I feel sorry for the keeper, but also the Wycombe player who scored as you are told to play to the whistle and with eyes focussed on the ball she may not have even noticed that the keeper was injured
Interesting FA proposals to radically restructure tiers 3-6, creating bigger divisions with WSL and Championship 'B' teams, and National League reserve teams, entering. Play-offs could be introduced to ease the bottleneck of only a single club winning promotion. This would happen from the 2026-27 season if agreed.
I'm sure the EPL would like to see 'B' teams introduced into the women's game and be successful, and use that to support their case.
I'm opposed to 'B' teams, it devalues the competitions, but it just might help the women's game, where the pyramid structure is weakened by a lack of good competition to support it. It needs more players and more teams of a good standard. I'm sure the Chairgirls would like to play more than 18 league games a season, but even in such a small division, there are still too many one-sided games. That is repeated in a lot of other divisions, standards are too stretched. 'B' and reserve teams could pad out the divisions and raise standards, but not if they are full of players too young to manage what has become a much more physical game.
The two Southern Regional feeder divisions already have reserve and development teams, including Chesham United, a National League club, but their Dev team are rooted to the bottom and have had to scratch from three games this season, because they couldn't raise a team.
Perhaps Darcie, in one of her interviews, could ask Head Coach Carl Simon what he thinks of the proposals.
Ascot United v U18s - JPL Warriors League, 11am, Racecourse Ground, Winkfield Road, Ascot SL5 7LJ
Sunday
Penn & Tylers Green v Firsts - League Cup 2nd Round, 2pm, French School Meadow, Elm Road, Penn HP10 8LG
U23s v Ascot United Reserves - Southern Regional D1N, 2pm, 1878 Stadium, Wymers Wood Road SL1 8JG
The U18s get back to JPL business, at last, and it's a tough one, away to leaders Ascot, who have won all seven games, and who won 2-1 at Burnham in November.
The U23s are also playing Ascot (Reserves), who are having a great season with 10 wins and two defeats, and who won the reverse fixture 5-3 in September.
The Firsts have a second attempt at their league cup tie at Penn, after last month's postponement. The pitch was used on Tuesday, and is being used tomorrow, but there is rain forecast on Sunday around midday. Fingers crossed. Penn won 4-0 at Caversham last weekend, their only game this month, and beat Bursledon 3-1 in the previous round. The winners of the match are drawn to play Abingdon United Devs next, who have a bye. Ascot are already through and play Havant & Waterlooville in the quarter-finals.
Edit - thanks to @williwycombe for the Penn prices - £5 admission, £3 concessions, U16 free
Edit #2 - just to emphasise that the chance to see the Firsts in their home town area are rare!
Something needs to be done to reduce the disparity in standards within divisions in each tier including WSL, part of this surely is
a) creating a proper coaching pathway for aspiring coaches to help improve standards
b) the FA supporting girls football in schools through a mix of funding, training coaches, positive engagement from the top tiers of the game, ensuring boys are not allowed to play girls football etc.
c) creating more opportunities to participate, including these proposals
d) rebranding/PR to make it clear women's football is a "different game" to men's & not a watered down version
I hope that they (FA, WSL etc) have canvassed and listened to young women & girls as to the reasons they get put off sports including football & thought about how they reverse that trend.
One of my companies delivers wheeled sport coaching (skate boarding, in line skating, bmx, scooters) and our biggest challenge is getting the promising under 10 girls to carry on once they go to secondary school, roll models like Skye Brown help but it is also down to positive feedback from parents, teachers, friends & coaches & debunking the myth that activities/sports are somehow unfeminine etc.
At the Trust meeting a few months ago, Mark Gaitskell, the WW Foundation CEO, said that the Chairgirls won't be able to play at AP until after the pitch has been relaid. As Dan Rice has said, relaying the pitch is not a priority.
They have played in the FA Cup at AP before, with rounds in September/October. At that time, the pitch is in peak condition, weather is usually good, surely one game then won't damage the pitch. I get the impression that Mikheil has little or no interest in the Chairgirls, so Dan has none.
Danielle Puddefoot slotted him a loose ball just inside the area, on 30'. Penn thought there was a foul in build-up. Even game, both sides have had chances, Penn hit the bar just before HT. A Penn player was stretchered off, hope she is not too badly injured. After that, ref said if conditions get any worse, he will call it off. About 60 watching.
Interesting news heard today. The Firsts hope to host the league match against Reading, at Adams Park. This would be on Tuesday 25th February. It doesn't have the full set of approvals yet, but the league and Reading have agreed to it. I believe school half term is the previous week, shame it couldn't be that week, or on Sunday, but this date is after Wigan at home on the Saturday, and seven days before Burton at home.
Having previously heard that the Chairgirls cannot play at AP until after a pitch relay, it seems there has been a change of mind. I also seem to remember it said, at that Trust meeting, that the Reading game would be specially promoted and that admission would be free.
The abandoned Penn game has already been rescheduled for next Sunday. There is a fair amount of rain to come this week, hopefully the pitch can take it.
Comments
Doh, meant Saturday!
The U23 scorers at Abingdon yesterday were Molly Carter (3), Shannon Read (2) and Elena Mitchell.
I feel sorry for the keeper, but also the Wycombe player who scored as you are told to play to the whistle and with eyes focussed on the ball she may not have even noticed that the keeper was injured
Yes, Kayla Potter correctly played to the whistle. I would be interested in hearing from any referees, on what they would have done.
Agreed @Steve_Peart. Thanks for all your updates, they really are appreciated. The team are having a good season.
Cup action at Penn this Sunday. £5 admission, £3 concessions, U16 free.
Interesting FA proposals to radically restructure tiers 3-6, creating bigger divisions with WSL and Championship 'B' teams, and National League reserve teams, entering. Play-offs could be introduced to ease the bottleneck of only a single club winning promotion. This would happen from the 2026-27 season if agreed.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/23/fa-proposes-introduction-of-wsl-and-championship-b-teams-in-lower-tiers
And I'm sure nobody would ever point to B teams working here in arguing for them in the men's game...
I'm sure the EPL would like to see 'B' teams introduced into the women's game and be successful, and use that to support their case.
I'm opposed to 'B' teams, it devalues the competitions, but it just might help the women's game, where the pyramid structure is weakened by a lack of good competition to support it. It needs more players and more teams of a good standard. I'm sure the Chairgirls would like to play more than 18 league games a season, but even in such a small division, there are still too many one-sided games. That is repeated in a lot of other divisions, standards are too stretched. 'B' and reserve teams could pad out the divisions and raise standards, but not if they are full of players too young to manage what has become a much more physical game.
The two Southern Regional feeder divisions already have reserve and development teams, including Chesham United, a National League club, but their Dev team are rooted to the bottom and have had to scratch from three games this season, because they couldn't raise a team.
Perhaps Darcie, in one of her interviews, could ask Head Coach Carl Simon what he thinks of the proposals.
Coming up this weekend.
Saturday
Ascot United v U18s - JPL Warriors League, 11am, Racecourse Ground, Winkfield Road, Ascot SL5 7LJ
Sunday
Penn & Tylers Green v Firsts - League Cup 2nd Round, 2pm, French School Meadow, Elm Road, Penn HP10 8LG
U23s v Ascot United Reserves - Southern Regional D1N, 2pm, 1878 Stadium, Wymers Wood Road SL1 8JG
The U18s get back to JPL business, at last, and it's a tough one, away to leaders Ascot, who have won all seven games, and who won 2-1 at Burnham in November.
The U23s are also playing Ascot (Reserves), who are having a great season with 10 wins and two defeats, and who won the reverse fixture 5-3 in September.
The Firsts have a second attempt at their league cup tie at Penn, after last month's postponement. The pitch was used on Tuesday, and is being used tomorrow, but there is rain forecast on Sunday around midday. Fingers crossed. Penn won 4-0 at Caversham last weekend, their only game this month, and beat Bursledon 3-1 in the previous round. The winners of the match are drawn to play Abingdon United Devs next, who have a bye. Ascot are already through and play Havant & Waterlooville in the quarter-finals.
Edit - thanks to @williwycombe for the Penn prices - £5 admission, £3 concessions, U16 free
Edit #2 - just to emphasise that the chance to see the Firsts in their home town area are rare!
Something needs to be done to reduce the disparity in standards within divisions in each tier including WSL, part of this surely is
a) creating a proper coaching pathway for aspiring coaches to help improve standards
b) the FA supporting girls football in schools through a mix of funding, training coaches, positive engagement from the top tiers of the game, ensuring boys are not allowed to play girls football etc.
c) creating more opportunities to participate, including these proposals
d) rebranding/PR to make it clear women's football is a "different game" to men's & not a watered down version
I hope that they (FA, WSL etc) have canvassed and listened to young women & girls as to the reasons they get put off sports including football & thought about how they reverse that trend.
One of my companies delivers wheeled sport coaching (skate boarding, in line skating, bmx, scooters) and our biggest challenge is getting the promising under 10 girls to carry on once they go to secondary school, roll models like Skye Brown help but it is also down to positive feedback from parents, teachers, friends & coaches & debunking the myth that activities/sports are somehow unfeminine etc.
High time we had a game at AP too, separate or before a mens game
At the Trust meeting a few months ago, Mark Gaitskell, the WW Foundation CEO, said that the Chairgirls won't be able to play at AP until after the pitch has been relaid. As Dan Rice has said, relaying the pitch is not a priority.
They have played in the FA Cup at AP before, with rounds in September/October. At that time, the pitch is in peak condition, weather is usually good, surely one game then won't damage the pitch. I get the impression that Mikheil has little or no interest in the Chairgirls, so Dan has none.
Yeah, Not a great answer is it? If the pitch relaying isn't a priority then one or two extra games a season isn't going to damage it significantly.
The previous owners didn't either
FT Ascot United 8-1 U18s.
Arrived at Penn and game is on.
Edit - admission appears to be free.
No, it's not free!
HT PTG 0-1 WW.
Danielle Puddefoot slotted him a loose ball just inside the area, on 30'. Penn thought there was a foul in build-up. Even game, both sides have had chances, Penn hit the bar just before HT. A Penn player was stretchered off, hope she is not too badly injured. After that, ref said if conditions get any worse, he will call it off. About 60 watching.
Breaking news, the match has been abandoned at HT, conditions too dangerous. Sensible.
FT U23s 3-0 Abingdon United Reserves.
Molly Carter, Rebecca Hesketh and Elena Mitchell on the scoresheet.
Firsts - Southern Regional Premier: https://bit.ly/4e6RRDC
U23s - Southern Regional Division One North: https://bit.ly/4dUOQ9F
U18s - JPL Warriors League: https://bit.ly/4e7M7c2
Interesting news heard today. The Firsts hope to host the league match against Reading, at Adams Park. This would be on Tuesday 25th February. It doesn't have the full set of approvals yet, but the league and Reading have agreed to it. I believe school half term is the previous week, shame it couldn't be that week, or on Sunday, but this date is after Wigan at home on the Saturday, and seven days before Burton at home.
Having previously heard that the Chairgirls cannot play at AP until after a pitch relay, it seems there has been a change of mind. I also seem to remember it said, at that Trust meeting, that the Reading game would be specially promoted and that admission would be free.
Actually, the fixture is already on the league website, at AP on 25 Feb 19:30.
The abandoned Penn game has already been rescheduled for next Sunday. There is a fair amount of rain to come this week, hopefully the pitch can take it.
Do they re-start where they were, or from scratch?
From scratch.
There will be a Chairgirls U16s JPL team next season.
https://wycombewanderersfoundation.co.uk/news/a-new-dawn-for-wycombe-wanderers-women/