RFC ladies to join revamped Women's Superleague from 2014

[reading_fan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22314500

Manchester City to compete in WSL top tier after restructure
Manchester City Ladies will compete in the top flight of the women's game for the first time in their history.

The Women's Super League has been expanded into two tiers of eight and 10 teams from 2014, an increase from the previous single division of eight.

Two-time English league winners Doncaster Rovers Belles will play in the second tier as part of the change.

Teams can be promoted and relegated between the two divisions but those in the second tier cannot go down.

The Football Association hopes that the introduction of two tiers will increase competition and grow the game in more areas.

The governing body will part-fund teams in the semi-professional WSL, awarding £70,000 to clubs in WSL1 and £25,000 in WSL2.

As part of their applications, clubs had to show they will match the funds being offered by the FA and this criteria will be monitored each year with teams holding provisional licences to compete until 2018.

City currently play in the Premier League, which is the division below the WSL, but will feature in the top flight with reigning champions Arsenal, Birmingham City, Bristol Academy, Chelsea, Everton, Notts County (formerly known as Lincoln Ladies) and Liverpool from next season.

The second tier will comprise of Aston Villa, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Durham, London Bees (Barnet FC), Millwall Lionesses, Oxford United, Reading, Sunderland, Watford and Yeovil Town.

"This is a tremendous accolade for the club and one we are very proud of," said Aston Villa's chief executive Paul Faulkner.

"At the heart of who we are as a club is the 'one club, one family' ethos and having Aston Villa Ladies FC competing in the Women's Super League is a good addition to this.

"We want our fan base to be connected to the club in all its facets and the ladies team will play their part."

The eight-strong WSL has been going since 2011 when it switched from its traditional slot on the football calendar to a summer season, with Arsenal winning the title on both occasions.

This latest move is part of the FA's five-year plan to develop the game, with the governing body pledging to invest a further £3.5m over the next four years.

WSL 1
•Arsenal
•Birmingham City
•Bristol Academy
•Chelsea
•Everton
•Notts County (formerly Lincoln Ladies)
•Liverpool
•Manchester City

WSL 2
•Aston Villa
•Doncaster Rovers Belles
•Durham
•London Bees (Barnet FC)
•Millwall Lionesses
•Oxford United
•Reading
•Sunderland
•Watford
•Yeovil Town

[Clyde1998]

Don't know anything about Women's football, but we'll be playing Oxford

[RoyalTank]

Its all kicked off apparently. Nottingham Forest are furious because they hammered Notts County 16.1 last week and now they have a team in the first division (granted it is a different team) and forest didnt even make into the second division.

[RoyalBlue]

Its all kicked off apparently. Nottingham Forest are furious because they hammered Notts County 16.1 last week and now they have a team in the first division (granted it is a different team) and forest didnt even make into the second division.

Lincoln Ladies have done an MK Dons and taken over the Notts County name! Leeds are currently in the WPL but didn't make it in - other clubs such as Oxford have come from nowhere. A lot seems to have come down to how much financial backing each club could demonstrate (money talking again). That having been said, Reading FC Women fully deserve their place either way because having narrowly been relegated from the WPL last year they look very well placed to win the WPL Southern this year and bounce straight back.

[RoyalBlue]

Don't know anything about Women's football, but we'll be playing Oxford

For those who don't know much about women's football, how about making it a double fxture on Sunday. Reading FC Women are playing in the Berks and Bucks County Cup final at Abingdon United, kick off 6pm.

The team play fantastic free flowing passing football and are scoring goals for fun in the WPL (+ 34GD from 15 games), partly because they are all encouraged to shoot on sight. In fact they are playing just the way that we hope Adkins will be able to get the mens team playing.

And for those who really can't face the relegation death match, Reading FC Women Reserves are playing in the Berks & Bucks Trophy final at Abingdon United, kick off 2pm on Sunday. They too play really good football.

And if anyone has pre-conceived notions of what women's football might be like or who hasn't seen a women's game for a few years, I would encourage them to go and see Reading FC Women play at some stage (they still have a few games left this season). You will be pleasantly surprised.

[maffff]

With a new manager in place [Jane Ludlow], quite a few high profile signings and increased presence on the Reading FC site it might be time to resurrect this.

Also, the wikipedia link is quite dated, again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_F.C._Women

Anyone with an interest fancy refreshing it?

[soggy biscuit]

high profile

lolz

[Big Foot]

Who cares? This is about as relevant as Meadway Youth Under-10s result yesterday

[Platypuss]

General Sport

[floyd__streete]

What about female footballers?

Very good card players, but I wouldn't give them the time of day.

[RoyalBlue]

General Sport

Forum seems to be 'Reading Football Club' and, whether the dinosaurs on here like it or not, Reading FC Women are an official representative team of Reading Football Club funded and supported by Reading Football Club.

In the women's game they are playing at least at the equivalent of the men's team, have mastered the type of fast flowing, passing, entertaining football that Nigel Adkins wants the men's team to play and score a lot more goals!

[Platypuss]

The "or not even football" proviso applies.

[Big Foot]

General Sport

Forum seems to be 'Reading Football Club' and, whether the dinosaurs on here like it or not, Reading FC Women are an official representative team of Reading Football Club funded and supported by Reading Football Club.

In the women's game they are playing at least at the equivalent of the men's team, have mastered the type of fast flowing, passing, entertaining football that Nigel Adkins wants the men's team to play and score a lot more goals!

That's great, what are they cooking for dinner tonight?

[Cureton's Volley]

Any totty in the ranks?

[SLAMMED]

Any totty in the ranks?

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/team/ladies_profiles.aspx

[maffff]

That's last years squad, e.g. Jess Charman is out in America playing for Clayton State now.

And I meant in terms of ladies football we have made some high profile signings, plus the manager. The ladies team is moving forward in leaps and bounds right now.

[Big Foot]

Why is this still on the Team board

[Hungary Royal]

General Sport

Forum seems to be 'Reading Football Club' and, whether the dinosaurs on here like it or not, Reading FC Women are an official representative team of Reading Football Club funded and supported by Reading Football Club.

In the women's game they are playing at least at the equivalent of the men's team, have mastered the type of fast flowing, passing, entertaining football that Nigel Adkins wants the men's team to play and score a lot more goals!

That's great, what are they cooking for dinner tonight?

The amount of sexism on here astonishes me. I thought we had some people who were actually open to this sort of thing (having a women's team), but obviously there are a lot of mongs on here and you should be ashamed of yourselves.

[Big Foot]

We? They're nothing to do with us

[maffff]

Why is this still on the Team board

Because it's part of Reading FC and one of the teams....