverse fixture in October in Sunderland.

[Ted Bates Statue]

2 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

38,502 attended Newcastle v Sunderland earlier today in the women’s championship, a new record figure.  Now, that’s a proper derby and puts our attendance figure on Saturday into perspective.  The previous record was 15,387 in the reverse fixture in October in Sunderland.

Not only that but like our derby, their match also had nothing at stake as all our sides are marooned in mid-table. Saints need to pay attention as they are doing something right up North that we clearly aren't. Can't fault us on ticket prices, but think we're severely lacking in terms of promoting the women's side and this season definitely feels like they've become an afterthought in the club's thinking.

[Football Special]

8 hours ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Not only that but like our derby, their match also had nothing at stake as all our sides are marooned in mid-table. Saints need to pay attention as they are doing something right up North that we clearly aren't. Can't fault us on ticket prices, but think we're severely lacking in terms of promoting the women's side and this season definitely feels like they've become an afterthought in the club's thinking.

Agree. I would say one significant difference is the other clubs have a feelgood factor about them, Newcastle won at Wembley last week and this event almost became an extension of the party. Clubs like Newcastle and Arsenal where tickets are hard to come by for the men's teams have used the womens game to attract fans who might not be able to afford or get tickets to the men's. 

I think if St Mary's was harder to get to for the men's more might go to alternatives like this. It is a good cheap way to get youngsters used to going to live sport. 

[Turkish]

Did Sue Whistle and the Saints birds firm meet up with the Skate chicks?

[tdmickey3]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

Did Sue Whistle and the Saints birds firm meet up with the Skate chicks?

Chicks ???

[Badger]

13 hours ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Not only that but like our derby, their match also had nothing at stake as all our sides are marooned in mid-table. Saints need to pay attention as they are doing something right up North that we clearly aren't. Can't fault us on ticket prices, but think we're severely lacking in terms of promoting the women's side and this season definitely feels like they've become an afterthought in the club's thinking.

The entire playing side is a bit of an afterthought and possibly irrelevance to SR judging their conduct. 

[Whitey Grandad]

3 hours ago, tdmickey3 said:

Chicks ???

Since when did chicks have teeth?

 

of course they might not be her own..

[Holmes_and_Watson]

On 23/03/2025 at 22:58, Ted Bates Statue said:

Can't fault us on ticket prices, but think we're severely lacking in terms of promoting the women's side and this season definitely feels like they've become an afterthought in the club's thinking.

Not having that SR focus probably saves them from relegation. 🙂

On 24/03/2025 at 07:07, Football Special said:

I think if St Mary's was harder to get to for the men's more might go to alternatives like this. It is a good cheap way to get youngsters used to going to live sport. 

SR have certainly made it harder to sit through. Maybe they do have a master plan to drive fans towards the women's team. 🙂

[Saint86]

On 23/03/2025 at 20:40, Tommy Mulgrew said:

38,502 attended Newcastle v Sunderland earlier today in the women’s championship, a new record figure.  Now, that’s a proper derby and puts our attendance figure on Saturday into perspective.  The previous record was 15,387 in the reverse fixture in October in Sunderland.

For comparison, the Newcastle tickets were £8 for adults, £2 for concessions. Ours were £10 and £4.

Both Newcastle and Sunderland are significantly bigger sides than Portsmouth (both in the mens' and womens' game), and there is certainly more of a feel good factor about football at both Sunderland and Newcastle than at saints right now. But yes, i agree, it does put the attendance figures for the "south coast derby" (as the club billed it) into perspective.

[hypochondriac]

On 23/03/2025 at 22:58, Ted Bates Statue said:

Not only that but like our derby, their match also had nothing at stake as all our sides are marooned in mid-table. Saints need to pay attention as they are doing something right up North that we clearly aren't. Can't fault us on ticket prices, but think we're severely lacking in terms of promoting the women's side and this season definitely feels like they've become an afterthought in the club's thinking.

That's because for most people they are an afterthought. 

[Katalinic]

On 23/03/2025 at 22:58, Ted Bates Statue said:

Not only that but like our derby, their match also had nothing at stake as all our sides are marooned in mid-table. Saints need to pay attention as they are doing something right up North that we clearly aren't. Can't fault us on ticket prices, but think we're severely lacking in terms of promoting the women's side and this season definitely feels like they've become an afterthought in the club's thinking.

Think the club are calling in the women's team debts for use of the stadium and Staplewood (they are run, and have to be run, as separate entities) - staff are being asked to take pay cuts, quite a few have exited and it sounds quite precarious financially.

[Football Special]

15 minutes ago, Katalinic said:

Think the club are calling in the women's team debts for use of the stadium and Staplewood (they are run, and have to be run, as separate entities) - staff are being asked to take pay cuts, quite a few have exited and it sounds quite precarious financially.

Blimey, that'll end up with the womens team playing on the common again like they did in the 70s. Seems a shame having raised their profile but if they're not making income for the club then money talks 

[Ted Bates Statue]

1 hour ago, Katalinic said:

Think the club are calling in the women's team debts for use of the stadium and Staplewood (they are run, and have to be run, as separate entities) - staff are being asked to take pay cuts, quite a few have exited and it sounds quite precarious financially.

Interesting to know, I had assumed they would be subsidised. Wonder how on earth they expect to be viable filling a fraction of St Mary's capacity.

[Katalinic]

1 hour ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Interesting to know, I had assumed they would be subsidised. Wonder how on earth they expect to be viable filling a fraction of St Mary's capacity.

I think the bounce after the 2022 Euro win is over for many women's sides. Unless you are a huge club hard to see how it is sustainable. Would make more sense to go semi pro and play at Totton.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Couldn't the club just pretend to buy another left back, using the money instead to finance the women's team?

[Master Bates]

I did watch it, couldn't be arsed with links.

Well done to the U21s on their Senior Cup Final win last night.

[Dr Who?]

I think they should be ran as one football club. Southampton FC. Then all the teams under the umbrella of said club. As some have said in the past, one crappy signing by the mens team would/could have funded the women’s team for a few seasons. Come on we are all one Southampton FC, that is who I support no matter what gender. As far as I knew this is the case, so not sure what this calling in debts is about? 

below is why they get the supported needed financially. 

 Newcastle United Women's team is officially part of Newcastle United Football Club. This change occurred in August 2022, following a restructuring of the club. The women's team previously operated with the support of the Newcastle United Foundation, but now they are under the full ownership of the main club. 

Edited April 17 by Dr Who?

[Master Bates]

Lost 2 0

[AlexLaw76]

On 17/04/2025 at 22:56, Dr Who? said:

I think they should be ran as one football club. Southampton FC. Then all the teams under the umbrella of said club. As some have said in the past, one crappy signing by the mens team would/could have funded the women’s team for a few seasons. Come on we are all one Southampton FC, that is who I support no matter what gender. As far as I knew this is the case, so not sure what this calling in debts is about? 

below is why they get the supported needed financially. 

 Newcastle United Women's team is officially part of Newcastle United Football Club. This change occurred in August 2022, following a restructuring of the club. The women's team previously operated with the support of the Newcastle United Foundation, but now they are under the full ownership of the main club. 

I’d rather this did not happen, thanks

[Sarnia Cherie]

On 26/03/2025 at 20:03, Katalinic said:

Think the club are calling in the women's team debts for use of the stadium and Staplewood (they are run, and have to be run, as separate entities) - staff are being asked to take pay cuts, quite a few have exited and it sounds quite precarious financially.

Sounds like someone is copying Jim Ratcliffe's antics at Man U. Robbing Peter to pay Paul.

[Football Special]

On 26/03/2025 at 21:08, Ted Bates Statue said:

Interesting to know, I had assumed they would be subsidised. Wonder how on earth they expect to be viable filling a fraction of St Mary's capacity.

I don't think they can be, although teams like Durham and London City Lionnesses have done well with virtually no crowds but I think get some funding elsewhere, it wouldn't take much for Saints to fund a decent side but does seem like there is appetite for it. 

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

On 26/03/2025 at 20:03, Katalinic said:

Think the club are calling in the women's team debts for use of the stadium and Staplewood (they are run, and have to be run, as separate entities) - staff are being asked to take pay cuts, quite a few have exited and it sounds quite precarious financially.

And they want the same pay as the men's team?

The chasm of interest in the women's game and men's is absolutely massive. 

Sky etc are doing all they can to raise the profile of the women's game which is fair enough but it's NEVER EVER EVER going to have anywhere close to the same pull as the men's game.

[suewhistle]

59 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

And they want the same pay as the men's team?

Nope.

When Saints women went professional they lost quite a number of players as the salaries on offer were nowhere near what they were getting in their professional jobs, let alone the prospects and the risk of a career ending injury. As pointed out above the salary or cost of one of our men's players who haven't even played would probably fund the whole team. Plenty to choose from too: Taylor, Fraser, Larios, etc..

[Football Special]

11 hours ago, suewhistle said:

Nope.

When Saints women went professional they lost quite a number of players as the salaries on offer were nowhere near what they were getting in their professional jobs, let alone the prospects and the risk of a career ending injury. As pointed out above the salary or cost of one of our men's players who haven't even played would probably fund the whole team. Plenty to choose from too: Taylor, Fraser, Larios, etc..

This is correct, context overall is it doesn't cost a lot to host ladies football relative to overall spend at the club, and it has potential to raise profile if they did well. I know at one point Saints were trying and through connections at the FA got to host a couple of England games that were well attended