Narrowly missing promotion due to an early run of form dropping “Silly Points” certainly sounds familiar to the majority of West Ham fans, but it isn’t the team we know and love… it’s the ladies team! It seems with the Play-offs looming at Upton Park, the ladies have followed suit with a season full of twists and turns.
It’s fair to say that if you asked the 34,000 odd Upton Park faithful how the ladies were getting on you’d receive a large number of blank faces not to dissimilar to Avram Grant on relegation day! But the ladies have had a season just as dramatic (if not more) and in the opinion of many, no matter who dons the famous Claret and Blue, the West Ham Family will get behind them!
I caught up with Player of the Season Stacey Little to get the lowdown on women’s football, West Ham Ladies and the Olympics…
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Given the lower profile of women’s football, many West Ham fans will not have heard of you. Do you find this concerning and do you think enough is done about it?
I have met people who didnt know that West Ham even had a ladies team which does make you wonder but i believe that is changing now. West Ham have been brilliant this season. David Gold has attended a couple of our matches and the coverage we’re getting in the match day programmes has increased. We’ve also had west ham press take interviews from players and our manager for West Ham TV and most recently we were invited to the training ground to meet Big Sam and the players which was a good day out so things are looking positive and moving in the right direction. Playing football to a high level is a great achievement given the lack of funding in women’s junior level football. How did you find it growing up in a male dominated environment?
To be honest I was blind to this for many years. I was use to it as I’d kick about with boys playing football, it was normal. I didnt know anything about the women’s game as i didnt come through any sort of academy or centre of excellence I didnt know the ins and outs and goings on in the background. I only started playing at this level when i was about 19 so it wasn’t until i was in and around it that you realise and it can become quite frustrating at times being involved in a male dominated sport. Tell us about some of the struggles you have faced to date?
I think the only real main struggle that I face would have to be the travelling and the tiredness. I travel from Slough Tuesday and Thursdays for training at Chadwell Heath so it can be a late night and having to get up early for work the next day can be challenging. The travelling can become an effort but i still do it and if i didnt love the sport and the team I play for I wouldn’t do it.
Obviously you must pay special attention to men’s football given the media coverage. What differences do you notice between the two games?
In regards to media coverage, there is a major difference, there are currently 10 super league fixtures scheduled to be on tv, whereas the coverage the mens football gets is 10 games just in the premier league within 2-3 weekends. The mens football covers all leagues on Soccer Saturday showing results from as low as the Ryman Leagues whereas the ladies results shows the Super League and Premier League.
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If offered the choice, would you watch a men’s game over a women’s game or do you not differentiate?
To be honest I always watch the men’s game. For one reason being there is alot more men’s coverage and when the women’s games are on they tend to be played at the same time we play. There is also only 8 teams in the Womens Super League and 10 of those games are televised on ESPN which you have to subscribe to.
Given the last question, do you feel too much emphasis is placed on the male/female divide?
I dont think enough emphasis is placed on the divide. A lot of people are unaware that most womens football is volunatry and you pay to play. When I have spoken to people about womens football they are surprised at the differences between the mens and womens game. People presume that because you are affiliated with a clubs name that you receive the same benefits, which is not always the case. I have to say, I feel the sexism towards women’s football is certainly fading, would you agree with this and what are your experiences?
It is slowly fading, there are things happening to try and give women more coverage, not just in womens football but with womens sport in general but as for the comments (such as “do you swap shirts at the end of the game” or “do you know the offside rule”) you always get them and I think this will always be the case. Please explain your daily routine as a footballer, from training though to matches.
I wouldnt call myself a footballer, I’m an administrator. I work a 40 hour week and football is a hobby, Without a job i wouldnt be able to fund my football. I train Tuesday and Thursdays at 8pm after work and play on Sundays and very rarely may have a mid week game. I don’t have the time for a routine as such only to prepare well by eating and drinking the right stuff. Do you feel West Ham give you an adequate level of financial support?
West Ham give us as much support as they can. How much access are you given to the clubs facilities?
We’re very lucky with the access we get to the clubs facilities. We use Chadwell Heath where the men’s first team train. So we are able to use the gym there and the training pitches there. Moving on from the whole, ladies/men debate, tell us a bit about your achievements to date? Is there a favourite?
This is easy. My first season at West Ham I won Managers Player after a difficult start to the season with injury. What are your footballing ambitions and do you have a ‘post football’ plan?
I think exciting times lay ahead for women’s football in the near future and I’d like still to be involved by eventually getting my coaching badges and developing up and coming girls football.
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What happens outside of football for Stacey? Not alot really. Its pretty boring. Working an 8-5 job weekdays and football taking up alot of time at the weekends and evenings there isn’t alot of time for much else. When i do get spare time though it is spent with the boyfriend and trying to see my family.
It’s been well publicised that you had a few choice words to say to Mr Gabbidon in the midst of a relegation battle, have you spoken with him since?
Haha this made me laugh. No I haven’t spoken to him since. I for one, feel Danny was over paid and provided VERY little to the team over his contract. Do you see this as an issue and agree with some of the realists who state ‘real football’ can only be found at grass roots or in the women’s game?
I dont feel this is always the case, there are many professional footballers playing for the club that they support and love, and show a lot of passion and loyalty towards them.
You’re currently lying second in the table, how do you feel the season has gone so far for the team and is promotion in sight?
Unfortunately we have missed out on promotion again this season by dropping silly points early on in the season. But we still have positives to take from the season. We reached the final of the Essex County Cup to narrowly miss out on penalties to Colchester and reached the quarter finals of the league cup, unlucky to lose 2-1 to Coventry who are in the National Division. I personally think we have been playing some really good football this season and if we had started this way it could of been a much different story come the end of the season but I’ll be going into my third season with West Ham Ladies so i’d like to think 3rd time lucky. What about personally?
Personally I have had a very good season, that being mainly down to not getting injured. I have alot of difficulties with my ankles every season that keeps me out for a period of time so remaining fit the whole season is the biggest personal acheivement this year.
With the Women’s Super League proving a success, do you have ambitions to play in it?
Of course! Its the highest level of women’s football being played in the UK and I’m sure every female player would love the chance to play in this league. For me i would love this to be the case with West Ham ladies.
The Olympics are fast approaching, have you been approached to play with the women’s team?
No unfortunately not. There are alot of talented women’s footballers out there. Finally, a major target for my Twitter account and blog is to raise the profile of the Women’s West Ham team, can you provide us with the Twitter accounts for your fellow team mates?
We have our West Ham Ladies twitter account@westhamladies
Goalkeeper Nikki Duncan@nimplestilpskin
Centre backs Rosey Sullivan@Rose_sullyand Danica Revell@DanicaRevell
Centre Mid Carly Roache@CarlyRoache
Strikers Becky Merritt@bexm14and Kelley Blanchflower@k_blanchflower
Enjoyed this interview? Pop over to Richard’s blog for even more West Ham exclusives http://www.claretsweatandtears.co.uk/home/2012/04/10/exclusive-stacey-little-interview/
