shahanshahan

Yanez, Layzell, Bull (first WSL start), Furness come in for Bentley (illness), Powell, Stratigakis, Evans. Harrison makes the bench KO 12.30pm, live on FA Player & BBC Radio Bristol. I'm not at the game today as I'm in Norwich to see the men's team today. So it seems very fitting for the women to finally win at home this afternoon

Some key points from the press conference: - Abi Harrison back in contention for the squad this weekend - Carrie Jones will be in the squad this weekend but Lauren Smith doesn't know yet if she'll play or not - Smith still doesn't think there's any major reason why the team hasn't won at home - A journalist in attendance said "Good luck for Sunday" not realising the game is on Saturday

Have you considered donating it to the Bristol City Heritage & Archive? I think there's a few people more closely involved who may be interested @thatcham red @3 Peaps In A PodCast

Rovers have announced that their women's team will go back to full control of the club (having been run by their Community Trust since the team was reformed in 2019). Not just that, but that the team will play all home games at the Memorial Stadium, as they compete in the National League South West (tier 4) next season... https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/20242/april/gas-girls-return-home-to-bristol-rovers-stewardship/

Club have confirmed that fans forum will now be taking place on Wednesday May 1st, 6.30pm. Still at the SC&T Bar at Ashton Gate https://www.bcfc.co.uk/city-women-news/date-confirmed-for-womens-fans-forum/

Also, this is the first season where the bottom two are relegated. Last weekend, both Newcastle United & Portsmouth won promotion to the Championship after winning the National League North & South respectively. (Pompey having their men's & women's teams promoted to both Championships at the same time? Crazy) The Championship has been mad this season as there has been no clear frontrunner, and one reason why I am worried if City do indeed relegated, it would be a struggle to get promoted back up right away

From Liverpool's press conference today. Matt Beard has confirmed that Shanice Van De Sanden & Niamh Fahey won't be available for Saturday's game. As well as former City captain Jasmine Matthews... https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/lfc-women-injury-update-fahey-matthews-and-van-de-sanden

Chelsea away tickets & coach travel now on sale. 24 hour priority window for ST holders to book coach seats until Thursday 10am... https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/chelsea-tickets-and-travel-on-sale/

Thank you! And I did say to say myself that I wanted to do every WSL away game if possible (which looks like I will), especially if there'll be no opportunity to do so next season. And yes, it's coming up to the one year anniversary of that promotion game. If we don't win at home against Liverpool on Saturday, it will be a full calendar year without a win at home in all competitions

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0hm0c7d From last night's Sound of the City. During the City Women fans panel, it is brought up (about the 40 minute mark, but the overall segment starts from 20 minutes) on the lack of investment for the playing squad & how even more players that could have been brought in the transfer windows could have saved the season. Even a mention from host Ed Hadwin that the show has tried to reach out to the board (most likely chairman Gavin Marshall) and are looking to interview him or another board member

Definitely! The supporters coach was a near sell-out. And I know more people would have gone but couldn't make the re-arranged date. Did see a few City supporters that made their own way up, and saw a few of those that are London-based (hi @SinéadB!)

I get the joke, but I'll leave that purely for NTTDS. I didn't get to see much of the concourse/burger van. Or Gunnersaurus (if he was actually there, but probably in the home end)

I didn't see the game but am aware that it was a home semi-final, so maybe more staff were present than Chelsea's... I am aware that there has been more investment for staff & resources at Bristol City than in previous years (I recall Lauren Smith saying that the women's staff had to move office twice at the RHPC)

Fair point. Removed (For those that missed it, it was a picture of the scoreboard (when it was eventually working)

A fair few people (including @phantom & @Dollymarie) sent photos to me & my friends of when we briefly appeared on Sky just before KO. I managed to find the footage & it should be in the videos below...

In true NTTDS style, here are most of my away day photos! Meadow Park in Borehamwood is a nice little ground. Not sure how long Arsenal will play there as they continue to have more games at the Emirates. I'm definitely in no rush to go again but at least I can say I have now been!

https://www.90min.com/posts/what-are-ffp-rules-womens-football Article from June 2023; but hopefully still relevant How does FFP function in the women's game? There is a lot less financial regulation in the women's game in the United Kingdom and Europe right now and that has led to calls for changes to be made. In the Women's Super League, there is a salary cap which allows top flight sides to spend 40% of their turnover on wages. The issue with that is that those totals can be merged with the men's team within the same club, so the likes of Manchester United Women can spend 40% of a much larger pot of cash as the overall club of Man Utd generates so much money. Man Utd's head of group planning and finance that has been recently calling for more financial regulation in the UK women's game so that a small set of teams do not kill the competitiveness of the division. Speaking at the European Club Association's first women's football summit, Francesca Whitfield said: "Currently in the WSL we have a salary cap system which is 40% of revenue, but that includes parent club income, meaning the larger clubs naturally benefit from shirt deals on the men's side. "That's creating a gap that is affecting the product and this can't be something that we just address domestically, this has to be something we address on a European level to make sure the European tournaments are the best and we're at the forefront of that." In the Premier League right now, the rules allow for total losses over a three-year period of £105m. There are penalties in place for clubs that exceed that figure. Whitfield is aware that it is not as simple as copying the rules in the men's game as it is a different financial landscape. "We can't simply emulate or replicate what we did on the men's side, the game is in a different space and we need to ensure that we can invest but equally attract investment," said Whitfield. "Smaller clubs are not able to invest at that level, so how do we encourage them to do so if it's not a fair playing field and they can't possibly ever be competitive with how things currently are?" https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/womens-football-needs-ffp-rules-says-manchester-united-chief-j632d2sdf Another article from June 2023, which I can't read because of a paywall. But it's title & heading are Women’s football needs FFP rules, says Manchester United chief Present rules allow men’s clubs to transfer wealth to their women’s team, which it is feared will harm competitiveness

I don't listen to Saturday matchdays much (if at all), but am aware that BBC Radio Bristol & BBC Radio Somerset combined have to cover a lot of various football & rugby teams that may play that day. And I believe one game may feature on both stations. Plus, there's one game covered on one frequency (DAB) for one station then another for the same station, but on a different frequency (AM/FM?)...

Yes, Having A Gas has featured Rovers women on their show. As has The Scrum which has had Bristol Bears Women on their show too And Sound of the City is a dedicated show to Bristol City. One episode just happens to focus more on City Women (a team that is in the top flight in a league with more exposure than ever) and people are losing their minds... I think these teams are under the Robins Foundation umbrella, whereas City Women are a full-time, professional unit. Unlike Rovers' team who are funded entirely by the Rovers' equivalent of the Robins Foundation (and somehow secured yet another promotion this season) There is a subforum all about City Women, which I am not sure if the OP was aware of. Part of the reason I joined OTIB was to add to this discussion (and I am glad others are doing so too) I assume you are referring to the previous iteration that ended in the 2000s. The sport has come a long, long way since then. Even Manchester United disbanded their women's team when the Glazers took over at that time, but then was reformed over 10 years later I wouldn't expect any BBC local radio station to do that. If a team is under a football club, they should appear on that relevant programme To be honest, this is how it has been regularly, but last night was a much-needed fans panel & needed the dedicated time for it, much like an episode from a few weeks ago featuring men's team fans in the studio. I support both teams so I don't skip the show at all - and I even got into the women's team because of the men's team The City Women fanbase is growing. As part of the SC&T board, I have seen how the women now have their own awards, HOF inductees, and away support/coach travel for WSL fixtures has been popular. It's not often that City Women get a majority focus on Sound of the City; and even rare that fans are live in the studio. Anyway, I'm looking forward to next week's show to see what is discussed about Saturday's home game against Liverpool, as well as the away game at Norwich (which I'm going to and therefore missing the women at home despite being a ST holder)...

Bit disappointing to read most of these comments. Last night's episode was a much needed live discussion/fans panel from two City Women fans & good friends of mine (one of which is a fellow SC&T board member but was giving their own opinions) - to go into detail & to hold people to account. There's been a bit of imbalance between City men coverage & City women coverage in some episodes this season (and in some episodes there was no mention at all despite the team playing a game that weekend), so it was great for Radio Bristol to use their platform to give more time & coverage on their main show for Bristol City. Radio Bristol go to City Women's press conferences & also cover the WSL home games - but a lot of match going fans like myself will miss that coverage for obvious reasons, hence usually listening to Sound of the City instead. As Nigel Pearson once said, the women's team are also a first team, just like the men's...

Catching up on some posts now Yeah, the North Bank at Meadow Park was loud. Very vocal fanbase. Seemed even louder when I watched footage the game back I think Arsenal are the only fans I've heard to do that in women's football. I've tried to do it at games myself but am always conscious of kids being around. Although me & some others did try to do this for when Sabrina D'Angelo was in the goal in front of us during the first half, but she didn't take many big goal kicks I think they only sang that once towards the end of the first half. They mostly sang "Arsenal are massive, everywhere we go". Which makes more sense if they were at an away game, but each to their own. Because there was a comparably smaller amount of away fans (in the opposite South Stand), I don't think most Arsenal fans in the North Bank saw or heard us. We kept singing as much as we could, and we were noisier than most Arsenal fans surrounding us in the South Stand terrace

Napier returns from suspension. Stratigakis starts. Struck drops to bench. Layzell, Jones & Furness back in squad but make bench. Harrison missing from squad KO 6.45pm. Live on Sky Sports. I'll try post updates while I'm here at Meadow Park

Some coincidence I have seen...

Bumping this as voting closes midnight tonight! Vote if you haven't done so yet https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/1_Awards2324

Black away kit for tomorrow...