why dont bfc women play at turf moor?

[Ralphandwillie]

whats the point of having a team if nobody can watch them?

[randomclaret2]

Probably the same reason the U23s and U18s dont

[mybloodisclaret]

I think it is down to the maintenance of the pitch, I may be wrong.

[Ralphandwillie]

ive seen the u23s and youth teams play at turf moor. even seen st marys v towneley

[RickyBobby]

I think it is down to the maintenance of the pitch, I may be wrong.

Exactly this. Would be good though if they played a one off like their first home game at the turf. I would go and I am sure many others would, but I think a lot of people at the club and a large percentage of Burnley fans are very narrow minded unfortunately.

[ClaretInLeeds]

whats the point of having a team if nobody can watch them?

Anyone can go and watch them. You just have to travel to Leyland for the privilege.

They aren’t the only Ladies team in the local area though

[ClaretTony]

ive seen the u23s and youth teams play at turf moor. even seen st marys v towneley

Last season the u23s played one game at the Turf. Two others were scheduled to be played there but were moved. The u18s played none on the Turf, even the FA Youth Cup tie was moved to Leyland.

[Vegas Claret]

insane they can't find somewhere closer to home

[ClaretTony]

insane they can't find somewhere closer to home

They started last season at Accrington but quickly moved to Leyland - same for the u23s though who also play there

[Loyalclaret]

Noticed a few councillors/leader of council asking the same q yesterday

[Vegas Claret]

They started last season at Accrington but quickly moved to Leyland - same for the u23s though who also play there

surely must be somewhere more appropriate ? What about places like Padiham, Colne etc ? I don't know, a good 15+ years since I've been to any of these places

[Quickenthetempo]

I saw a couple of social media posts about this yesterday.
One family who used to watch Burnley at Padiham, now travel to watch Man City ladies as it's closer.

[ClaretInLeeds]

surely must be somewhere more appropriate ? What about places like Padiham, Colne etc ? I don't know, a good 15+ years since I've been to any of these places

Colne have their own ladies team now.

At the level Burnley are at, they are required to play stadium football, which somewhat limits options.

[Big Vinny K]

Very few games are played at the clubs main ground across the women’s leagues - and that includes even the top teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and City.
Attendances for their games is still pretty low and I’m assuming this is the main reason they are playing most of their games at smaller stadiums. Some of the big games last year like Spurs v Arsenal were played at the main stadiums.

Hopefully their attendances will begin to increase after the success of the Euros and will reach a level where its viable to start sharing the main stadiums more.

As for Burnley it would show some intent from the club if they could find somewhere closer than Leyland for the ladies team to play so that we can get more local people going to watch them.
The head of our ladies development was on Granada news this evening talking about the England win and she came across really well…..it looks like we are putting some effort into improving this side of the club.

[wilks_bfc]

surely must be somewhere more appropriate ? What about places like Padiham, Colne etc ? I don't know, a good 15+ years since I've been to any of these places

The ladies team did play at Padiham but moved to Leyland at start of last season, possibly due to the condition of the pitch

[Claret3495]

Shame we can't have double headers like they do in other sports, put the women on before the men. I'm sure more people would go and watch if they're going to the men's game anyway

[Boss Hogg]

Shame we can't have double headers like they do in other sports, put the women on before the men. I'm sure more people would go and watch if they're going to the men's game anyway

The pitch would be churned up. Most fans will be going to watch the men so it’s piggybacking.

[Mattster]

Saw a few bits and pieces on social media asking why the women's team doesn't play at the Turf. Seemed a bit hypocritical / bandwagon jumping to me.

They don't get the attendance to justify it, the club would lose more money on it than they do now. You could go watch them play for free in Leyland last season and there were very few there. Didn't see much interest in the free streams of their matches on TikTok either. Suddenly we win the Euros and the club is underselling their women's team? How about these people go watch the games and show there's enough demand first? Was very few people going on from my experience last season.

Off the back of the Euros could make sense to do one game at the Turf and cash in on the current hype around the game but I don't think they should be pressured into making the move permanent by people who wouldn't attend games even if they did.

[SydneyClaret]

Maybe it’s time to build a small stand down the side of the main pitch at Gawthorpe.

[wbfc]

i have watched highlights on tiktock ...some nice skill and commitment but a poor game would be a hard watch ...the reason why it is not played at turf moor is demand ...albeit i appreciate quite a few would try at the moment due to the euro win...there is nothing wrong with piggy backing on the mans game . if it can take off great

[agreenwood]

I’m involved in womens/girls football and will always support it, but I can’t see the Burnley team playing at TM any time soon. Playing to a small crowd in a 20,000 capacity stadium isn’t a good look.

I saw a few of the councillors posts and they seemed to be suggesting some fairly random places to play locally, but there’ll be league requirements to consider. If they manage to get promoted to the Women’s Championship it’ll need to be a decent stadium.

If they can find a more local non-league club to do a deal with for a few years and build up the crowd, maybe they can play the odd bigger game at TM with a view to moving there permanently a few years down the line.

[Spijed]

Saw a few bits and pieces on social media asking why the women's team doesn't play at the Turf. Seemed a bit hypocritical / bandwagon jumping to me.

They don't get the attendance to justify it, the club would lose more money on it than they do now. You could go watch them play for free in Leyland last season and there were very few there. Didn't see much interest in the free streams of their matches on TikTok either. Suddenly we win the Euros and the club is underselling their women's team? How about these people go watch the games and show there's enough demand first? Was very few people going on from my experience last season.

Off the back of the Euros could make sense to do one game at the Turf and cash in on the current hype around the game but I don't think they should be pressured into making the move permanent by people who wouldn't attend games even if they did.

Unfortunately few turned up to watch them when they played at Padiham as well.

[TheOriginalLongsider]

It used to be that season ticket holders got onto reserve games for free with the Bob Lord Stand open. Something like that would work. Free entry for season ticket holders and low prices for the rest.

[mikeS]

These may seem daft questions but, Why can't the womens teams and under 23s play at Gawthorpe? If it's a Burnley team surely they should be playing as close to Burnley as possible.
Why don't the club publish their fixtures and dates so the fans know when the games are on?
What facilities are there at Gawthorpe for fans to go along to watch games - seating, stands, toilets, and if these aren't there, why not build them?
Cheers.

[Loyal Supporter]

The womens team should be allowed to play at the Turf. I think they would wipe the floor of the opposition and clean up. If they could iron out a few issues and allow fans in im sure they could cook up a well worked goal…..

I wonder how long it took you to create this misogynistic masterpiece. The amusing thing is that you genuinely must have thought how funny it would sound.

[Big Vinny K]

The womens team should be allowed to play at the Turf. I think they would wipe the floor of the opposition and clean up. If they could iron out a few issues and allow fans in im sure they could cook up a well worked goal…..

Modern day Oscar Wilde eh.
I love how you have pricked out a few stereotypical sexist words and cunningly disguised them into your post. Absolute nob genius of you.

Unfortunately mine are not as subtle or clever

[GodIsADeeJay81]

These may seem daft questions but, Why can't the womens teams and under 23s play at Gawthorpe? If it's a Burnley team surely they should be playing as close to Burnley as possible.
Why don't the club publish their fixtures and dates so the fans know when the games are on?
What facilities are there at Gawthorpe for fans to go along to watch games - seating, stands, toilets, and if these aren't there, why not build them?
Cheers.

Is there the capacity at Gawthorpe for additional parking?
Would they likely get planning permission to build a stand or two?

At present so the Ladies and U23's generate enough crowds to warrant X amount of money to be spent in this way?
Or is it a case of spending the money to attract the crowds?

Also worth noting, the club own some land up by Accrington just off the motorway, so they could always build a small, purpose built ground there for the Women's and U23's if required.

[Sheff_bfc]

Saw a few bits and pieces on social media asking why the women's team doesn't play at the Turf. Seemed a bit hypocritical / bandwagon jumping to me.

They don't get the attendance to justify it, the club would lose more money on it than they do now. You could go watch them play for free in Leyland last season and there were very few there. Didn't see much interest in the free streams of their matches on TikTok either. Suddenly we win the Euros and the club is underselling their women's team? How about these people go watch the games and show there's enough demand first? Was very few people going on from my experience last season.

Off the back of the Euros could make sense to do one game at the Turf and cash in on the current hype around the game but I don't think they should be pressured into making the move permanent by people who wouldn't attend games even if they did.

Agree with this. As great as I think the last few weeks have been, my worry is that the current excitement/coverage of womens football simply won't be sustained and it will very quickly fade away. The EFL being well underway, the Premier League starting this weekend and the World Cup this winter will no doubt contribute to this.

[Quickenthetempo]

Unfortunately few turned up to watch them when they played at Padiham as well.

How many went to watch? I take it you went a few times?

I know there was a fuss about them moving to Accy at the time.
Have they got promoted since or got better?

Has Tik Tok not made them stars?

[Colburn_Claret]

I'm sure some people don't realise how successful our women's team has been over the last 4 years.
Last year was the first time they hadn't been promoted in those 4 years, so they have climbed 3 levels.
They had a slow start to the season, but were flying the 2nd half. Handed the eventual champions, Wolves, their only defeat of the season 3-0, and won a lot of games by big margins. IF they can replicate that end of season form this coming season, another promotion will be on the cards.
The point is, that would leave us 1 level below the City's, Chelsea's , Arsenal's. Just as our promotion came at a cost re ground improvements, I'm sure the Ladies would face similar. It would be a real sickener if they failed to get promoted due to not having somewhere to play that meets the leagues criteria. I've never been to Leyland, and don't know what the criteria will be, but you can bet your last dollar that where money is involved, the big clubs will try and have it stitched up. I hope it all works out for them, and wish them a successful season.

[Spijed]

How many went to watch? I take it you went a few times?

I know there was a fuss about them moving to Accy at the time.
Have they got promoted since or got better?

Has Tik Tok not made them stars?

Went a couple of times. One of the games was against Nottingham Forest women and there looked to be about 100 or so in attendance. That was just before lockdown in 2020.

[Goody1975]

I saw a few of the councillors posts and they seemed to be suggesting some fairly random places to play locally, but there’ll be league requirements to consider. If they manage to get promoted to the Women’s Championship it’ll need to be a decent stadium.

The other thing to consider is the clubs already using some of these 'random' facilities mentioned, no thought process about how shoehorning another team into the facility will affect them.

[Juan Tanamera]

Noticed a few councillors/leader of council asking the same q yesterday

Hark! Is that the sound of a bandwagon I hear rumbling towards Burnley Town Hall?

[TheFamilyCat]

Hark! Is that the sound of a bandwagon I hear rumbling towards Burnley Town Hall?

I would suggest so. Maybe someone should point out how many women's teams play regularly at the club's stadium.

It would be great if the women's game did get to the level where it justified playing in stadiums of that size (and if the playing surfaces could handle the extra games) but despite Sunday's success, I think we're a long way from that still.

[Clarets4me]

Hark! Is that the sound of a bandwagon I hear rumbling towards Burnley Town Hall?

Politicians, jumping on a bandwagon ? Surely not ...

I'm old enough to remember the Labour Party & Government putting every obstacle in the way of the 1974 British Lions tour of South Africa, including instructing Councils to refuse leave for players who'd been selected. I think three players actually resigned from jobs, so they could tour. The same Government hosted state visits for Brazil's military dictators and that nice Mr Ceausescu from Romania.

When they returned unbeaten having won 3 out of 4 Tests with one drawn, they were feted at a Downing Street reception by the very same politicians ... pass me a bucket !

[ArthurShelby]

They left Padiham because they said the pitch wasn’t good enough.

What if the club paid for a brand new pitch with a good drainage system for Padiham then they could go back ?

Win/Win for both the women get back to playing bacially in Burnley and Padiham get a new pitch that they probably couldn’t afford themselves.

Could sign a contact saying we have the right to play there for X amount of years.

[ŽižkovClaret]

They left Padiham because they said the pitch wasn’t good enough.

What if the club paid for a brand new pitch with a good drainage system for Padiham then they could go back ?

Win/Win for both the women get back to playing bacially in Burnley and Padiham get a new pitch that they probably couldn’t afford themselves.

Could sign a contact saying we have the right to play there for X amount of years.

That sounds far too sensible to work

[BurnleyFC]

The finances have to stack up if we’re thinking of making significant investment in the women’s team and their facilities.

If they can make it work financially then great, but I seriously doubt they can.

[BurnleyFC]

Is there the capacity at Gawthorpe for additional parking?
Would they likely get planning permission to build a stand or two?

At present so the Ladies and U23's generate enough crowds to warrant X amount of money to be spent in this way?
Or is it a case of spending the money to attract the crowds?

Also worth noting, the club own some land up by Accrington just off the motorway, so they could always build a small, purpose built ground there for the Women's and U23's if required.

What land in Accrington do the club own?

Is it the old power station at Huncoat because I’d heard that mooted as a potential site for a new ground previously?

[forzagranata]

The club have already increased investment in the women’s team with wages for players and staff and bringing them into the set up at Gawthorpe. Revenue won’t have increased at anywhere near a proportionate level. Despite all the moaning in the past few days it is the same story at many clubs. Part of the reason for the success of the England team is increased investment and professionalisation. But that narrative doesn’t get many likes on twitter for Ian Wright and Co.

[JimmyRobbo]

A sensible question with honorable intent.

It's quite a simple answer. Pitches need to be looked after. It is a very expensive and scientific process. To allow 2 teams to use it will lead to a much poorer surface.

Some clubs put up with that because it is financially viable but not desirable.

[joey13]

What land in Accrington do the club own?

Is it the old power station at Huncoat because I’d heard that mooted as a potential site for a new ground previously?

That was Padiham Power Station

[Sproggy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlVYBixQNQ0

** strong language warning **

[GodIsADeeJay81]

What land in Accrington do the club own?

Is it the old power station at Huncoat because I’d heard that mooted as a potential site for a new ground previously?

I've seen it mentioned on this forum that there's a chunk of land owned by the club down that way, but no one's sure what they're going to do with it.

[Burnley Ace]

Just for some context, what sort of attendance was there last season and what price were the tickets?

[BurnleyFC]

That was Padiham Power Station

No, Padiham power station is where Shuttleworth Mead is now where as Huncoat power station is at the top of Altham Lane just as you enter Huncoat.

[Claretnick]

I've seen it mentioned on this forum that there's a chunk of land owned by the club down that way, but no one's sure what they're going to do with it.

I think its land near to the remaining Lowerhouse Lodge, Bob Lord's meat factory was located in that area back in the day.

There is mention of this land north and south of Molly Wood Lane Hapton in the last few paragraphs of the LET article about the new owners.

Burnley Bridge business park is next door to this land.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/s ... turf-moor/

[joey13]

No, Padiham power station is where Shuttleworth Mead is now where as Huncoat power station is at the top of Altham Lane just as you enter Huncoat.

Padiham power station site was rumored in the early 90s for a new ground , complete rubbish of course.

[Pickles]

I think its land near to the remaining Lowerhouse Lodge, Bob Lord's meat factory was located in that area back in the day.

There is mention of this land north and south of Molly Wood Lane Hapton in the last few paragraphs of the LET article about the new owners.

Burnley Bridge business park is next door to this land.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/s ... turf-moor/

This is really interesting, missed that at the time. Got Google Maps up now having a look. Would not surprise me at all whatsoever if Pace et al are seriously considering it. I'm not sure how I'd feel. Turf Moor is really special.

[Dazzler]

The question BFC women might ask in the not too distant future is 'why can't we be paid the seem as the men's team'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61492703

We're not a super power the likes of Man City nor are we likely to be.

Priorities for me.