Have you ever wanted to start a football team from scratch? Most of us who have grown up playing and watching football have at one time or another started an ill-fated five-a-side team that lasts just weeks before Joe and Billy drop out and mates-of-mates start to get shoehorned in to fill gaps before the team dissolves as quickly as it started. But how easy is it to start and maintain a women’s football team at a semi-professional level? Wimborne Women’s manager Poppy Hansford spotted a gap.
“It started as a joke… we were at a club who weren’t taking it seriously,” Poppy reminisced, wearing her club tracksuit, and drinking a diet coke on a Spring Friday evening, about an hour before training was due to start. “I found out that Wimborne didn’t have a women’s team so myself and a friend thought we would approach them.
“With the facilities that are here I floated the idea of if Wimborne wanted a girls’ team.” With mutual connections at the club, Poppy’s grandad played back in the day, soon through the power of social media the ‘joke’ had legs and a team was being set up.
Poppy, the player, had growth issues when she was younger, so coaching became her passion. After doing a sports course at college, Poppy, the coach, now has five years’ experience, doing her level two coaching qualifications with the AFC Bournemouth Academy. Coming from a professional background it’s these values that Poppy is keen to instil here at Wimborne.
“It’s hard at this level, we try to get the best players but also the best characters as well so that’s never easy.” Taking inspiration from outgoing Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, Poppy has developed a philosophy of players’ character being equally as important as a players’ ability.
“Emma Hayes wants good people as well as good players, and that’s something that I want to do as well. You could have 20 of the best players but if they don’t have a good character and work for each other then it’s a very toxic environment.”
A toxic environment is a key stumbling block to growth and team cohesion, so a good culture is something that Poppy has made her main priority as manager.
“There’s a good and nice environment here, I’ve come from a club where you’re not really recognised.” Wimborne captain Beth Bullock joined us at the table, hot drink in hand, talking about how Wimborne compares to her previous clubs. “We get supported well from Poppy and the other coaches.
“Also, I really wouldn’t mind Emma Hayes on the side-line” Beth laughed after hearing our conversation about the incoming USA-women’s head coach. “Emma is going to America mate, so I don’t think there’s any chance of that,” Poppy jokingly replied, the good team environment here clear for all to see.
Wimborne Town is a club on the up, growing in all areas with a new stadium and good facilities, so it seems amazing to think that two years ago there wasn’t a women’s team here.
Sitting in the light and airy clubhouse of New Cuthbury, memorabilia from the men’s team donning the walls, Poppy was quick to point out her ambitions for the club. “The men’s team are a well-known and supported semi-professional outfit so we would love to get even 10% of that and build the name.
“We want to get the club to where it should be with its stature. Getting to the South-West Premier Division (tier five) in the next five years is my goal.”
Despite only starting last season, Wimborne have already wrapped up the Women’s Dorset League title with a game to spare, a first promotion under their belt. Poppy, however, is realistic as well as ambitious in her aims for the club.
“We would need a financial backing to get to where we want to be, mainly because of the travel and not being paid. With the facilities here, and if we could get on the main pitch, then I can’t see why we can’t be one of the best around locally.”
Weymouth and Poole Town are firmly in Wimborne’s sights. Poole play in a different stadium and have a different chairman to the men’s team, showing the work that still needs to be done at a local level to improve the women’s game.
“Our team could go either way really, we could get massive growth, or we could regress.” Wimborne Women’s future depends on finances and the continued growth of women’s football, but with Poppy at the helm one thing is for sure: “We’ll take things seriously, but we’ll have fun doing so.”
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