Western Suburbs 0 Wellington United 12
W-League
Endeavour Park, Porirua
Saturday 18th August, 2018
Att : about 40, 2 dogs and 0 ball kids
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| Suzanne Giesen nets one of her 6 goals The JourneyFan |
Two weeks before the W-League kicked off this season, it was rocked by the news that Stop Out had withdrawn. Panic stations ensued at Capital Football as club after club rejected the chance to move up. That was until they got to Western Suburbs, who had finished sixth in the Capital Premier Division in 2017 and they said yes. The club made some good noises about supporting the development of women's football along with their partners at Ole Academy (and Ole Academy have since employed a director of women's football). They set about recruiting players picking up Tessa McPherson from Seatoun and attracting back Ole student Maya Hahn from Wellington United as well as picking up a couple of players from the collapse of the Stop Out W-League team.
As a result I had been meaning to get out to Endeavour Park and check out the league newcomers, but unfortunately I hadn't managed it until the last game of the season.
Unfortunately I was less than impressed. It wasn't the result that I was unimpressed by. The previous two meetings between Wests and Wellington United this season had ended in 6-0 and 8-1 wins for Wellington United. So a big win for United wasn't unexpected. What was less than impressive was that despite making the right sounds at the start of the season, it all appears to be lip service and the women's team and game was very much a second class citizen at one of the more professionally run clubs in the country.
I arrived early and headed upstairs to grab a program, only to be told they don't do them for the women. Now I know producing a program isn't a W-League requirement, however today was a double header for Wests with their men playing at home as well in the Central League - a league that does require a program to be produced. Is it really that difficult to use one page in the program to list the women's teams?
One requirement of the W-League is that ball kids are provided, but Wests failed to do this, hardly surprising when they sent out a tweet asking for volunteers only 20 minutes before kick off. After the match things weren't much better. An obvious lack of thought had gone into the use of the facilities, with the away teams being expected to use the same changing rooms, usually an issue in itself, never mind that one team was male and the other female! The after match speeches only occurred when Wests were asked by Wellington United management if they were having any and as if to sum up the disdain of the way they seem to treat the women's team and game at the club, halfway through the speeches the ground announcer made an announcement (as the Wests v Havelock North game was underway) and that drowned out what was being said in the club rooms! It was a real shame that no one from the Western Suburbs club was there to acknowledge the women's teams effort this season. While they lost 12-0 on the day, it was to the League champions who are extra impressive at the moment (more on that below) but Wests have done not bad for a team that was set up at the last minute finishing in fourth place on the same number of points (14) as last seasons champions, Upper Hutt City. The sad thing about it all is you can just imagine the fuss that would have been made had it been the coach of Western Suburbs men's team that was confronted with this sort of treatment. Hopefully Wests pay more than lip service to women's football next season as we need a stronger league and Wests through their link with Ole are one of the best placed to develop a strong women's club.
I arrived early and headed upstairs to grab a program, only to be told they don't do them for the women. Now I know producing a program isn't a W-League requirement, however today was a double header for Wests with their men playing at home as well in the Central League - a league that does require a program to be produced. Is it really that difficult to use one page in the program to list the women's teams?
One requirement of the W-League is that ball kids are provided, but Wests failed to do this, hardly surprising when they sent out a tweet asking for volunteers only 20 minutes before kick off. After the match things weren't much better. An obvious lack of thought had gone into the use of the facilities, with the away teams being expected to use the same changing rooms, usually an issue in itself, never mind that one team was male and the other female! The after match speeches only occurred when Wests were asked by Wellington United management if they were having any and as if to sum up the disdain of the way they seem to treat the women's team and game at the club, halfway through the speeches the ground announcer made an announcement (as the Wests v Havelock North game was underway) and that drowned out what was being said in the club rooms! It was a real shame that no one from the Western Suburbs club was there to acknowledge the women's teams effort this season. While they lost 12-0 on the day, it was to the League champions who are extra impressive at the moment (more on that below) but Wests have done not bad for a team that was set up at the last minute finishing in fourth place on the same number of points (14) as last seasons champions, Upper Hutt City. The sad thing about it all is you can just imagine the fuss that would have been made had it been the coach of Western Suburbs men's team that was confronted with this sort of treatment. Hopefully Wests pay more than lip service to women's football next season as we need a stronger league and Wests through their link with Ole are one of the best placed to develop a strong women's club.
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| Despite conceding 12 Wests keeper had a good game The JourneyFan |
The game itself was as the score suggests all one way traffic, although Wests do have some decent players and played some good football. It was just Wellington United were a step above in quality and execution. They were creating the chances and by the time Nat Olson opened the scoring she really should have already had a hat-trick. With the opening goal monkey off their back Wellington United set about ensuring they finished the league season unbeaten. Suzanne Giesen scored the next two within a minute of each other. Then Asha Strom got in on the act with a cracking shot from the edge of the penalty area then just before half time Giesen completed her hat-trick and Olson added another to make it 6-0 going into the break.
The second half was more of the same with both Giesen and Olson getting three more goals each. Defender Rosie Wild ventured forward but was unable to put away the couple of chances she got. Jemma Robertson who has been out with an ankle injury came on for the last 20 or so minutes and had a few chances, including hitting the cross bar. It really could have been a lot more had it not been for Wests keeper who made several good saves (I'd tell you her name but there was no program). At the other end United keeper Ronisa Lipi wasn't greatly troubled but she did have a few saves to make, she did pick up a knock to her knee so as a precaution for next weeks Kate Shepherd Cup Semi final, she was taken off and captain Asha Strom took over in goal, giving her the rare feat of scoring a goal and keeping a clean sheet in the same game!
Wellington United, who were celebrating their second title in three seasons, this one unbeaten, really are a formidable team and a testament to the years of work and the culture created by coach Guillermo Schiltenwolf and his team. They have the Kate Shepherd Cup Semi Final against Dunedin Technical on Saturday 25th August at Newtown Park (KO 2pm) and will be hoping they can win that and get to the final on September 8th.
Great article, well written and widely agreed upon within the womens football community. Nothing but lip service and band aid solutions.
ReplyDeleteI agree Dave Webster. More has to be done by all the clubs to put more than just a token effort in to women's football. Although I can see why it is difficult for the clubs concerned. When many of the best women players all end up at one club that smashes the opposition week in week out. That does not make it easy for the other clubs to be as supportive in building their own women's team with little to work with. But it is a situation that has occurred many years and times before unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteSorry Jeff but that is not what has happened at WU. This team has been built over years of development and committment by the coaches and management. Players didn't 'end up' at United, they have been trained very, very well and stay because of the positive and nurturing environment that Schiltenwolf has built over the last 6 or 7 years. His approach and involvement has influenced the Premiers who were champions last year, and the club has teams that all finished in the top 4 of Div 1 and Div 2 leagues as well. When we started we were on the wrong end of a few double digit scorelines too. But if you commit time and effort and resource into players, you will reap the benefits as we have thankfully seen recently. Its early doors for Wests, the team was plundered together and we lost a couple of good players through thier last minute 'transfer activities' too which wasn't appreciated but we understood the greater need for the W League to get the team up and running. But if they want to really make a fist of it, and based on what happened on the weekend, it appears they clearly need to change thier attitude towards the team and look after them a bit better. It does make me laugh a little around the no ball kids scenario, given thier men's first team management were screaming like thier arms were cutoff last weekend at Newtown when for the first 5 mins they had no ball kids either. What's good for the goose is clearly not that important for the gander :-)
DeleteQuote of the Season "you can just imagine the fuss that would have been made had it been the coach of Western Suburbs men's team that was confronted with this sort of treatment."
ReplyDelete