Town's women lose historic match but win over the crowd
Town’s Women in the traditional squad photo
Graeme Rayner, Feature Writer
Twitter: @b1g_daddy_g
I went to my first ever Women’s match and thoroughly enjoyed myself
With there being no Town match this weekend, my 10 year old son suggested we head to the John Smith’s Stadium anyway to be a part of history – the first match featuring Huddersfield Town Women to be played there. They were hosting Ipswich Town in the Women’s FA Cup 4th round. I would also have taken my wife and daughter, but they did their bit for the advancement of feminism and the women’s game by shopping at the White Rose Centre, followed by watching “Little Women” at the cinema.
I would produce a detailed match report, but there is one you can read here (Note: I don’t agree with all of the conclusions within it, but it gets the overall gist right). Alternatively, you can watch the highlights below (Caution: may contain some scenes unsuitable for those with a nervous disposition!)
Men vs Women
I thought instead I’d give some reflections as someone who has, until now, only watched women’s football during international tournaments. With a record attendance for Town’s Women of 1115, I suspect I’m far from alone in this respect.
The first observation has to be the demographic of the crowd. Loads of families and a much more even mix of men and women than you’d see on a Saturday in the championship. (that’s not to say women don’t watch Town’s men, we know they do, but the balance is much more even here).
There were also loads of kids present, and a convivial family atmosphere – in the entire match I don’t recall one aggressive shout from the crowd, and even I managed to not verbally abuse the officials, which anyone who sits in my part of the north end of the Kilner bank during most match days will be surprised by. ( I recently lost my rag with a linesman and called him a “flat-earther”. Not my finest moment).
RIP Jordan
The match began with an immaculately observed silence in memory of poor Jordan Sinnott, who tragically died on Saturday.
Jordan Sinnott was one of our own. The minutes’s silence was immaculately observed.
A quick summary of the match
In terms of the on-field action, the score line does not reflect the balance of play, not one bit. Town were up against it from the first minute when defence and keeper got themselves in a proper old muddle, letting in 16 year old Maddie Biggs for the first of her three goals. Suffice to say, Town went in at half time 4-nil down and we all scratched our heads wondering how and why. I genuinely only counted 5 attacks from the “tractor girls” in the first half.
I remember speaking with Andy Higgs (@Porrohman on Twitter) in the half time queue for a drink (one thing that wasn’t different was the 3 hour wait for a bevvy!) and neither of us could explain the score line. He also, Nostradamus –like, predicted Ipswich would draw Man City in the next round. We both agreed, though, that despite being 4 nil down we were thoroughly enjoying the game.
Town dominated the match, and if possession stats were available it would most likely be around 70% for the home side.
I must say though that the standard of the game itself is hard to pin down. One moment the game would appear scrappy and almost at a Sunday league level, the next there would be technically impressive moves and tactical awareness.
Huddersfield Town Women play at what seems to be the equivalent (structurally) of the Vanarama National League, although below Championship level the women’s divisions are regional (North and South) , are currently mid-table. Ipswich are top of the division below (National Division 1 South East) but the pyramid in the women’s game appears quite complex, and the received wisdom is that the quality and depth in the southern divisions is greater. This suggests that Ipswich could compete in the “National League – Northern Premier Division” alongside Town’s women if geography wasn’t an issue. (Doncaster Belles, who were defeated by Town in the last round of the County Cup 12-0, are in the equivalent level’s “Midlands” division)
Conclusions
I asked my son to sum up the differences between the men’s and women’s games and he said “it’s not as lively”. I probed this further and he explained that he felt the women’s game lacked the pace and power of the men’s. I had to agree – there were only few “pile drivers” or long range shots (although there were a couple of looping shots from distance, precision over power was the order of the day) and only one player on the pitch had real pace – Anna Grey on Ipswich’s right wing was a regular out ball and was significantly faster than anyone else on the park.
The elements that impressed me were the team spirit – Town’s heads never dropped, the crowd never got on their backs. I was also impressed with the lack of whining and whinging, with only a few instances of the referee being berated, despite a few questionable tackles and at least one big shout for a penalty. I was impressed with a few Town players in particular, and will outline them here:
Charlotte Newsham played at left back, and is on loan from Man Utd. She is a decent full-back – has good instincts for when to sit back and when to get forward. While the keeper and other 3 defenders had a day to forget, she stood out, and certainly likes a tackle too – she’ll not be bullied by anyone and played a bit like Tommy Smith in our promotion season.
Kate Nutter in the middle of the park played well too, especially in the second half – she tried to drive the team on and make things happen, and put in a really robust shift.
Sarah Danby, playing a Hogg-style role in midfield, is another who likes a tackle, was neat and tidy on the ball and didn’t doo to much wrong.
The player I was most impressed with was Club Captain Kate Mallin. She is the Town player who looks like she could play at a higher level. She started wide right but often drifted across, sometimes playing at 10, sometimes wide left, sometimes pushing on up front. She had the most natural flair and ability – she moves like a footballer naturally. Town’s goal, scored by Laura Elford, was largely down to her persistence on the right wing. Despite often being isolated or lacking support, she toiled away and whenever she got the ball you felt Town had a chance to make something happen.
Club Captain Kate Mallin
I am grateful to Kate for taking the time to answer a few questions I fired at her.
Result aside, you must be proud to have been part of the first game by Huddersfield Town Women to be played at the John Smith’s Stadium. What was the highlight for you?
Walking out of the tunnel was the highlight for me and, the fact that we had attracted a decent crowd. Unfortunately, things didn't go well on the pitch.
On a personal level, I believe you’re a Town fan – how did it feel to play in the blue and white stripes at the home of the men’s team?
Yes, I'm a Town fan. It felt very special to us all and it's been a long time coming. The relationship between the men's and women's clubs has become much closer recently #OneClub
Do you think this was a one-off, or could you see more games being played at the JSS?
As I mentioned, the relationship is getting much closer and therefore I'm hoping that it's not just a one off and that we may be able to play one game per season at the John Smith’s Stadium. Since we got a decent crowd, that certainly gives us some encouragement
What do you think the next few years holds for Huddersfield Town Women?
The Women’s game is growing every year and football is the fastest growing sport for girls. Our progress will really depend on funding because, a move to the next level would mean a much higher cost to run the team as it becomes semi-pro.
How can Town fans get involved and show their support?
They can show their support by attending our homes games at Shelley FC. They should come along again so that we can prove to them that our performance on Sunday was a one off!
Finally, and again on a personal level, what are your ambitions within the game?
I'm 30 now and have been with the club since under 12's but, finishing my career with Town as a semi professional player in the Women's Championship would be fantastic. Let's hope that they get a move on!
Conclusion
My lad and I both thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. The game was played in a fantastic spirit and the atmosphere was superb. It’s clear from talking to those supporters who are regular that Town’s women did not perform as well as they can, and I wonder if the sense of occasion hampered them a little on the day, but without being patronising (which I hope I have managed throughout the article) it felt like the bigger picture was much more important on Sunday.
There was a sense of liberation here - the ordeal of watching the men’s team struggle for two and a half seasons has taken a toll on my enjoyment levels and I felt genuinely uplifted at watching the beautiful game in a more positive, optimistic setting.
We will be back, although I’m not sure how regularly , and therein lies a challenge for the women’s team - how can they attract fans who already watch the men on a Saturday afternoon? I know many fans go to lower league football when Town are not playing, for example during international breaks, and I can’t stress enough how much of a difference it would make to switch from Halifax Town or Ossett United to watching Town’s Women. Get yourselves down and cheer the girls on.
Huddersfield Town Women’s next home game is this Sunday, 2nd February, against Stoke City in the league cup. The match is at the Stafflex Arena, Storthes Hall, and kicks off at 2pm. they last met in the 2nd Round of the FA Cup at Stoke, and Town won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Links if you want to find out more about the team:
Official Website: HTWFC
Twitter: @HTAFCWomen
Facebook: Huddersfield Town Women Football Club
Instagram: @htafcwomen