Not a Lasses' Game? - The Grassroots Game (#3)
A deep dive into life at a grassroots football team in the North East
“It’s every other day I’ve got a young girl coming up to me and asking where they can find a team to get involved,” shared South Shields Women head coach, Alex Miller.
The secondary school teacher beamed with delight as she recounted the handful of experiences like it in recent weeks and months, and she for one is over the moon with how the women’s game is evolving.
It is becoming clear that the Lionesses’ success has created a trickle-down effect where teams at all levels can benefit from the increased attention.
The Mariners are members of the fifth-tier NERWFL Premier Division, the highest level of regional football in the women’s pyramid.
And with promotion into the National Leagues in the coming years high on the agenda, what changes might be needed to transform the club into one fit for life in the fourth tier, for the first time in its history?
Interactive timeline journalling South Shields Women's 2023-24 campaign. (Credit: Nathan Bell)
Key figures at the club have never shied away from the fact that promotion is their ultimate ambition.
The 2023-24 season has had its fair share of spurring wins: a 9-0 home demolition against Hartlepool United in front of 161 fans at the men’s ground, 1st Cloud Arena, a 7-0 thrashing against Redcar Town, and two separate 5-0 victories.
Yet despite this the team chose to go in a different direction when they parted company with head coach Matt Gatiss at the back end of February 2024.
He recollected while in post how the team he had at his disposal was “the most talented group” he had worked with, and it’s easy to see why.
The team were en route to become the first team in the division to net 50 league goals until they were pipped at the post by Spennymoor Town.
New arrival Sophie Curle scored in each of her first seven games, which included a hat-trick (against Sunderland West End), a brace (versus Redcar Town) and a single strike (against Bradford City).
The ever-dependable Eve Gatens contributed 34 times in 21 appearances too. Her 15 goals and 19 assists in all competitions put her near the top of the charts in the division.
Taken from an interview with former South Shields Women head coach, Matt Gatiss. Credit: Nathan Bell (Video taken December 14, 2023).
Taken from an interview with former South Shields Women head coach, Matt Gatiss. Credit: Nathan Bell (Video taken December 14, 2023).
Former captain and long-serving leadership figure Miller stepped up to the plate then, and did so again in the wake of Gatiss’ departure.
Despite the untimely circumstances, having the opportunity to be a part of the growth of women’s football is a dream come true for her.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” she reflected.
”I work in a school and I’m involved with the school in the football setting as well and the amount of girls that we’ve got coming up and wanting to be involved in football, they’re wanting to find more about it."
One moment which stands out to Miller is when a group of supporters brought a flag to the team’s away trip against Wakefield AFC in February 2023 - the first time that someone has done this.
It is proof in itself that the sport is attracting new audiences and that “pure surprise” in her view is unimaginable.
She added: “For me it was pure surprise but also a sense of joy and kind of relief in a sense that the impact of the whole Euros was having an impact on us as well, getting more people along to games.
“Just seeing that people were actually there to support our team and not generally football, but coming along and going out of their way to support our team and our group of girls.”
Coaching the present and the future...
Credit: Nathan Bell (Video taken: February 29, 2024).
Credit: Nathan Bell (Video taken: March 28, 2024).
Credit: Nathan Bell (Video taken: March 7, 2024).
Since the club doesn't play full time, the coaching staff are volunteers who juggle commitments with the side with their day-to-day jobs.
Jake Lumsdon joined the club ahead of the 2022-23 season as a coach and he has stayed with the team throughout this season. He said he has really enjoyed working with the team despite some difficult challenges.
He said: “I got involved with Shields when I was 16. I was just scrolling on social media and saw an advert on Twitter from the then-manager looking for coaches for the first team.
“I thought I might as well send an email detailing that I was a young coach looking for experience in the senior game. I went to my first training session just before I turned 17 and I’m now approaching the end of my second season with the club.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with the girls this season, we’ve got a great squad and working through the ups and downs coming off the back of a difficult season they’ve all shown a great attitude to really try and kick on."
“I didn’t perceive the women’s game any differently to the men's game before I started working in it, but having worked in it I’ve noticed some small differences in styles which happens in the women's game, but they don’t make too much of a difference.
"It’s all football and the major core of the sport is the same in both the men’s and women’s game.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with the girls this season, we’ve got a great squad and working through the ups and downs coming off the back of a difficult season they’ve all shown a great attitude to really try and kick on.
“We’ve had some tough games and some rough patches but it’s always a massive pleasure to work with this group of players.”
A handful of younger players have made their way to training sessions each week which is testament to the team’s philosophy of bringing up younger talent and developing them to become better footballers.
David Wheeler coaches the South Shields Under 15s Girls side and he is very supportive of that youth-first mentality which is embodied by those further up the club.
“We brought the girls’ U15 team over last year alongside an U16 and U18 team,” he said.
“Unfortunately the U18s folded due to lack of players, however thankfully some of the girls from this team came into the team like Sophie Greener, Lily Walker and Ebony Longstaff.
“With the girls only able to play in the women's team when [they turn] 16, there is still plenty of time for others to come through.
“The encouraging thing is the pathway was non-existent over 12 months ago but now we have over 100 girls registered at the club and the U15s and U16s are both very strong teams in respective leagues.”
A lot of work is being done to support the Mariners, as they hope to take the next giant leap into the National League structure for the first time soon.
Players clapping the supporters following the team's 9-0 win against Hartlepool United at 1st Cloud Arena. Credit: Craig McNair (Photo taken: September 24, 2024).
Players clapping the supporters following the team's 9-0 win against Hartlepool United at 1st Cloud Arena. Credit: Craig McNair (Photo taken: September 24, 2024).
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