Notts County Ladies 2016 Season

[Joe Jones]

So the WSL 2016 season is over. Notts County Ladies have finished sixth (out of nine) on 16 points, 26 off champions Manchester City.

In addition crowd attendances for the Lady Pies games have fallen by around 17% from last season.

From BBC Sport:

Notts County, the only WSL 1 club who experienced a decline this season that was willing and available to talk to BBC Sport, put their "slight drop" down to a number of factors, including sporadic scheduling of matches and absence of a cup run, having reached two cup finals in 2015.

On four occasions, there were breaks of a month or more between home fixtures at Meadow Lane.

"The scheduling of matches has been a frustration for both clubs and the league since the inception of the FA WSL," said a club spokesperson.

"We understand that there are many factors, some out of the club's control, which can attribute to a slight drop in our average attendance.

"Last season's achievements of reaching the final in both cup competitions certainly helped to create a momentum and build attendances for Notts County.

"Without having a run in either competition this season, it has undoubtedly had an effect on our attendance."

Hopes are high that the switch from a summer league to a winter competition from the 2017-18 season will help scheduling of matches.

But with change comes new challenges, as there will be a shortened Summer Series before the campaign starts in September 2017.

"With the winter season still 10 months away, it's hard to tell yet what the effect on attendances will be," said a Notts spokesperson.

"We understand that any adverse weather could have an effect. However, we are also aware that a consistent run of fixtures will have a positive impact on the attendances."

So what do you think about Notts Ladies' season, in terms of performances on the pitch, matters off it and also fan interest in the team?

[Dripsey3]

Notts don't have the resources of Man City, Chelsea or Arsenal. Notts cannot be expected to compete for trophies. If anything, 6th is a decent finish. One thing Notts do need to do is bring in better players. There are plenty of decent options all over Europe and not expensive either.

2 go down next season. Yeovil will be 1 of them I reckon. Notts will be in the mix for that 2nd relegation spot. I wonder if the enthusiasm is gone from the owners? I don't think so but it's not easy to find the resources to run 2 clubs.

[Chris]

Honestly, the ladies have been punished by the fact the club (mens) was up for sale.

During that period nobody seemed to know what was going on, certainly signings hadn't been made and there was a massive rush to get this job done as the transfer window was closing. I actually don't recall any signings being made until that point, perhaps someone can correct me? I would pin point that as being the main issue. The ladies don't need a massive budget or one of the biggest, unlike the men's its not governed by mega riches.

Obviously it helps but I do feel our ladies have a decent squad, one that could have picked up more quality earlier than they did.

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

Aren't the 2 teams separate entities, at least financially? 

[DangerousSausage]

I don't really follow the ladies' team enough to say why crowds have declined. But the two cup finals last season almost certainly gave things a boost.

 

As long as the future ownership of the club is uncertain, so is the future of the ladies' team, as it was always Ray Trew's baby. If Alan Hardy does eventually take over, we don't know what his attitude to it will be. As we will increasingly be competing with clubs with far more money than us, he might see it as an unnecessary drain on resources.

[Dripsey3]

Here's a good place to start: 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37929842?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_match_of_the_day&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport

Might be 34 but still well able to play at the top level. She's a fantastic leader as well. Just what Notts need.