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Southampton: Saints’ Women’s team enjoying superb first season

By Marc Walker

NICOSIA, CYPRUS - MARCH 10: Head Coach Mark Sampson (C), Assistant coach Marieanne Spacey, and Goalkeeper coach Lee Kendal of England sing the national anthem before the Cyprus Cup match between England and Canada at GSP stadium on March 10, 2014 in Nicosia, Cyprus. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)
NICOSIA, CYPRUS - MARCH 10: Head Coach Mark Sampson (C), Assistant coach Marieanne Spacey, and Goalkeeper coach Lee Kendal of England sing the national anthem before the Cyprus Cup match between England and Canada at GSP stadium on March 10, 2014 in Nicosia, Cyprus. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images) /
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Southampton’s Women’s side are enjoying a stellar first season under the guidance of former England coach Marieanne Spacey-Cale.

Saints announced the creation of their new women’s team at the beginning of this season and made a big statement by bringing Spacey-Cale in to oversee developments.

They have started in the fifth tier of women’s football in the Southern Region Women’s Premier League and have done superbly so far this campaign.

To date, they have won 20 of their 22 games in all competitions and have not dropped a point in the league after 12 victories.

Both defeats came against higher league opposition in MK Dons and Portsmouth the FA Cup and Hampshire Cup, but those games will have provided valuable learning experiences for the players.

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: The Southampton crest is seen ahead of the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s Stadium on September 20, 2015 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: The Southampton crest is seen ahead of the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s Stadium on September 20, 2015 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) /

Next. Three previous Saints league wins against Brighton. dark

After not managing to get a team straight into the FA Women’s Championship, Saints are having to build from the bottom to reach their ultimate goal of having a Women’s Super League side in the future.

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To get to the top tier would require four promotions, which could prove challenging when competing in the more competitive higher divisions.

Saints are understandably very committed to this though. The club’s managing director Toby Steele mentioned in a recent interview with the Daily Echo that the Women’s team was being funded to the tune of £1m per season.

It was announced today that the club had also retained their Regional Talent Club tier 1 status, which sees them recognised as one of the best female coaching centres in England.

Girls youth teams at Under-10s, Under-12s, Under-14s and Under-16s are currently overseen at the club’s Staplewood campus.

Evidence of the development of some of the youth players is regularly seen with many international call-ups at different age groups coming in the past year.

Saints are obviously well-known in the men’s game for their production of players from their academy, and it would appear that they are now beginning to do the same in the Women’s game.

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