LADY GLOVERS NEED EXTRA FUNDS TO MAINTAIN NEW STATUS

Just days after their opening Women's Super League One fixture against Manchester City, Yeovil Town Ladies have been told that they will need to find more funds to finance their newly found status following a new FA ruling.

The FA have announced that a new, full-time, one-tier division will be introduced in time for the 2018-19 season. This means that the Lady Glovers, who are currently part-time, will need to be able to turn full-time to be able to compete in the new division and will also need to meet the following criteria.

A minimum of 16 contact hours per week for players, rising to 20 hours per week by 2020-21

A minimum level of financial investment required by each club

Financial Fair Play regulations and a squad cap

An academy at each club, compulsory as part of the licence

Since entering Women's Super League Two in 2014, Yeovil Town Ladies have grown from being a club playing at the Jones Stadium in Sherborne, home of Western League side Sherborne Town FC, to sharing Huish Park with the club's men's side. During this time, as well as winning promotion to the top-flight of the women's game in 2016, they have also twice been voted as WSL 2 Club of the Year in recognition of their off-field activities.

However, they are now facing a situation whereby they will need to raise an additional £350,000 in the space of 44 days, as the deadline for their application for a new licence for the division is on November 10th, 2017.

Yeovil's opening day fixture against Manchester City saw several leading figures of the women's game, including Lionesses skipper Steph Houghton and Jill Scott as well as Scottish stars Jane Ross and Claire Emslie, appear at Huish Park in front of a crowd of over 1,000. Occasions like this demonstrate the Lady Glovers' potential as a club, but time will tell whether they will be successful in maintaining their new found status.