The Manager’s Question this week follows the England’s Lionesses successful run to the Women’s World Cup Final tomorrow morning.
We asked all managers who have kindly previewed their games for KSN this weekend, the same question.
“THE LADIES REACHING THE FINAL WILL HAVE ANOTHER AMAZING BOOST FOR THE LADIES GAME, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK THE EFFECT COULD BE ON THE MENS GAME?”
Neil Harris, the Gills boss replied, “It’s a huge boost for the nation and women’s football again! The fact that you can walk into your local park and twenty years ago, you have thirty boys playing and not a single girl. Now if you go, they’ll still be top heavy with boys playing but now the odds will probably be as small as two to one as opposed to thirty to one in the past.
“There’s been massive strides in the number of girls teams that are in the County Leagues now. The publicity grows, the social media level grows and the fact that girls see fans supporting the Lionesses, people going out to support the side in pubs with their kits on watching the game, that’s what we’ve always associated with the men’s team, go down the pub with your mates wearing the colours watching the team. That’s the level this Ladies side is getting to and its great!”
“Will it drive the men on? I think it will; it drives the FA on that’s for sure – they’ve been brilliant at pushing it and driving it. Personally, I still think that they can do more with grassroots girls’ football, but they are driving it and they are pushing it.
“The success in the Euros, the success in this World Cup will push the men’s team as they won’t want to be out-done by the Ladies, they will support it and embrace it, but they certainly won’t want to be out done and that will drive them on.”
Cray Valley PM boss Steve McKimm said, “I think it could go the opposite way as some are sure to say look at what the women have achieved, why can’t the men do it? We had that to a degree when they won the Euro’s but fair play to the Women, they have done really well. They won the Trophy last summer and hopefully they will go on and win this Trophy as well as its all good for football!”
“But I think there is a stigma attached to look what the women have done compared to what the men have done, and it probably would be vice versa as well. We have a slight problem where we can’t unite and be happy, I’m not saying everyone, but there are certain people who can’t be happy with success and have to find the negative in it.
“Now whether that’s because the men haven’t done it, certain people, media and “normal” people, will look on the downside rather than embrace what has happened, what ca happen and hopefully what will happen.”
Harry Hudson from Sevenoaks Town added, “I think it’s incredible that we’ve got to the World Cup Final and hope that it continues to push the growth of the Womens game in the country.”
“There is so much passion for the sport and both men’s and women’s football can and should co-exist together!”
Matt Barman from SCEFL side Lordswood said, “Its a feel-good factor for a start. I think when you’re watching your national side, you want them to do well. For me, I’d even be cheering tiddly-winks but when its football it multiplies things by a hundred times, it doesn’t matter if it’s the Lionesses or the Three Lions. It brings a feel-good factor and a good vibe so everyone should embrace the positivity.”
“Just go back to when England won the Cricket World Cup, you’ll see more kids playing cricket in the parks. And if football is doing well at a Euros or a World Cup, you’ll see the same and we embrace that positivity in this country. At Lordswood we’ll embrace anything that’s a positive vibe and so it was a brilliant result for the girls as much as the country and hopefully there’s another one coming Sunday!”
Steve Watt, the Hythe boss and a proud Scotsman told us, “The men’s game is the men’s game, and this will give the ladies game another amazing boost. You saw the positive effect that the Euros win had on the Country, and this could go and top that two, three or more times over as it’s the World Cup.
“It’s great to see a home nations team be successful, it’s something that that I’ve always wanted to see. Sunday could be fantastic, I know I’ll be watching it and cheering them on as hopefully they go one step further and win it.
“They’ve done fantastically well in recent years, and I think that it’s great to see the effect it’s had on the country and in the women’s game. My own daughter is starting to get into the game, my niece is madly into football, it’s great to see England doing so well and it can only have a positive affect up and down the country!”
And our final word comes from Bearsted manager Keith Stephens… one of the first clubs where Kent’s very own Lioness Alessia Russo played as a girl, Keith told us, “I think it’s not just about the girls, it’ll boys too. It can surely only be better for all levels of football.
“Just to show you my point, we’ve had a soccer school at the club all week with about forty-five children who had their break while the Semi Final was on. And every single one of them, boys and girls, were waiting for me to open the Clubhouse so they could watch the game. Sunday will be amazing!”