Episode 7 out today looking at the women's team. Hadn't known they were all going full-time next season, some of them are already, of course, but most are still part-time, juggling work and sport.
https://youtu.be/7Q67227htj0?si=nAUJ56MY1g_vzeSP

Quality

Hopefully they stop playing games at Leyland from next season as well.

Great to watch. Alan’s a down to earth chap, getting in the skip isn’t he

Really pleasing to hear we’re going full time with the women’s team. It needs it with only one promotion spot and other premier league teams in the league.

The integration piece was interesting too. Good to see the teams mixing and getting along well. Could be a good thing for the club to have that mix around the training ground. We have good facilities but not really sure they were designed for so many teams/staff though, so not sure how sustainable that is.

Really hope we find them a playing facility that is closer to home, ideally actually in Burnley!

As long as they pay for themselves and don’t run at a loss

This is a big statement.

Only one club can be promoted from women's national league north, and we are a long way back this season.

Then its to the Championship which again is only one team promoted.

Full time is being paid for by the mens game but maybe they will be doing community coaching

How many do we get on The Turf in comparison to Leyland ? It’s a very long term investment imo

FCBurnley wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 24, 2025 10:47 pm

How many do we get on The Turf in comparison to Leyland ? It’s a very long term investment imo

I think if you look at it purely financially, I don’t think you’d ever invest in a local stadium. So it’s a very long return on investment, I agree, but remaining in Leyland is not a sustainable long term option so the club will have to find a solution one way or the other.

Plus any such facility could be used by the Academy and you only need to create one Dwight McNeil through that to pay for it several times over.

Over time though, from a brand and image perspective, and marketing the club, the Board will want to have the women’s team in the WSL so will need the infrastructure to support it.

steve1264b wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 24, 2025 10:32 pm

This is a big statement.

Only one club can be promoted from women's national league north, and we are a long way back this season.

Then its to the Championship which again is only one team promoted.

Full time is being paid for by the mens game but maybe they will be doing community coaching

One is definitely funding the other. To an extent a short, sharp investment in players and the team to get through the leagues quickly to the WSL (where I assume it is more self-sustaining) might be better than several years funding smaller losses.

Would make sense for them to play at Padiham again or something rather than stay at Leyland. Maybe a question to be asked at the next FAB meeting

At what point does it become worth buying some land and building a small ground that the women, reserves and youth teams could play home games at?

Goliath wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 24, 2025 11:23 pm

At what point does it become worth buying some land and building a small ground that the women, reserves and youth teams could play home games at?

Now, I think. I’d much rather we invested in that than the wild shopping spree we went in a few summers ago anyway.

I think we own some land somewhere in Hapton anyway, but I’d much prefer a small facility at Gawthorpe.

BFC12345678 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 24, 2025 11:15 pm

Would make sense for them to play at Padiham again or something rather than stay at Leyland. Maybe a question to be asked at the next FAB meeting

It’d make much more sense to me. Not sure why we don’t have much closer ties to Padiham given the proximity.

Think Leyland has better facilities overall though.

We did announce Accy as their home ground once and a few weeks later that seemed to change. Accy would be better than Leyland, still not ideal though.