Hull City ladies currently play in the third tier of women’s football, in the FA Women’s National League (FAWNL) North. However, their place in this division is threatened by their own chairman’s requests of relegation, simply as a way to punish the players.
This topic has sparked outrage within the media and must continue to be shared to give the players a voice and an opportunity to retain their deserved spot in the FAWNL. Regardless of challenges faced behind the scenes, no team should be demoted at the expense of the chairman’s attempt to uphold his reputation.
Female athletes should be treated with respect and integrity, rather than being put on the back foot and belittled by those who ultimately control and oversee their careers in sport.
Hull: a city rich in women’s football history
Founded in 2001, Hull City Ladies started as a grassroots team in the Yorkshire & Humberside league. Since then, the team has developed massively and experienced incredible growth.
In the 2005/06 season, the team secured promotion to the North East Women’s Premier League after a successful run in the local league. Whilst the ladies performed at a higher level following this promotion, they maintained a steady growth for several years against tougher competition. However, in 2011 a merger between Hull City Ladies and Beverly Town Ladies was proposed; this accelerated their growth and squad depth significantly.
A turning point for the team was in 2015, when they were crowned champions of the Women’s Premier League Northern Division. Hull became a focal point on the map of women’s football. Since, the club have excelled their ambitions, finally securing promotion to the FAWNL Northern Premier in May 2024. Competing in the third tier of women’s football attracted top players and investments for the ladies.
Despite the rich history of Hull City Ladies, it is also important to remember that former Lionesses, Carol Thomas and Flo Bilton, are from Hull and contributed to the development of women’s football in the region. In fact, there was even a recent ‘Lionesses of Hull’ exhibition in the Streetlife Museum to spotlight the deep-rooted heritage of the sport in Hull and the surrounding areas.
A major setback in their growth
For a team who are starting to emerge nationally in women’s football and notice an acceleration in their development, a relegation request by the chairman is incredibly disheartening. Within the last two decades they have worked their way up the pyramid, currently competing in the third tier. All this hard work and dedication from the players and coaching staff seems to be snubbed by the chairman, Daniel Johnson’s actions.
But how did this all come to light? In recent weeks, there have been several concerns raised by first-team players about the general management of the club. Consequent to most of these complaints being directed at Johnson’s operations, the squad are led to believe his requests of demotion are a direct response. It is completely unacceptable that the players welfare and opportunity to play the game they love is at stake, simply for voicing their needs for adequate facilities and supervision.
To explain this further, it is reported that the squad currently has no medical insurance in place. In addition, no strength and conditioning coaches are affiliated with the ladies side. These are not simply demands from the squad, they are essential parts of a football club that should be seen as the bare minimum. Player welfare should be at the heart of any organisation. These players have every right to express their concerns, without their professional careers being threatened in the process.
The Future of Hull City Ladies
In short, Hull City Ladies are at risk of folding in the near future if these issues are not resolved. This would be a great shame, especially considering the city’s positive history in the women’s game. In an era where women’s football is accelerating faster than ever, situations like this remind us of the harsh reality where female athletes are treated with a lack of respect and dignity.
In the last eighteen months, eight players have been sidelined due to serious knee injuries, which is no coincidence. Without sufficient mental and physical support, the risk of injury is substantially higher. If this lack of medical assistance continues, the list of injuries will only rise; this further puts the club’s capabilities of survival at stake.
Hope Knight, a first-team player, opened up about this harsh reality:
“That’s not a coincidence. That’s what happens when footballers are treated like an afterthought – when ambition is replaced by greed.”
This epitomises the unfathomable situation and the toll it is taking on the squad themselves.
Something must be done to support these players and give them an opportunity to reignite their love for the game. No player, male or female, should be let down either on or off the pitch. Spreading awareness of the situation and promoting positive changes for the future generation of footballers is half the battle, but dealing with these concerns at present is vital to fight against the constant inequalities and challenges female athletes face regularly.
https://hullcityladies.com/2024/05/07/city-promoted-but-what-does-it-mean/
