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Arsenal book their place in the Conti Cup final thanks to Stina Blackstenius' extra time goal Back Match Report Conti Cup: Arsenal v Manchester City Arsenal book their place in the Conti Cup final thanks to Stina Blackstenius' extra time goal Arsenal WFC 10 February 2023 By Paul Donegan Arsenal reached the 2023 Conti Cup final with a 1-0 win over holders Manchester City in what was a closely fought game. Stina Blackstenius scored the only goal of the match during extra time after it had finished 0-0 after 90 minutes at Meadow Park on Wednesday evening. Jonas Eidevall made five changes to the Gunners starting line up from Sunday’s goalless draw at West Ham in the Women’s Super League (WSL). He also changed formation and played three at the back. Gareth Taylor made two changes for Man City from their 2-0 win at Leicester City with Sandy MacIver and Alanna Kennedy coming in for Ellie Roebuck and Steph Houghton. Arsenal had the first chance of the match in the 6th minute but Laura Wienroither’s shot was well saved by MacIver. The visitor’s first attempt came after 12 minutes when Lauren Hemp’s effort from out wide was caught by D’Angelo. Frida Leonhardsen Maanum’s free kick went into the side netting for Arsenal five minutes later. At the other end, Chloe Kelly forced D’Angelo into a good save in the 23rd minute. Man City had a few more chances in the next ten minutes but Filippa Angeldahl, Khadija Shaw and Kelly all put the ball over the bar. Arsenal then had a couple of opportunities of their own but Caitlin Foord shot over and Leah Williamson put an effort wide. The visitors had the final chance of the first half in stoppage time but Hemp blasted the ball over from the edge of the area. In the first minute of the second half, Angeldahl shot straight at the Arsenal keeper. In the 59th minute, Manchester City went close again when Hemp’s cross was deflected just wide. Laia Aleixandri volleyed into the side netting for the visitors after a corner. A few minutes later, Angeldahl and Shaw both saw efforts go over. Arsenal came closest to scoring so far in the 67th minute when Lina Hurtig, who had just come on as a substitute, saw an effort from close-range hit the crossbar before Kim Little’s shot was deflected wide. The visitors were continuing to have more of the chances though with Kerstin Casparij seeing a shot blocked as City put pressure on Arsenal’s defence in the 69th minute. A minute later, Kelly was allowed to run forward and sent a powerful shot into D’Angelo’s hands. Shaw then shot over two minutes later. Steph Catley had an important interception for Arsenal in the 74th minute when she got to a City cross first to put the ball behind after a quick counterattack. Arsenal finished the game well and had chances to win it in the final five minutes. Another second half substitute, Blackstenius, saw her shot saved by MacIver in the 85th minute. Hurtig then headed just wide a minute later. Maanum saw a shot saved as the 90 minute mark approached. Seven minutes of stoppage time were signalled, and four minutes into those MacIver spilled a cross but Alex Greenwood blocked Blackstenius’ effort near enough on the goal line. Blackstenius then saw a header saved before the referee blew the final whistle, and with the score at 0-0 it meant extra time. Three minutes into it, Blackstenius gave Arsenal the lead. Hurtig’s pass found her and she finished from about 8-yards via a slight deflection off City defender Leila Ouahabi. Manchester City did have some opportunities during the remaining 27 minutes of extra time with Deyna Castellanos, Angeldahl and Hayley Raso all seeing efforts saved whilst Hemp also put a shot wide. Maanum had the home sides only other chance but this was easily saved. The win sees the Gunners end City’s 16 game unbeaten run and reach their first Conti Cup final since 2020. Jonas Eidevall said that he switched to a back three to “have the ability to stop City’s crosses and be well positioned inside the area when they do come in” when speaking to the press after the victory. Going into extra-time, he told the team to keep doing the basic well and to “trust the game plan”. He also spoke about Blackstenius playing in a more central position when she came on, that she had four or five really good opportunities and is working really well on that. When speaking to the press afterwards, Gareth Taylor felt City “had played very well in large parts of the game, lacked a bit in the final third, that final bit of quality or their keeper really good saves or we didn’t make most of our number of attempts” . Taylor also said he was proud of the players and performance. Arsenal, who have won the cup five times before, will play Chelsea in the final at Selhurst Park on Sunday 5th March. Before that, the Gunners and City play each other again on Saturday at 12:30pm at the Academy Stadium in Manchester in the WSL. Line ups Arsenal: D’Angelo, Williamson (Beattie 83’), Wubben-Moy (Catley 64’), Rafaelle, Wienroither (Maritz 76’), Little (c), Maanum, McCabe, Pelova (Hurtig 64’), Foord, Khul (Blackstenius 65’) Substitutes: Zinsberger, Marckese, Walti, Agyemang Goal – Blackstenius 93’ Booked – Wubben-Moy 53’, Little 71’, Rafaelle 81’, Maritz 92’, Foord 116’ Manchester City: MacIver, Casparij (Coombs 101’), Kennedy (Houghton 89’), Greenwood (c), Aleixandri (Ouahabi 80’), Hasegawa, Castellanos, Angeldahl (Fowler 113’), Kelly (Raso 90’), Shaw, Hemp Substitutes: Roebuck, Blakstad, Dahou Booked – Kelly 35’, Hemp 90+5 Referee – Abigail Byrne

A huge 4-2 victory for Liverpool means the Reds secure promotion to the Women's Super League! Back Match Report FAWC: Bristol City v Liverpool A huge 4-2 victory for Liverpool means the Reds secure promotion to the Women's Super League! Hana Basir 4 April 2022 By Paul Donegan The top two in the Championship played each other at Ashton Gate on Sunday with Liverpool knowing that if they avoided defeat then they will be crowned champions and with it promotion to the WSL. Liverpool started brightly and Leanne Kiernan had the first chance in the 4th minute when her shot from the edge of the penalty area was easily saved. A Megan Campbell long throw was headed just over by Kiernan in the 8th minute. Liverpool did take the lead in the 13th minute when another long throw from Campbell bounced around in the penalty area before falling to Niamh Fahey who scored from about 6 yards out. Bristol City equalised straight away when Aggie Beever-Jones scored from an angle with the ball looping over the Liverpool goalkeeper and into the net. Liverpool went close to regaining the lead in the 20th minute when Rachel Furness smashed a shot just wide. Campbell then saw her free kick saved. Bristol City had a chance at the other end five minutes later when Beever-Jones saw her low shot saved by the legs of Rachael Laws with Liverpool then being stopped by a good tackle as they broke quickly. Furness had another effort for Liverpool that went over. Liverpool went back ahead in the 39th minute when Jasmine Matthews scored against her former club from inside the area after a free kick had not been cleared. Liverpool saw another opportunity go high and wide in first half injury time as they went into the break ahead. It was Liverpool who had the first efforts in the second half with Furness seeing her shot tipped over by Fran Bentley then they saw another shot go wide. A misplaced pass from Liverpool was picked up by Abi Harrison but Laws rushed out and gathered as Bristol City went looking for an equaliser. It was Liverpool though who scored the next goal when in the 59th minute, a Campbell long throw was flicked on and finished from close range by Katie Stengel to make it 3-1. In the 69th minute, Bristol City got a goal back when Harrison’s shot found the corner of the net from about 12 yards for her 15th league goal of the season. It was 4-2 in the 79th minute when Missy Bo Kearns finished a low cross from Stengel from close range. Liverpool went looking for more goals and in the 86th minute, Carla Humphrey rounded the Bristol City goalie but saw her shot blocked. From the resulting corner Jade Bailey headed over. In injury time, Liverpool saw a shot go over and Bristol City had the final opportunity of the afternoon when a long range effort from Jasmine Bull was tipped over. As the final whistle went, Liverpool started the celebrations on the pitch having secured the title and promotion back to the WSL after two seasons away. All of this in front of a Bristol City and Championship record attendance of 5.752. Teams: Bristol City: Bentley, Cataldo (J. Bull 59’), Layzell, Aspin (Wilde 83’), Murray, Allen (Powell 59’), Davies, Beever-Jones, C.Bull, Morgan, Harrison Unused substitutes: Whitehouse, Kuyken, Jhamat, Collis, Cook, Woolley Goals – Beever-Jones 14’, Harrison 69’ Booked – Wilde Liverpool: Laws, Roberts, Fahey, Matthews, Campbell (Wardlaw 67’), Hinds, Holland (Kearns 73’), Furness (Bailey 84’), Lawley (Humphrey 84’), Stengel, Kiernan (Daniels 67’) Unused substitutes: Clarke, Hodson, Moore, Silcock Goals – Fahey 13’, Matthews 39’, Stengel 59’, Kearns 79’ Referee – Lisa Benn Attendance – 5,752

The Arsenal come from one behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd at Meadow Park Back Match Report WSL: Arsenal v Manchester City The Arsenal come from one behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd at Meadow Park Ryan Asman 3 April 2023 By Charlotte Stacey The visitors seized the first advantage, breathing down the necks of the Gunners and pressing intensely early doors. Bunny Shaw’s bullet header earned City the lead within five minutes of kick-off following a passage of rather lovely build-up play between Lauren Hemp, Laura Coombs and Chloe Kelly. Shaw had another opportunity open up a few minutes later and, although the chances were not falling thick and fast, the scales were tipping in City’s favour throughout the first half. The makers of City’s midfield, Yui Hasegawa, Laura Coombs and Filipa Angeldahl, held control in the middle third, as well as offering a higher quality on the ball and in their passing. Arsenal found Hasegawa in particular difficult to deal with throughout. But with the addition of fullbacks Esme Morgan and Laia Aleixandri cutting inside, the visitors were able to overload Arsenal in the midfield whilst leaving Hemp and Kelly high and wide. Yet, as is becoming something of a theme, Jonas Eidevall’s gameplan began to take shape and the Arsenal began to get more of a foothold towards the end of the half. When they concede, the Gunners are not impulsively reactive. Rather than dropping their heads or panicking, they allow themselves to settle which is definitive of a collective culture developing. There was concern for Arsenal as Caitlin Foord was replaced by Laura Wienroither 35 minutes into the first half after suffering a knock. The Gunners will have everything crossed that nothing substantial is afoot after captain Kim Little became the latest name on their growing injury list last week. City had their chances in the second half and will be disappointed not to have netted at least one of them with the space Arsenal repeatedly gifted at the far post. Eidevall’s side dodged a bullet more than once in leaving Hemp unmarked when City’s whipping crosses came in and it is an area they will need to tighten up on. Frida Leonhardsen Maanum managed to poke the ball though the mountain of bodies in the area to score the equaliser just after the hour mark. Arguably City still had greater control of the ball up to this point, yet this served as somewhat of a catalyst for Arsenal to take the upper hand. Eidevall’s decision to shift his formation just minutes later further contributed to this mentality. Centre-back Jen Beattie was brought on and the Arsenal switched to a back three. This was clever for two reasons. One - to add another body into midfield and neutralise City’s overload, and two - to have a single central figure to occupy Bunny Shaw. Shaw is quite simply an exceptional striker. She has the movement, she has the finish, but what makes her truly brilliant is her intelligence and hold-up play. As she has done all season, Shaw had repeatedly dropped deep, earned possession and held-up the ball to allow teammates to flood forward. By introducing Beattie, Shaw was more closely pressed, limiting her allocation to retrieve the ball. Katie McCabe then went on to seal the deal for the Gunners with a rocket of a shot that defied numerous bodies, as well as Ellie Roebuck, to thump the back of the net. In a move that has clearly been rehearsed, McCabe received the short corner, nudged it into enough space to create an opening and unleashed a beauty that sent Meadow Park into orbit. City couldn’t bag themselves an equaliser and Arsenal ultimately earned the precious three points. Neither side outplayed the other, yet the Arsenal recognised and adjusted to the themes of the game more quickly and more sufficiently than their visitors. City, along with their uncharacteristically poor finishing, perhaps left it a little too late to respond to Arsenal’s tactical changes and fell just short of the mark. Line-ups Arsenal (4-2-3-1): D’Angelo (GK), Raffaele, Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Maritz (67’), Williamson (C), Leonhardsen Maanum, Wälti, Foord (35’), Pelova (67’), Blackstenius (67’) Substitutes: Zinsberger (GK), Marckese (GK), Beattie (67’), Gio, Kühl (67’), Wienroither (35’), Taylor (67’), Reid Goals – Leonhardsen Maanum 61’, McCabe 74’ Yellow – McCabe, Wälti Manchester City (4-3-3): Roebuck (GK), Aleiandri (81’), Greenwood, Houghton (C), Morgan, Coombs (81’), Angeldahl (87’), Hasegawa Kelly (79’), Hemp, Shaw Substitutes: MacIver (GK), Casparij (81’), Fowler (87’), Castellanos (81’), Raso (79’), Ouahabi, Dahou Goals – Shaw 4’ Attendance - 3, 982 Referee – Abigail Byrne

Kelly Chambers addresses WSL scheduling and speaks about positivity within the team ahead of this weekend's games Back “I think everyone’s excited to get out on the pitch” says Reading boss Kelly Chambers Kelly Chambers addresses WSL scheduling and speaks about positivity within the team ahead of this weekend's games NG Sports Photography 13 January 2023 By Rosa Maitland Reading boss, Kelly Chambers addressed the media ahead of her side's WSL clash against Everton. Kelly Chambers confirmed that her side is ready for the trip to Merseyside following the winter break, “they have all come back in good spirits and in good health, so they are probably a bit like me and raring to go now.” The Reading boss admitted that the Christmas break was bad timing for her side, “we were in a really good place before Christmas and we didn’t really want the Christmas break for us, so it’s important that we try and pick off where we left off.” Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash Chambers added that “Everton is not an easy place to go, it’s very windy as there with no surroundings and it can be very wet, but the pitch is lovely to play on, and there are no excuses for us”. She added that her team's “outstanding” performance against Chelsea before Christmas will “give us believe when we come up against Everton”. When asked if there were many injuries within the squad Chambers said : “ No, not too many at all. Obviously, it’s nice that we have got people like Brooke Hendrix back into the side, we are probably going to be missing Lily Woodham who picked up a little niggle in training last week, we just don’t want to push things”. Chambers went on to say that Canadian international, Deanne Rose is recovering well from her Achilles injury she picked up in September, “She’s doing really well, and we are really trying to work with her to try and get her back for the World Cup for Canada, that’s her and our goal”. With the transfer window still open, Chambers said that the club were potentially looking to bring “one or two” players in on loan, “but as it stands there is nothing set in stone”. Chambers mentioned that it has been hard for her team to gather momentum due to the small number of games and regular international camps, “we do get big breaks in the season, you pretty much have an international break every month, so it again breaks up momentum whether that’s for the players, for the team, for fans.” When asked if adding more teams to the WSL would be a solution to increase the number of games Chambers' answer was, “yeah possibly that could be, like I said it's hard at the moment because I think people are starting to see that there is still that gap in the WSL so if you start bringing more teams in is it just going to become a two-team league, or three leagues in one, for clubs like us we want more games”. Chambers added that “ someone like Chelsea that are playing in every competition and will likely be in every competition until pretty much the final they are gonna have loads (of games) and then if you add in international games on top of that, for them there are still a lot for them.” Reading will travel to Merseyside to take on Everton this Sunday, 15th January at 1 pm (GMT). The match will be shown live on the FA player News

Northern Ireland senior Women’s side will play three international friendly matches in Spain next month. Back Northern Ireland to head to Spain for February camp Northern Ireland senior Women’s side will play three international friendly matches in Spain next month. NurPhoto // Getty Images 22 January 2022 By Josh Bunting Northern Ireland who are set to appear in their first major tournament in the summer are also using the games as warm-up for April’s World Cup qualifying games with Austria and England. Kenny Shiels’ squad are set to take part in a 10-day training camp at the Marbella Football Centre on the Costa del Sol from 14 to 23 February. And as part of the camp they will face Faroe Islands, Switzerland and Romania in friendlies at the Marbella venue, which is widely used for pre-season and training camps by the world’s top club sides and national teams. Northern Ireland played the Faroe Islands as part of their Euro 2022 qualifying campaign winning 6-0 away and 5-1 at Windsor sealing a playoff spot on that evening before beating Ukraine over two legs in the playoff. The Swiss and the Romanians are both ranked higher in the world than Northern Ireland, who rose up the FIFA Coca-Cola Women’s Ranking a couple of places to 46th in the latest list, which was published last month. Switzerland are ranked 17th while Romania sit 42nd as for Faroe Island’s they are below Northern Ireland in 99th place. Northern Ireland last met the Swiss in the Euro 2017 qualifying series, losing 4-0 in Switzerland after an 8-1 defeat at Mourneview Park in 2015. However it’s now a stronger Northern Ireland side going into the game against a side who boast players such as Arsenal’s Lia Walti and Noelle Maritz as well as Aston Villa winger Alisha Lehmann. The first game in Spain, against Faroe Islands, is scheduled to be played on Thursday 17 February with a 3pm kick-off UK time. Game two will see Shiels’ side take on Switzerland on Sunday 20 February (11am start UK time). The final match against the Romanian’s will be on Wednesday 23 February once again with an 11am kick off time. 22 players have recently entered a seven month full-time training camp meaning the players who don’t play professionally in England or Scotland will become full-time players in the run-up to the tournament, which is being staged in England in July. On the games Shiels’ said “We are really looking forward to these three games in Spain. It will provide us with a measurement of our programme and its progression. “We are constantly trying to teach and learn from our time with the players. This trip will give us ideal preparation for April's World Cup qualifiers. Everything we do is to help the players prepare to prepare. “During February we will look to step up our performance levels to ensure we reach maximum standards.” The Northern Ireland manager will name his squad in early February for the three games. News

Southampton are welcoming fans to St. Mary's as they take on Arsenal for the very first time Back Saints hoping for a record crowd at historic Conti Cup clash with the Gunners Southampton are welcoming fans to St. Mary's as they take on Arsenal for the very first time Southampton FC Women 20 October 2023 Charlotte Stacey Southampton FC Women will be taking on Arsenal for the first time in their history on Thursday 23rd November in the FA Women’s Continental League Cup. The game will be a reunion for the Women’s First Team Head Coach Marieanne Spacey-Cale MBE, who was known as ‘one of the most feared forwards in the game’, having spent most of her playing career with the Gunners. She also went on to be a part of Arsenal’s coaching team later in her career. Spacey-Cale’s side will get the chance to test themselves against one of the country’s best teams, with top players including Alessia Russo and Beth Mead heading to St Mary’s Stadium. The match will be a 6.30pm kick off to ensure that all the family can enjoy this great spectacle for Southampton FC Women, who currently top the Barclays Women’s Championship and hold 2nd in the Group D of the Conti-Cup after securing a bonus point against Bristol City. Looking ahead to the historic fixture, Head Coach Marieanne Spacey-Cale commented: “This is an exciting occasion for the team as we face Arsenal for the first time. Arsenal is one of the country’s most iconic women’s side, with world-class players and coaching staff. This will be great opportunity for our players to really test themselves against the levels we’re aspiring to reach and showcase the spirit of Saints as we aim to compete in the latter stages of the Conti-Cup. We’re excited to be playing on home turf and hope to see our community get behind us here at St Mary’s. There’s never been a more exciting time for women’s football, and we’d love to see that audience grow, with record crowds cheering us on from the stands.” Ticket information: Tickets for current Women’s Season Ticket Holders will go on sale on Wednesday 25th October. Costing £3 for adults, and free for Under 18s. Tickets for Men’s Season Ticket Holders will then go on sale on Friday 27th October. Costing £3 for adults, and free for Under 18s. For anyone who signs up to register their interest, tickets will go on sale on Tuesday 31st October at an Early Bird price. Tickets will then go on general sale on Wednesday 1st November. Costing £5 for adults and £1 for Under 18s. Hospitality packages, including a family-friendly option, will be available for purchase starting Wednesday 25th October at an Early Bird price. To register interest visit: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/southampton-fc-women-vs-arsenal-women News

Our writer Finley pens an open thank you to women's football in this frank and heartfelt piece. To Women’s Football - Thank you Thursday, 24 August 2023 By Finley Chung Our writer Finley pens an open thank you to women's football in this frank and heartfelt piece. via Lionesses - FA So, whilst I feel the time is right to release this piece, I have no idea how long, short or even detailed this will be. I feel like now, the time is right to acknowledge that last year, Women’s Football practically saved my life. In 2022, the European Championship in England was a real watershed moment for Women’s Football, but for me personally it was a little more than that. It was the first time I’d become invested into Women’s Football and I absolutely loved the tournament. I celebrated the famous Georgia Stnaway winner against Spain in the Quarter Finals so loudly that I woke my neighbours children up, something which I hadn’t done in the men’s game since Lucas Moura and his famous hat trick against Ajax for my boyhood club, Tottenham Hotspur. The tournament was my first way of feeling free, feeling connected to something since the COVID lockdowns, which I am sure dampened everyone’s mental health in some way, shape or form. Following the culmination of a few things over the last few years, COVID being one, losing my Nan, and my Mum going through Chemotherapy during the pandemic, the last 4 years haven’t been that easy on me to say the very least. After the tournament in 2022 I wrote my very first piece for On Her Side, summing up the achievements of the Lionesses which went down very well - at least that’s why I feel Charlotte has kept me on here at OHS! The following month, I was given the chance to attend the Reading Women Media Day ahead of the 2022/2023 WSL Season. This opportunity came at pretty much the perfect time for me as I really was beginning to struggle, I had the chance to interview Kelly Chambers, the long time manager of Reading Women, and players Brooke Hendrix and Emma Harries. The day itself was fantastic, even if I was having to write things up with one hand, the other fractured and set in a bright yellow cast the colour of Del Boy and Rodney’s Reliant Robin in Only Fools and Horses -yeah, that yellow! Following said event, and the healing of my wrist, my piece from the Reading Media Day, also on this site was up! Once the football season had got underway, I was starting to feel a little better, but still, something wasn’t quite right and at the start of September I dropped as low as I had ever been before. My inner demons were eating away at me all through summer. On the personal front I didn’t have a job when all four of my best mates, Ciaran, Dan, Brendan and Jordan did. It’s the age old thing of not comparing yourself to others, but when it’s a lifelong habit, it is a very difficult one to get out of. I mention my mates names because of what I’m about to say next. I’d been feeling very low when Ciaran invited me over to his for the day, so I thought, yeah why not, it might help! Now, for anyone that knows East London, by the EXCEL Centre there’s a bridge over the river that I needed to take to get towards Ciaran’s, place. As I went over that bridge… I feel sick even typing this, I looked down and thought to myself, “that would be a quick way to do it”… and excuse my French but that scared the s**t out of me. Stupidly, and as a man doing what you're told to do by society, I pushed it to the back of my mind and didn’t utter a word to anyone that day about it. Quite possibly the worst thing I could’ve done. For roughly a week after that visit I had constantly thought about what I said on the bridge. The Tuesday after will always make a significant date in my mind, Tuesday 13th September 2022, the day I asked for help. It was just like any Tuesday in the football season. I went off to follow my local non-league team, Cheshunt FC away at Worthing, a coach journey from Herts to East Sussex which takes about an hour and a half to two hours, a coach trip that made me have some realisations. On the way down, I texted Ciaran, " sorry it’s taken me so long to open up, but I need help.’ He then responded, “Didn’t you think I knew..” - that told me pretty much everything I needed to know. But that evening about to get a whole lot worse, in the sense that I finally knew something was really, really wrong. Cheshunt went 2-0 up away at Worthing inside 18 minutes. Normally I’d run to celebrate with the players but I just couldn’t, it almost felt everything was a blur, it felt like everything was a whirlwind happening around me, but I wasn’t registering to any of it. At half time I rang my Mum to finally tell her about what happened. Almost in floods of tears I said everything. I told her about what I felt on the bridge, I opened up about all what I was feeling, everything spilt out. Because I’m lucky to have parents as brilliant as mine, they offered to drive all the way to Worthing to pick me up… I declined and we lost 3-2… maybe I should’ve game home when they offered. Getting all that out, allowed me to get on tablets and take up counselling, the former I am still taking each morning. Speaking to my Mum that night was the best decision I ever made. About a month or so afterwards I went to my first Women’s game, England v USA at Wembley. The European Champions vs the then World Champions with my good friend Billie and her girlfriend, Kat. Three months after that defining night I was last at Wembley, it’s fair to say I’d been on a rollercoaster ride. Once the game got underway, I was reminded why I’d fallen for Women’s Football, I should stop saying that mind, as it is just FOOTBALL, no matter who plays it, but that clash in October made me remember why I’d got this new found love for the game. I felt comfortable at football, not on edge. I could talk to Billie and Kat about my mental state, my low downs rather than get glaring looks off people that typically go to men’s matches… something just felt different, something just felt right. Watching Georgia Stanway score the winning penalty that night opened an outpouring of emotion in me, my favourite player in the Women’s game scoring the winning goal just felt like the icing on top of a very, very emotional cake. Whilst writing for On Her Side since that famous European triumph, I have since been lucky enough to be invited to write for two other sites, Since71 and VAVEL WSL . Sites where I’ve met some absolutely wonderful people who’ve made me believe in myself and who’ve really helped me. I’ll give Charlotte her flowers first, we know her as the founder of this site, but she is the most wonderful human who has given me so many opportunities. From that media day at Reading, to getting to go in the press box at the home of my club, Tottenham Hotspur on two occasions and writing about Her Game too, a campaign close to my heart. Charlotte is one of a kind and I know everyone else that contributes to OHS firmly believes so, too. Then we have Since 71. When I asked Stuart to get involved with S71, I would’ve never imagined that I would have had the chance to cover the Conti Cup Final between Chelsea v Arsenal at Selhurst Park… we’ll leave out the long wait in the cold for Lia Walti and Rafaelle in the mixed zone after Arsenal’s triumph. Stu and the guys over there have also given me fantastic opportunities, all of which I’ll never forget. Finally we have VAVEL. Having joined the WSL team on the site, they are an absolutely fantastic bunch. Robin, Max and Mia, the editors are sensational people who always know how to put an arm around people when they need help and advice with articles. Our World Cup coverage on VAVEL has been superb and it’s been something I’ve been able to use to get away from demons and down feelings. Of course, we have a plethora of outstanding writers at VAVEL too, Sion, Owen, Ryan, Aaron, Alex, Harry, Cayden, Luca, Abi, Laura, Chloe (x2), Libby, Ambi, Polly, Rhys… way too many to name, but I can comfortably assure them all that they’ve had a fantastic impact on my life, that goes for Stu and the Since 71 gang and Charlotte and the wonderful team we have here at OHS also. With the 2023/2024 season round the corner I have been given the keys to the social media role at my local club, Cheshunt Women, further enhancing the impact of Women’s Football in my life. In the days writing this, England have just lost a World Cup Final to Spain. As sad as I was, it just confirmed to me - if you’d said to me a year ago, I’d have laughed at you, what a difference a year makes, eh? However, things aren’t always rosy, it’s always ok not to feel ok. It’s always okay to talk, but if you can find a get out or an escape, it can get so much easier. So… this has been a long time coming, and a pretty long time in writing, but I just wanted to pen this thank you to Women’s Football. A thank you to OHS, Since 71 and VAVEL for giving me the brilliant opportunities that they’ve given me and the friendships I have made. All that’s left to say is thank you, Women’s Football, thank you.

All the latest movement in the Women's Championship Back Women's Championship Latest News All the latest movement in the Women's Championship NUFC Women 16 July 2024 By Paul Donegan Newcastle United have completed the signing of Demi Stokes. The defender left Manchester City at the end of last season where she had won the WSL once and the FA and League Cups three times each during her nine years with the club. The 32-year-old has won 69 caps for England and was part of the Euros winning squad in 2022. Stokes said “I am thrilled to be joining Newcastle United and returning home to the North East. I still have so much to give on the pitch and I’m excited to bring my experience to a club with such big ambitions”. Remi Allen has been appointed as Southampton’s new head coach. The 33-year-old joins the Saints after taking charge of London City Lionesses from March until the end of the 2023/24 season. She has also been assistant coach for England’s under-23s as part of the England Elite Coach Programme. On joining Southampton, Allen remarked, “I am absolutely delighted to be on board with such an incredible football club. It’s such an exciting time to be here, the club has huge ambition and the group of players here are such a talented group. I can’t wait to get started on the journey, it’s going to be an exciting season ahead.” Goalkeeper Claudia Moan has joined Newcastle United after recently leaving Sunderland. The current Championship Player of the Season and Golden Glove winner joins after helping Newcastle’s local rivals to a third-place finish in the league last season and only conceding 18 goals in 22 games. After signing, Moan said, “I am delighted to be joining Newcastle United, who have shown in the past two seasons that they are a very ambitious club”. New Zealand international Hannah Blake has signed a professional contract with Durham the club have announced. The 24-year-old forward has played for the University of Michigan Wolverines in the US college football system and then Perth Glory and Adelaide United in Australia’s top league. After joining the Wildcats, Blake expressed her delight saying, “I’m really excited to be playing in England. Playing in the Championship has been an aspiration of mine for a while now and I’m excited to take that next step”. Maddi Wilde has returned to London City Lionesses after signing a permanent two-year contract, with the option of a further season. The full-back spent last season on loan at the Pride from Bristol City and she made 25 appearances in all competitions. After signing permanently, 20-year-old Wilde commented, “after last season, I could see the steps that were being taken behind the scenes, with Michele (Kang) pushing standards forward, and I knew I wanted to be part of this environment again”. Bristol City have completed the signing of Lexi Lloyd-Smith on a two-year contract. The 21-year-old winger recently left Southampton after spending two seasons with them in the Championship. After joining the Robins, Lloyd-Smith said, “I can’t wait to get started. The facilities are amazing, and I can’t wait to get out on the pitch to show everyone what I can do. “I enjoyed meeting the girls too and I love the energy and the vibe at the club. It feels like a big family.” Centre-back Tara Bourne has joined Southampton. The 20-year-old recently left fellow Championship side Sheffield United where she made 17 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign. Bourne has also played Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City and has represented England’s youth sides. “Having conversations with the staff here, my plans aligned with theirs. I feel like together we can work towards big things, I am excited for this season” Bourne commented after signing. Durham have announced the signing of Carly Johns from Watford. With the Hornets last season, the striker scored eight goals in the Championship and nine in total. Before that, she had scored 52 goals in 76 appearances whilst at Oxford United in the FA Women’s National League. After joining the Wildcats, 21-year-old Johns said, “I’m buzzing to be here. I played against Durham last season and they were a really tough challenge, so it’s good to get to know all the girls and the staff and I’m really happy to be here”. Katie Bradley has joined Charlton Athletic from Blackburn Rovers, signing a two-year deal. The 22-year-old midfielder joined Rovers in January after completing her studies in the United States. Bradley expressed some of her reasons for joining the club, saying, “I think the personal development and being able to work with Karen (Hills) was important for me as I think we will be a really good match together. The style of football is attacking and that is something I want to be playing in. In my position as well I want to be keeping the ball and retaining possession.” Charlton Athletic have signed Gracie Pearse permanently on a two-year contract. The defender spent the second half of last season on loan at the club and made four appearances for them. Pearse left Tottenham Hotspur in June and has also had loan spells at Bristol City and Crystal Palace in the Championship. Explaining her reasons for signing, Pearse said, “I think how close we came to being promoted is a big part of it and how the team is together. I feel most happy here and that’s why I made the decision to come back.” England youth international goalkeeper Fran Stenson has signed for Southampton after leaving Sheffield United. Stenson made 25 appearances for the Blades across two seasons. The 23-year-old had previously had spells at Birmingham, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Arenal and Brighton. Stenson commented after joining the Saints, “I’m really happy to get the deal done. I feel like the club has high ambitions which align with mine and I think it’s going to be a very exciting season”. Mel Filis has joined Charlton Athletic permanently after spending the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan with them from West Ham United. The midfielder has signed a two-year contract with the Addicks. During her spell with the club last season, she made 10 appearances and scored three goals. 21-year-old Filis said she was motivated to help the team and, “the league is very competitive, playing in the games on the back end of last season was really nice to be playing to win something and fighting for promotion”. London City Lionesses have signed 18-year-old Gesa Marashi on a two-year contract. The midfielder joins the Pride from Arsenal’s Professional Game Academy following a short-term loan spell at Reading last season. After signing, Marashi said, “I could see that the project is building and that there would be opportunities here to help the team try to win promotion from the Championship”. Goalkeeper Lucy Thomas has signed a new one-year contract with Birmingham City. In her two seasons with the Blues, Thomas has made 54 appearances in all competitions, not missed a minute of Championship games and kept 21 clean sheets in total. The 24-year-old was recently called up to the senior Lionesses squad for the first time. Thomas remarked, “I’m really pleased. This place feels like home, and I absolutely love it here. I really believe in what Amy (Merricks) is trying to build here and I feel like I’ve got unfinished business”. Portsmouth have announced that Annie Rolf and Ella Humphrey have both signed one-year professional contracts with the club. Midfielder Rolf has made 53 appearances and scored 10 goals for Pompey since joining them in January 2022. Humphrey joined on dual-registration terms in October 2022 before making the move permanent the following summer. The forward has made 36 appearances for Portsmouth and scored eight goals in 22 games as they got promoted to the Championship. Charlton Athletic’s Karin Muya has signed a new contract with the club until 2025. In her first season with the Addicks, Muya scored three goals in 17 appearances. After signing her new deal, the forward said, “It feels great and a sigh of relief. I feel excited to get going with pre-season and to start working. Last season we were so close, so this season it feels like we can learn some lessons and push on that step further.” Defenders Izzy Collins, Scarlett Williams and Nicole Barrett have all signed one-year professional contracts with Portsmouth. Collins joined the south coast club at the start of the 2022/23 season and has since made 45 appearances for them. Williams joined towards the end of the 2023/24 season and made three appearances as Pompey got promoted. Barrett has made 61 appearances and scored 12 goals since joining Portsmouth in 2022. Kiera Skeels and Beth Roe have both signed new one-year contracts with Charlton Athletic. Defender Skeels has played for the Addicks in 62 Championship games and scored four goals since she joined them in 2021 after leaving Reading. Roe joined initially on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion during the 2020/21 before making the move permanent at the end of the season. The full-back has gone onto make 71 league appearances for the club and has scored three goals. London City Lionesses have announced that New Zealand international Grace Neville has signed a new one-year contract with the club. This will be Neville’s sixth season with the Pride where she scored their first ever goal in 2019 and has made 74 appearances for them. After confirming she was staying on, the 24-year-old stated, “I can’t wait to get started because it feels like this kind of opportunity has been a long time coming. The club is in a brilliant position and I’m really proud and excited to be a part of it”. Portsmouth’s Emma Jones has signed a two-year professional contract with the club. The forward joined Pompey in 2021 and has since made 64 appearances and scored 32 goals for them. Last season, Jones found the net 18 times and assisted another 23. Those impressive stats saw her finish top scorer and win the Players’ Player and Player of the Season awards as Portsmouth won the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division title. Ava Rowbotham has signed a one-year professional contract with Portsmouth. The midfielder joined the club in 2020 and was named vice-captain in 2023. Rowbotham has made 106 appearances and scored 18 goals during her four years with Pompey. Durham have confirmed that Mollie Lambert has signed a contract for a fifth season with the club. Megan Borthwick, Jessica Brown, Libbi McInnes, Emily Scarr, Mary McAteer, Grace Ede, Katy Watson, Louise Griffiths, Natasha Fenton, Megan Beer, Jenna Dear, Brianna Westrup, Katie Kitching, Amy Goddard and Ellen Jones have all been retained by Sunderland the club have announced. Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah has agreed a new one-year contract with London City Lionesses. Boye-Hlorkah joined the club in 2023 from Aston Villa and made 23 appearances in all competitions in her first season with the Pride, scoring eight goals and assisting two. Explaining her decision to sign a new deal, the 28-year-old forward remarked, “the club’s ambition and where it wants to be is a huge positive and aligns with where I want to take my career. We’re aiming for promotion to the WSL and to put London City on the map”. Charlton Athletic’s Mia Ross and Elisha N’Dow have both signed new one-year contracts with the club. On signing her new deal with the Addicks, Ross remarked, “I’m grateful for the opportunities and development I’ve had here, and looking forward to pushing on again this year.” Meanwhile, N’Dow said, “it feels great to have signed a new contract with the club. Since I joined two seasons ago, I feel like we have built something good and after coming so close last year, there is some unfinished business.” Charlton Athletic have announced that Mel Johnson has left the club at end of her contract. Johnson has gone onto sign for FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division side Nottingham Forest. News

Tottenham Hotspur boss signs new contract Back Rehanne Skinner sticks with Spurs Tottenham Hotspur boss signs new contract Getty Images 7 May 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Tottenham head coach Rehanne Skinner has signed a new deal and will remain in North London until at least the summer of 2024. Skinner first joined the club in November 2020, succeeding long term coaches Karen Hills and Juan Amoros, and is on course to lead Spurs to their highest table placing and highest number of league points in the competition this season. News

Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Jackie Burns and winger Lauren Wade have made moves to Women's Super League side Reading Back Reading snap up Northern Ireland international duo Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Jackie Burns and winger Lauren Wade have made moves to Women's Super League side Reading Reading Twitter 5 August 2022 By Josh Bunting The Royals who start their season against newly promoted Liverpool on September 11 have acted swiftly following Burns impressing at Euro 2022. Burns went into the tournament as a free agent after mutually agreeing her release from a two-year contract at Swedish club BK Hacken that was only signed in March of this year. Burns came through the ranks at Cookstown Youth and Mid-Ulster Ladies before securing a scholarship with Carson-Newman University in 2016. In 2017 she was part of the Eagles team that made it to the national championship game in the US for the first time in the university's history. Burns made her international debut in 2013 at the age of 16 in a friendly against the Netherlands and was the number one as Northern Ireland reached this summers Euro 2022 tournament in England. Lauren Wade Photo: Reading Twitter Wade aged 28 makes the move from Glentoran to Reading only the second player to make a transfer from an Irish League club to a WSL club. Wade has played in Sweden, USA and Scotland before playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League scoring for Glasgow City against German giants Wolfsburg. The winger made a positive impact at Euro 2022 against Norway, Austria and England nearly opening the scoring against the eventual winners as she forced a good save from Mary Earps. It now takes Northern Ireland’s quota in the WSL to four after Rachel Furness won promotion with Liverpool, joining Simone Magill who has moved from Everton to Aston Villa earlier this summer. The Berkshire Club finished eighth in the WSL last season. News

Leicester City boss Willie Kirk is positive heading into the final game of the season Back “We want to be history makers" says Kirk ahead of WSL's final weekend Leicester City boss Willie Kirk is positive heading into the final game of the season LCFC Women 25 May 2023 By Paul Donegan Willie Kirk spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon ahead of Leicester’s crunch final day WSL match against Brighton on Saturday. A win for the Foxes will mean they are guaranteed safety whilst any other result leaves them relying on the Reading not winning. Kirk started by confirming there are no fresh injuries and Georgia Eaton-Collins is back in the squad. Ruby Mace is suspended for this match after getting sent off last week against West Ham. “Everyone is feeling the same sense of frustration” after the loss to the Hammers in a match Leicester dominated Kirk admitted. He continued by saying “it looked a little bit desperate, a little but nervy, it meant we were a yard off things, we took shots from distance which I thought we had managed to eradicate from our game”. “It was a little bit frustrating we didn’t believe in ourselves a little bit more and play our normal game” remarked the Leicester manager. On reflection he believes if Reading had beaten Spurs the day before or if the matches had been going on at the same time then Leicester would have won their game. Kirk believes they “let something external to us dictate our emotions” last weekend. The Foxes boss said the players have been on it in training during the week and everyone wants to be in the team on Saturday to prove a point. “We got to the stage where we were proving everybody wrong and then it almost flipped on its head and last week they were almost scared to let people down” noted Kirk. He said they want to stay away from the mentality of all they need to do is match Reading’s result to stay in the division. “We want win the game because for us it would mean beating last years points tally, scoring more goals than last year, climbing a spot more than last year” Kirk carried onto say. He then pointed out that finishing tenth would be a remarkable achievement considering where they were sitting five months ago. Kirk admitted it has been tough analysing Brighton ahead of the match as they have had a number of different managers and played different styles during the season. He added that even last weekend they played a style they hadn’t used before, and they have been prepping against two different ways of them setting up. “The players play better when we focus on us” Kirk said. The Leicester manager said he doesn’t want his side to be complacent on Saturday, adding ”it is a huge incentive to finish tenth.” “We want to be history makers, no team has ever turned around a seven point deficit at the bottom in WSL history, we want to be the first team to do that." Brighton & Hove Albion v Leicester City will be shown live on the FA Player with a 2:30pm (BST) kick-off on Saturday. News

Ben Gilby discusses changes England could potentially adopt alongside the rise of the Matildas Time to switch it up? What might come next for the Lionesses Back Ben Gilby discusses changes England could potentially adopt alongside the rise of the Matildas Adam Mitten Thursday, 11 April 2024 By Ben Gilby When the Lionesses drawn in a fiendishly tough group for Euro 2025 qualifying, a collective “wow” was let out by fans up and down the country. However, the draw was influenced by teams’ performances in the prior Europa League, and with England missing out on the semi-finals of the tournament, they were always likely to do it tough when the balls were drawn out of the pot for this one. International football is tough gig – it has massive rewards in the good times, but slightest deviations from consistent wins come with longer term consequences. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it’s something that benefits all – including the England coaching staff who will be well aware of the moment when the first signs first began to show that the team were not quite hitting the heights they were in the Euros and during World Cup qualification. The Lionesses coaching staff and players will now be thinking about what comes next and how they continue to ensure they are at the top of the pile both in Europe and globally. The roots of the current study of the side’s need to evolve can be traced back to the World Cup. England were warmly welcomed in Australia. They were heralded out there as footballing giants who would sweep all before them. However, just a few days into the competition and group stage performances that were not at the level of the team’s previous all-encompassing joyous attacking football and defensive solidity – there were murmurs of “hang on…” Photo: Adam Mitten The Lionesses were being pressed to death, they were unable to get their midfield attacking weapons on the ball, and defensive errors were occasionally creeping in. As the tournament was full of bigger nations being rocked by developing women’s football nations, this was, by some largely written off as a case of the opposition stepping up. England’s greatest performance in the World Cup came in the semi-final against the hosts Australia at a raucous Stadium Australia in Sydney. The Matildas are renowned as a fast pressing team themselves, looking to create space out wide with pace to deliver the ball for the picture painters in midfield of Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry. That played into the hands of Sarina Wiegman’s team who produced a professional performance of know-how to strike when it most mattered and take their place in the World Cup Final. That final once more saw England pressed all over the place and passed to death by the all-conquering Spanish. Since then, the Lionesses’ opponents both in the UEFA Nations League and the opening games of the Euro 2025 qualifiers have largely copied the tactics that the likes of Haiti, Denmark, Nigeria, and Colombia employed in Australia with success. Therefore, there is a question worth posing. Is it time for England to both amend their style, and be that bit more experimental with player selection? Let’s look at the example of the Australian national team. They have just come off the back of finishing fourth at the last Olympics and World Cup – their greatest ever achievements. Rather than concluding that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, head coach Tony Gustavsson and his assistant Mel Andreatta spent months analysing his team’s World Cup performances, coming to the conclusion that they needed to evolve and be that bit smarter. Photo: Girls on the Ball The Matildas still have attacking weapons across the midfield and up front that many nations would deeply desire, but Gustavsson is moulding his team to be more pragmatic with a growing emphasis on solidity at the back. Yes, they still love to attack and shift the ball quickly, particularly along the flanks, and using the guile of the central midfield talent, but it’s not all about attacking opponents. They are now choosing when to go and when to be patient – looking at their opponents tactical set up once the game is underway and looking to shift through a raft of potential options. Gustavsson himself told the media after their 2-0 win over Mexico this week that: “ We probably had eight to 10 different variations in formations today in our attacking game. Everything from inverted outside backs to six dropping into the back three to overloading one side and isolating another – there was a lot of different tactics.” There are answers for his players of what to do when faced by a rapid press and physical battles. The team’s Achilles heel in previous years has been struggling to break down the massed defences of teams, who were on paper, far weaker than them. The new tactical fluidity that Gustavsson has introduced since the World Cup is making that a thing of the past There have been teething issues – the two games in Canada back in December when the new plans were first unveiled a case in point – but, as Ellie Carpenter said to me during this international window, “ I think it nearly has clicked…come mid-July…I’m really thinking forward with this team for the Olympics, and I really think we can achieve something special.” Performances since Christmas would suggest that this is the case. So do the Lionesses need to take a leaf out of the Matildas’ book? Is it time for Sarina Wiegman’s team to develop an approach to manage the oppressive press that opponents are continually applying to them with success? Let’s look at Europe’s other most successful nations over the past 10 years. Sweden have consistently made the semi-finals of World Cups, European Championships and Olympic Games. Peter Gerhardsson’s side have done it with an exceptionally well organised defence allied with a physical, defensive press style of game which has them patiently waiting for the right moment before clinically taking advantage. Spain are outrageously talented and comfortable on the ball, dominating possession – but let’s be honest, England have supreme talent and great ball players who are tactically astute as well – they just need to find ways to amend those weapons to dissect the most constrictive opposition. Photo: Adam Mitten Is it time for Sarina Wiegman to cast the net that bit wide? Defensive issues have occurred again in recent games, albeit in a side still without talismanic captain Leah Williamson – but even with the Arsenal star back in the starting line-up, it feels that the time is right to experiment that bit more with personnel and playing style. There needs to be a Plan B, C, and D that the team can switch between – the best nations in the world can do so – and England are definitely one of those. They have the quality coaching staff and players to drive this sort of approach. England will qualify for the Euros, even if they don’t finish as an automatic qualifier in the top two of their group, they will go on to the play-offs to face the likes of Romania, Slovenia or Luxembourg in round one and then potentially nations such as Portugal and Wales in the deciding round. They have scope to try things out and evolve their style and personnel – they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.