The theme of the morning was Storm Dennis. Last weekend, several sporting events had been cancelled due to Storm Ciara and I was on vigilant Twitter and Trainline watch, to check that my trip to Manchester was (A) Game still on, and (B) Trains still running. It became clear that it was an all-clear for both accounts.
The reason that the GKA had chosen to take the train, rather than drive, is because the Manchester City Women’s Website information stated that ‘parking was via park and ride, and that local resident parking was permit only.’ As I don’t know the area, I thought I’d rely on the one service that is renowned for its punctuality and reliability (especially during bad weather) – Northern Rail.
It was a tale of two journeys – on the way there, at 12:11pm, the platform was packed, and I had to fight a swirling pack of piranhas (do fish come in packs?) in order to board the carriage. As per usual, people were pushing and not allowing anybody to alight, and I ended up crammed by the door like a sardine (fish analogy complete).
On a plus side, the train was on-time, but are 3 carriages enough for a Sunday peak travel period on a main line? I know the answer to this rhetorical question and I’m sure it is something that Boris will sort with another oven-ready piece of rhetoric.
The train arrived a few minutes late into Manchester and I set off walking to the Manchester Academy Stadium. As previously mentioned, the GKA had visited the Etihad on September 7th 2019, so I followed same route, by memory – it was a different journey. Last time I was speed walking with a belly full of burrito, through a crowd of over 30,000 supporters. This time, I had plenty of time, an empty tummy and it was eerily quiet. I appeared to be the only person in Manchester heading to the game. The streets and roads felt empty and it was another clear difference between the men’s and women’s games. Manchester City Women are one of the top three sides in English Football, and it was like nobody cared that this great team was about to play a 5th Round tie in the FA Cup. A game in which a victory would take them to the Quarter Finals of the competition.
My lonely journey took me past the men’s stadium.
There was an interconnecting bridge between the two stadiums, and it was at this point that I spotted other fans – I wasn’t alone after all.
Just as I passed this pre-view window, I walked past two women and one asked ‘Does Gill Scott play for Manchester United or Manchester City?’
I murmured ‘City’ and then paused to take a picture of the ‘Emy Stadium.’
Before I was allowed inside, I was strip searched by an air-port style security team – phone, keys, wallet taken out of pockets etc.
My ticket had cost me £8.50
Stadium costs so far – Men v Women
Men £114
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£19.50 Women
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I took the standard GKA corner flag photo.
I was handed a team sheet.
There was an area in which young people were playing table tennis and a member of security told me that I wasn’t allowed to walk around the whole stadium. So, I took a seat, near the front, around the half-way line.
The game kicked off and as expected it was dominated by Manchester City. A heavy rainstorm hit the front seats and a large section of the crowd moved further back up the stand to avoid the rain.
I was impressed by both the stadium and the atmosphere and It didn’t take long before Manchester City were 1-0 up. The above photo shows my higher vantage point and just how close the two stadiums are to each other. Within 30 mins, Manchester City were 3 nil up and the game was becoming a formality. Ipswich Town had given a good fight in the initial exchanges, but the gulf in class between a 1st tier club and a 4th tier club was obvious. Ipswich were the lowest ranked team still left in the competition and, like most women’s teams I’ve watched along this journey, they had 7 teenagers in their starting 11 and an average age of 21. They’d won 6 games to reach this stage and performed brilliantly to get this far – a massive achievement for the club.
It remained 3 nil at half time, and the GKA went for it’s wonder.
Right next to the toilet was this little merchandising stall.
And this was the fanciest café that the GKA has come across so far. Most grounds stick to pies, chips, burgers and hot dogs, but not at Manchester City Women.
I bought and ate my posh football dinner of a falafel wrap and rosemary and sea salt wedges - which cost £6.20 along with a hot drink.
After properly checking my ticket, I realised that I’d paid for a seat in a fancier part of the stadium.
I moved to my snug, leather, arm-rested chair for the 2nd half. It was still chilly and windy, so the extra comfort helped.
They weren’t quite as fancy as the seats to my left…
As can be seen by the score, the game was a completely one-sided affair and it finished 10 nil. I guess it was still a great experience for the Ipswich Town Team and the 400 fans that had followed them on the long trip up the country. Information doesn’t seem to be too forthcoming on how many total fans were there, so I’d have to guess at around 2000 (the capacity is 7000, only one stand was open, and it wasn’t completely full.
Attendances – Men V Women
Men 30,766
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2858 Women
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The GKA was impressed by the set-up at Manchester City. Other teams should follow their example for the women’s’ game to grow. They have two stadiums within visual distance (Chelsea Women play 7 miles from Stamford Bridge; Arsenal Women play 12 miles from the Emirates Stadium and Manchester United Women play 15 miles from Old Trafford). Manchester City Women must feel part of the Manchester City club as they can see the Emirates as they train and play their home games. It is a stadium that is fully dedicated to Manchester City, covered in corporate blue and a scoreboard that flashes up pre-prepared images of the players that have put the ball in the net – Manchester City are delivering the correct message to the players and the fans.
I am aware that the set up at Manchester City is partly ‘accidental’ as the whole complex was built for the Manchester Commonwealth games, and it is not practical for most established teams to build an adjacent second ground for their women and academy players. However, smaller clubs can still send out positive messages – Lewes FC are a non-league club, but their women’s team has managed to make it to the women’s championship – Lewes are the only club in that world that has an equal pay policy for its men’s and women's teams. This is only practical due to the level that the men play at, but it shows that Lewes are a forward-thinking club. I thought that my Falafel and Rosemary Wedges were posh, but according to ex England International goalkeeper, Rachel Brown Ennis, at Lewes home games, they serve Processco in beach huts - the epitome of posh.
Manchester City Women won £3000 in prize money.
Prize Money – Men V Women
Men £451,390
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Women £16,085
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Route Women’s
Mossley Hill Ladies
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Burnley Belvedere Ladies (No show)
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Curzon Ashton Ladies 2
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2 Mossley Hill Ladies (2-4 Pens)
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Sunderland West End Ladies 4
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4 Mossley Hill Ladies (4-5 Pens)
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Mossley Hill Ladies 1
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3 Stockport County LFC
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Stockport County LFC 2
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2 Brighouse Town Ladies (2-4 Pens)
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Liverpool Feds 0
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4 Brighouse Town Ladies
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Chorley FC Women 1
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2 Brighouse Town Ladies (ET)
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Brighouse Town Women 0
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1 Barnsley Women
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Burnley Women’s FC 1
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3 Leicester City Women
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Manchester City Women FC 10
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0 Ipswich Town Women
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80% away victory ratio.
Most of the other games in the women’s competition were postponed due to that pesky storm Dennis and this is reflected in last nights draw.
Women’s FA Cup Quarter Final Draw 17.02.20
Crystal Palace or Brighton v Birmingham City
Everton v Chelsea
Arsenal or Lewes v Tottenham Hotspur
Leicester City or Reading v Manchester City
Last night’s draw was on BBC Radio 5 live at 20.45 and the GKA is going to be ‘all-over’ that Everton V Chelsea game.
Men’s
The GKA still doesn’t know where it is heading for the men’s 5th Round on the 4th March – tickets only go on sale to the general public next week.
As for my train journey back – the cold had got inside me as I’d been sat still in the Manchester Academy Stadium. A strong powerwalk back to the station allowed me to warmup and once there, my train was on time, and it was an excellent, lovely, brand new, warm, seated ride home – maybe Boris has worked his magic already.
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