Women's team thread 2023-24

Today, 9th July, sees the start of the LOWFC's pre-season campaign with a friendly match against a top American University side called 'PUMA Showcase' who appear to be based at Wingate University in South Carolina.  Clearly a team with a top sponsor and with many years running football camps.  I don't know who are in their team, Americans or local, but I do understand they will be fit, strong and not newbies at competitive football.  

At Half time, the score is 1-1 with Katie Hunt scoring a 7th minute penalty but the opposition having equalised in the 10th minute. More later....

A report will appear later at NEWS IN DETAIL on our LOWFC dedicated website. 

So Fisch, no one has commented on your posts. I will start now.

How does this squad which is preason compare to how we finished last season? In the mens game there are a lot of changes from one year to the next, how does our squad compare to last year? How is the team to be improved on over the prior year?

That's some good info there OrientSC, many thanks. I was given to understand that PUMA Showcase is a very professional outfit and, as you implied, not for those with an empty wallet. The sheer cost of shipping over so many people just to play games at a strictly amateur level makes the eyes water, it's a different world. From what I know, LOWFC are made up of almost entirely local women who who pursue their ambitions at their own cost and in their own time, Leyton Orient provide the infrastructure, kit, management, training facilities, other related experts and overall organisation. This is the case for for nearly all the women's organisations up and down the country except for the rarefied air of the Women's Super League and perhaps the Women's Championship  where they are a mix of full-time professionals and paid part-timers.

Like all of grass roots sport, LOFC rely on the self motivation and dedication of the women to turn up for training and their acceptance of the management. It is grass roots stuff, people get to play in games where their lack of ability would dictate they would be left on the side-lines if this had been a purely professional undertaking. Clearly reaching half time with PUMA at 1-1 and then shipping five 2nd half goals without reply tells its own story. For the present, this 'all inclusive' view reflects the strictly amateur nature of the beast.  If ambitions are realised with time, this will inevitably change as the team climbs the ladder. For now we are more like the London Borough of Islington who run many women's and girls' teams, all with the accent on sport, health and personal development. Winning leagues is not their riaison d'etre. 

My nephew (my in-the-know guy, he's a scout for Crystal Palace) and I,  with others, organised a tour for a team of teenaged girls to visit and play games here in my adopted town of Varaždin, Croatia a few years ago. We snaffled a few dozen university dorms (empty for the summer break) and played some games against local sides. It was a lot of fun but, the key thing is, we knew none of them were in a position to pay for it so the socialistic side of Europe stepped up with tax money to make it happen, both from Islington and from Varaždin city councils. Here's a little info:  Islington ladies head for Croatia  (image below)

I believe Leyton Orient, the whole club, have ambitions for the women's team to play at a much higher level, at which point much of the social element will have to be lost. I'm still LOFC through-and-through but I will have a nostalgic view of how the women's team started off. 



 

I have read the history of a lot of football teams, “big” and “small”, and the origin stories are fascinating. Cricket clubs who used football to stay in shape, clubs who picked their colors from docking ships, clubs who were organized by tradesmen and on and on. Big things from humble origins driven but the love of the game and the camaraderie. It seems like the women’s clubs are in that stage and it’s exciting to be a part of something like that, even just as a fan.

I'm sure Olivia is registered on the forum.

The girls are at Grays today for their 2nd pre-season match. Kick-off at 12:45.
No teamsheet as yet...

HT: Grays 2 - 1 Leyton Orient

I have no idea who is playing or even if there are triallists.

Grays play in the Eastern Region Womens Football League (ERWFL) Division One - South, which is at Tier 6 of the FA Women’s Football Pyramid, that's about the same level as our girls as far as I can tell. Being a regional league, all the teams are from Essex and East Anglia, our girls play in the Greater London Women's Football League.

FT: Grays 2-3 Leyton Orient 

Two second half goals during what is described from pitch-side as: "The O’s dominate the second half, playing some skilful football". 
The match was played near Alderton Hall Lane in Loughton but I don't know if this is going to be a thing for the coming season.
Hopefully a report will follow soon.    

How does this GLWFL premier league compare to last year’s level? One step up the pyramid i would assume?

This thread about the women’s team seems very stereotypical.

Why does it rarely namecheck individuals?

As a female, I find it all very tokenistic.

Without this thread I wouldn’t know what was/is going on with the O’s women’s team