Southampton FC Women 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Women - National League Play-Off Final - Promoted as Champions!

[Professor]

It was great, watching a Saints' team winning a competition.  Let's not imagine that it was easy.  Southampton Women had to top their league, the Women's National, Southern Premier, which they did that in style.  They won 22 of their 26 games, with only 1 defeat and finished 9 points clear of the runners-up. They had a tough final against the winners of the Northern Premier as shown by the close result.  The relief and exultation of the players at the end was understandable.  But there is an element of sadness about watching players celebrating a promotion because you know that several of them will have to be replaced if the team is to compete at the next level.  The Women's Championship is a considerable step up.  It was said by the TV commentators  that several of the clubs previously promoted have gone backdown again fairly quickly.  Sadly, some of the players who were so happy yesterday, might have played their last game for the club.  Football can be cruel.

[Saint_clark]

On 22/05/2022 at 13:37, The Kraken said:

Oh right, not very much at all then…..

Not sure if sarcasm or not, but no in the grand scheme of Premier League football clubs it really isn't. It's probably the equivalent of one academy player getting their first professional contract.

[The Kraken]

52 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Not sure if sarcasm or not, but no in the grand scheme of Premier League football clubs it really isn't. It's probably the equivalent of one academy player getting their first professional contract.

It is a lot of money though. You’re talking about spending that sort of amount on getting all of the women to go pro. That’s even assuming all of them are on less then 25k a year in their day jobs and would take up this offer. Then you have the manager and coaches on their salaries, plus all other incidentals, total annual costs would  probably be hitting close to the 1 million mark. 

The boys/mens academy feeds into the first team and so is directly funded by the fact that St Mary’s gets 19 games a season with 30,000 posting top whack to be in attendance. Plus the enormous Sky money on offer. That’s the incentive for funding all of the academy sides.

The women’s team is separate. Without some hefty sponsorship it would be a loss maker with everyone on all pro contracts. I absolutely think that SFC should be expected to fund some losses over the next few years to get the womens team going, definitely. Expecting the club to prop up a million in costs per year with little revenues the other way is a big ask. Especially when the club is so heavily in debt.

Walk before you can run IMO, generate continued interest in the women’s side, get the crowds up and the revenues increased, then the funding can increase. I imagine the club already have it in Mind that ongoing costs will go up after promotion. Going all pro so quickly is not something I’d expect the club to bear just yet.

[djharvey]

With the financial backing they've had (and deserve) to date I'd fully expect (and hope) them to go full time pro now they're in the Championship!

The money the club have invested in the women's team is absolutely fantastic! 

Now we're In the Championship the crowds will "be up", the revenues "increased" and interest is most certainly on the up, therefore the funding rightly should and will also increase!  

Edited 23 May, 2022 by djharvey
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[The Curse of St Mary's]

Good news. I'd imagine they will strengthen the squad significantly to help team push for promotion to WSL in near future. 

 

 

[Saint_clark]

7 minutes ago, The Curse of St Mary's said:

Good news. I'd imagine they will strengthen the squad significantly to help team push for promotion to WSL in near future. 

 

 

Glad to hear it. Would be interesting to see what the wage outgoings are in the relevant set of accounts.

[suewhistle]

On 22/05/2022 at 14:23, Professor said:

  The relief and exultation of the players at the end was understandable.  But there is an element of sadness about watching players celebrating a promotion because you know that several of them will have to be replaced if the team is to compete at the next level.  The Women's Championship is a considerable step up.  It was said by the TV commentators  that several of the clubs previously promoted have gone backdown again fairly quickly.  Sadly, some of the players who were so happy yesterday, might have played their last game for the club.  Football can be cruel.

True, and the only consolation is the fact, mentioned in this article regarding the number of players who have come up the leagues together.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/may/21/southampton-women-win-promotion-to-second-tier-after-victory-against-wolves

 

[suewhistle]

30 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Glad to hear it. Would be interesting to see what the wage outgoings are in the relevant set of accounts.

Given how young some of them are they won't be on too much. They at least won't have the problems we have raising a team at amateur level where one of the girls might get called in to a shift  at the supermarket, or for the older ones can't find someone to care for a young kid, or similar.