We Want Teesside To Support Us - Middlesbrough Women

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Middlesbrough Women manager Michael Mulhern looking forward to the historic first game for Middlesbrough Women at the Riverside on Sunday (2pm). He will be taking the players along this evening to get all the tourist-ing and some of the nerves and excitement out of the way ahead of the game.
This is a big step for a club still playing at the fourth level of the pyramid but it is one that everyone is excited for...

Q: The first home game at Stockton brought in 700 fans, a new high point, on Sunday we will go well ahead of that. How much does that mean to the club as it is growing?

A: They were good numbers. I was talking about players playing within themselves (because of crowd size) and that was one of those days where a few of the days didn't do themselves justice. That is one of the reasons why tomorrow night (tonight) I am taking them to the Riverside (so they get to experience the ground first before the game).

But yes it is brilliant, the fact we are getting 700 watching and we know it is going to grow, it is going to get bigger. However many come on Sunday we want them to think it is not just the Riverside but we want them to trundle along to Stockton and watch them there as well. We want the supporters every week. We want Teesside to support us. We have seen what that did for Newcastle last year. They had to change grounds. They moved from their ground because they were filling it and getting 3-4000 at Kingston Park and it is growing. So what they are doing is brilliant. We want to follow that and do exactly the same and hopefully the people of Teesside and Middlesbrough Football Club will support us the way they support the men's team and the 23s,whoever. We are Middlesbrough Football Club, come and support us.
 
Q: Last time we spoke before the first home game you said that after all the new signings it could take time for a new side to mesh. You have won the last two games but is it still a learning process for everyone at this point?

A: It is still a learning process, a building process. There has been a lot of work done on the training ground. I still want two or three more players in to make the group stronger, we are not there yet. It will take time. It is patience and waiting for the right players as well but we are getting there. We have had a couple of positive results and we want to build on that as well.

Q: Can I ask you how it works training wise. Obviously you and Ben Fisher (General Manager) are full time but how do the players fit in training around what ever they do (career-wise)?


A: I guess that is one of the difficulties of women's football unless you are professional really but we work twice a week Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Obviously me and the General Manager are in and working pretty much every day, planning and preparing, doing whatever we need to do. The girls come in and want for nothing because they have got the full support of the football club, which is brilliant. They have got opportunities to train elsewhere because they have gym memberships at David Lloyd. But that is when we do our work on Tuesday and Thursdays and work for a couple of hours. Obviously when you are working 5 days a week it becomes seamless, it becomes a lot quicker, trying to gel 13 or 14 new players. But it is what it is. We just have to work twice as hard, It is great fun.
 
This last answer is interesting. Middlesbrough FC is ready as a setup to step up the leagues. Could we shirt cut to the Super League through a bidding process rather than three promotions? But we are ready as a structure to jump on ahead.


Q: When they are training in this environment the women must be all too well aware of what their goal can be in a couple of years time full time at Boro.

A: Oh yes we all want the same thing. We all want to be in the Super League that is the aim of the football club, that is my aim, that is why I am doing this, that is what the players want. That is what we have told the young players when we have had the meetings in the summer. In a few years time you won't believe what is going to happen here. You will be professional footballers at 16/17 year old, the changes that are moving on so fast and so swift. When we get to join the party whether it is through a few promotions or whether it is through a bidding process. And I hope it is through a bidding process. I hope we get that opportunity because the football club is ready to go into that evel of football and then we will bring the players in.


And these girls will get to represent Teesside and Middlesbrough as professionals and that is what we want. Then the next aim is when the squads are announced for England, to see the name and then Middlesbrough Football Club after it. That is the big aim. That might take 5 or 6 years but it is a long term goal for me personally and for the football club.
 
Its not going to happen over night, needs to be a cultural change amongst teessiders that womens team is worth supporting.and watching regularly as part of their leisure time. Lets face it theyre in the equivalent of leadie 2 atm. I also read the crowd of 700 recently was the biggest in their league. So players need some perspective if they are playing within themselves because of the crowd. If they get 2 or 3 k at ruverside then thats great and hope they enjoy the experuence.
 
UTB70 said:
Its not going to happen over night, needs to be a cultural change amongst teessiders that womens team is worth supporting.and watching regularly as part of their leisure time. Lets face it theyre in the equivalent of leadie 2 atm. I also read the crowd of 700 recently was the biggest in their league. So players need some perspective if they are playing within themselves because of the crowd. If they get 2 or 3 k at ruverside then thats great and hope they enjoy the experuence.
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No one else has done this before at the level they play at, joining and playing at senior club's home ground - which shows real ambition. But as far as crowd on Teesside is concerned remember that at one time the Riverside held the record crowd for a women's international outside of Wembley. That was pre covid. Very recently indeed.
 
Drew 0-0. Stockport represent top opposition, finished 3rd in league last season.
No goals but the kids seemed to enjoy it. Chanting our keeper' Laura's name when she made saves etc. Our best chances seemed to fall when we brought on sub forward, Jolie Donzo who looked fast and strong.. But neither team did enough really to win.
Kids love when players greet and sign and do selfies.
Special offer on next match for those with today's tickets
 
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fmttmadmin said:
Drew 0-0. Stockport represent top opposition.
No goals but the kids seemed to enjoy it. Chanting our keeper's nane when she made saves etc. Our best chances seemed to fall when we brought on sub forward. But neither team did enough really to win.
Kids love when players greet and sign and do selfies.
Special offer on next match for those with today's tickets
Click to expand...
Do you know what the attendance was in the end?
 
Anyone with a daughter should take them. My 9 year old had no interest before I took her to the England v Brazil ladies game at the riverside now she’s football mad and has lessons and plays for a local team.m
She seemed to relate to it far better than men’s football.
 
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