the women’s league, which had an average attendance of around 1200 last season
This is where we shall see if there is a genuine legacy from this world cup.
The grass root numbers are already very good with girls (second to netball in participation - and first in boys) and facilities are coming, and that’ll speed up with the new investment… but we really need people to pay up and attend games
When Greece when the Euros in 2004 at least 3 extra people turned up to Stanmore Hawk games.
Bringing their crowd from about 30 to about 33.
And Stanmore is Cypriot so there’s a whole bunch of geolpolitics going on there I don’t understand.
Unfortunately the league has zero presence given its behind a paywall that most people don’t even know exists.
Granted the ALM is majority behind a paywall, but the ALW is actually all free on 10play.
Fully aware peeps don’t notice if not on the main channels, though. Still good it’s free, at least!
I did not know that.
A 10% crowd increase is extremely impressive, no matter how you look at it!
Haha incredible - we have three W league members in our house and had no idea.
Good news though.
While the tournament has been a massive success on multiple levels, you have to think of what could have been if Tony hadn’t been in charge.
How big a decision was it to change the coach so close to the tournament?
the final record was:
Played 7 Won 3 Drew 1 Lost 3 GD +2
(draw was a win on penalties)
The penalties gave us one of the best moments in sport history, amazingly proud of our girls and hopefully goodbye to Tony.
He was incapable of working out how to get Fowler and Kerr into the same team. The good run was basically when Kerr was injured. He managed that Plan B well, but never had a working Plan A. After how many years?
Tony’s been our coach since 2020 and replaced Ante Milicic who came in just before the previous WC, from memory.
Jesus you are correct, apologies.
there is even less of an excuse for his appalling squad, tactics and ideas.
But there are others, too, who barely made it off the bench. Alex Chidiac is only 24 and already something of a cult fan figure because of her aggressive attacking style, while 21-year-old Charli Grant is an adept full-back with a big future.
These two players in particular represent what might have been had Tony Gustavsson been more willing to rotate his squad. In that sense, we have learned that the coach has spent the past two-and-a-half years building squad depth only to avoid using it when it is most needed.
Charli Grant played really well (and scored!) in that friendly win over England. Given how much Carpenter struggled and that Catley was clearly carrying a knock, pretty remarkable that he didn’t trust her to play mins on either side.
We came 4th coached by this muppet.
We would have won it with Staj.
Btw, we came 4th at a senior world cup.
Pretty grouse.
Dragging it over from the match thread but there is a tinge of what could have been for me.
Absolutely amazing achievement from the Matildas. I think with a better coach they go at least a step further.
The title of the thread still rings true
Only 14 players played more than 30 minutes all tournament.
And that would have been 13 if Kennedy didn’t take a head knock.