[Football] Where are Brighton Ladies playing next season?

[stewart12]

Withdean Stadium would be good. The stand next to the pub must hold 3600 which is enough based on current gates.

it's 2,000 max I reckon. Think the minimum for the WSL is something like 5,000

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

it's 2,000 max I reckon. Think the minimum for the WSL is something like 5,000

The minimum required is 1,500 - 2,000 ( I don't remember exactly ) - but the key is it must be expandable to 6,000. This means it would need to be able to get planning permission for 6,000 and be financially viable to do so. Would the council give permission for a permanent 6000 capacity at Withdean ? Maybe, maybe not.

Martin Perry is supposed to have 1 last project for the albion. I assume a closer ground for the Women's team is that project.

 

[Beach Seagull]

Who cares. They play in front of tiny crowds. They could play in a park. It's a low quality minority sport, the BBC elevate it to the same status as the men's game which is a complete joke. I guarantee you if you did a straw poll at the Amex on Saturday and said to the respondents 'name me 5 Albion women's players' the percentage who could would be less than 5%. Guaranteed to again upset the liberal elite on here but I'm totally correct.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Who cares. They play in front of tiny crowds. They could play in a park. It's a low quality minority sport, the BBC elevate it to the same status as the men's game which is a complete joke. I guarantee you if you did a straw poll at the Amex on Saturday and said to the respondents 'name me 5 Albion women's players' the percentage who could would be less than 5%. Guaranteed to again upset the liberal elite on here but I'm totally correct.

So I watch U23's Albions men football, they play in front of a fraction of the crowds than the Albion Women's team get at Crawley. In fact when the Women play at the Albion's main ground they get bigger crowds than a lot of lower and non league mens teams get. Can the same people name you the Alzate's, Saunders and Connolys on there way before they hit the first team! Could they name the full mens team we have out on loan across Europe at the moment, I do not know, perhaps 5%!

All I have picked up on (as a middle aged man in my 50's) is that Bloom and the Albion see them selves as an inclusive club, so not just aimed at me. A bit like banning cigarettes from being displayed in shops, its not aimed at older smokers, but kids who still have a chance to live a life without them.

Bloom and the club are currently spending near on £30 million pounds developing the women and girls center at Lancing, if you have been out there recently for any of the U23 mens games it looks the ****ing Bees Knees. 1200 girls went through our footballing programmes last year, I imagine even more this year.

Women's football is one of the fastest growing sports in the Western world. Just because you think everyone should know all the players names and they should all be as good as Matty Ryan, Ali j and Andone has little influence on what Bloom thinks our club should look like. He has spent unbelievable wealth on a ground, training facilitys, back room experts and players for the men,s team. If you cannot see that he is doing the same for the Albion Women, Albion Women youth system, Powerball team, Blind teams, Mental health teams etc etc etc, then you are missing a huge part of what the Albion is about.

Yes it caters for Men like me who cannot name more than 5 players who are European and play in champions league but love the Albion, but it also caters for people on a ride with all the other Albion sides trying to reach the top level. Under Bloom the Women's team have had a double promotion (like the mens U23's and U18's) and now sit in the Women's Super League, He has employed the ex England coach and bough us young talent, and he wants them to reach the heights of European football, like the mens U23 team have done. Rome was not built in a day but I have no doubt Bloom will build these teams a 5-6K £30 million stadium somewhere and the crowds will come with or without you.

I say embrace the ride.

 

[The Wookiee]

Is Woodside Road suitable ?

 

[blue-shifted]

I think that Withdean North Stand stand holds somewhat less than that, perhaps just around 1000-1500.

IIRC the top flight womens league requires the home ground to have a capacity 5000 or 6000, hence having to move from Lancing FC to Crawley when they got to the top flight.

We should be lobbying the FA to change the rules.

5 or 6000 is ridiculous. What's the point in insisting on a large stadium which means that the team is pushed 30 miles from the city it represents when we're not getting anything like 5 thousand at Crawley.

If we could rotate around the Amex, Woodside, the Dripping Pan and Withdean, we'd get way more people going to women't football and not in totally empty stadia either. Surely this must be what the FA wants

 

[A1X]

the BBC elevate it to the same status as the men's game which is a complete joke

You're right. The full commentary on all women's games on both national and local radio stations every weekend, the prime Saturday night slot for highlights, the way they have it as headline news every day in their bulletins, the way it occupies 1 of the 17 stories currently showing on the main BBC Sport football page (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football). It's unbelievable. Next they'll be campaigning to give them the vote.

 

[Superphil]

Is Woodside Road suitable ?

Capacity isn't high enough for the FA rule.

 

[Palacefinder General]

You're right. The full commentary on all women's games on both national and local radio stations every weekend, the prime Saturday night slot for highlights, the way they have it as headline news every day in their bulletins, the way it occupies 1 of the 17 stories currently showing on the main BBC Sport football page (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football). It's unbelievable. Next they'll be campaigning to give them the vote.

Beach Seagull doesn’t even type his own posts, ‘her indoors’ does it while he dictates them (in between making his breakfast, lunch and dinner) because tapping keys is women’s work.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Capacity isn't high enough for the FA rule.

Which is just crazy, as Woodside Road would be an excellent venue. Easily accessible by public transport, in the heart of the catchment area, very good facilities, what's not to like?

I really cannot understand why the FA put such onerous conditions on teams that will not require large capacity stadiums. This applies to lower league football aswell.

 

[Worthing exile]

Trouble with Lancing is transport links aren't great (as in station is 15 minute walk away, not many buses) and the car park is tiny.

Build at Lancing and park in Ikea which is a short walk..

 

[BNthree]

Build at Lancing and park in Ikea which is a short walk..

Was thinking that as I typed my post but I'm sure those that opposed the development of Mash Barn farm would love the idea of a 6,000 seat stadium being built next door! It is a very sensible suggestion to build a stadium there but just can't see the club getting planning permission for it due to the extra traffic it would potentially generate.

 

[Beach Seagull]

You're right. The full commentary on all women's games on both national and local radio stations every weekend, the prime Saturday night slot for highlights, the way they have it as headline news every day in their bulletins, the way it occupies 1 of the 17 stories currently showing on the main BBC Sport football page (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football). It's unbelievable. Next they'll be campaigning to give them the vote.

That's one too many stories out of 17. Have a separate site for the women's game. Likewise with the Albion offer an opt out for news on the women's team.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

That's one too many stories out of 17. Have a separate site for the women's game. Likewise with the Albion offer an opt out for news on the women's team.

As stated on my previous post. Bloom is bought into an inclusive Albion. You get one you get them all.

If you want your option you may need to buy him out, Avert your eyes to anything not Men’s first team news or embrace it.

 

[Blue3]

If you build it they will come

Lancing stadium watch the ladies play and have your meatballs on the side what's not to like

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

So what sites are available for a 6k/8k/10k ground ? ( Obviously bigger crowds can be accommodated at the Amex ).

There must be some sites in Brighton that were too small when we were looking to build at Falmer ? Or perhaps somewhere out of the city, but with better rail transport links than Crawley to Brighton ?

 

[Beach Seagull]

As stated on my previous post. Bloom is bought into an inclusive Albion. You get one you get them all.

If you want your option you may need to buy him out, Avert your eyes to anything not Men’s first team news or embrace it.

All fair points you've made.