LOWFC - positive changes and demotion

[Reflecto]

Just read that we have a long term strategy for the development of Women's Football - ALL GOOD but there is no clear explanation as to why our in-house Women's team now needs to start at Level 6 - 2 down from the current team. What attempts were made to incorporate the current / successful Level 4 team (and club) into the structure and if there were any - why didn't it happen? Over to you DOF...

[gshaw]

Reading the Twitter responses the club comes off in a very bad light. The way it reads is they've dropped the existing team with no notice, that's pretty low after streaming their FA Cup game only the other week.

Another one for Ling's portfolio, he made some somewhat.pointrd comments about women's team and / or academy at the AGM that make sense in light of this.

[Adz]

I had no idea that the womens team wasn't actually run by the club. So it's a new team, which is why they start at the bottom. I think they've made the right decision and think it's great that girls now have the same opportunity as boys to play youth team football for the club.

From what i've read the lowfc have been disingenuous about it. They knew it was coming for months, but buried their head in the sand and refused to meet the club about, so the clubs hand was forced in order to start for next season.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Sounds like our ‘family club’ board have made a monetary decision whilst dropping a club that has represented us for 6 years out on their ear and down two divisions.

Not surprised.

[Long slender neck]

But they don't give them any money

[Millennial Snowflake]

I had no idea that the womens team wasn't actually run by the club. So it's a new team, which is why they start at the bottom. I think they've made the right decision and think it's great that girls now have the same opportunity as boys to play youth team football for the club.

From what i've read the lowfc have been disingenuous about it. They knew it was coming for months, but buried their head in the sand and refused to meet the club about, so the clubs hand was forced in order to start for next season.

Spot on. Lots of fake outrage about this from people who want an easy dig at the club and ling

[OyinbO]

I had no idea that the womens team wasn't actually run by the club. So it's a new team, which is why they start at the bottom. I think they've made the right decision and think it's great that girls now have the same opportunity as boys to play youth team football for the club.

From what i've read the lowfc have been disingenuous about it. They knew it was coming for months, but buried their head in the sand and refused to meet the club about, so the clubs hand was forced in order to start for next season.

Spot on. Lots of fake outrage about this from people who want an easy dig at the club and ling

I don't think the women players have a particular animus to either, and they are rightly incandescent

[OyinbO]

But they don't give them any money

the new outfit will be on a "pay to play" model

[OyinbO]

Obviously it's not as clear cut as either side is making out, but the very fact that a highly embarrassing furore has kicked up should tell you that the Club has mishandled this.

[Millennial Snowflake]

Don't think a few dozen emotional business hating weirdos on Twitter having a hissy fit counts as a highly embarrassing furore tbf

[gshaw]

Don't think a few dozen emotional business hating weirdos on Twitter having a hissy fit counts as a highly embarrassing furore tbf

Watching the Facebook groups it's not just what some might call "the usual suspects" but also the usually more positive fans also calling the club out on it.

Seems very poor form not to offer the existing players to transfer across or taking over the club in its entirety so they can retain the current level of football. Very strange move when Orient have been using the current team in their marketing etc.

[KenleyO]

Just been mentioned on ITV London Lunchtime news - very negative message - a bit of a marketing OG this one

[OyinbO]

Don't think a few dozen emotional business hating weirdos on Twitter having a hissy fit counts as a highly embarrassing furore tbf

Well, the Club has been embarrassed into changing its story twice, and I don't think we've heard the last of it yet.

[JimbO]

Don't think a few dozen emotional business hating weirdos on Twitter having a hissy fit counts as a highly embarrassing furore tbf

Watching the Facebook groups it's not just what some might call "the usual suspects" but also the usually more positive fans also calling the club out on it.

Seems very poor form not to offer the existing players to transfer across or taking over the club in its entirety so they can retain the current level of football. Very strange move when Orient have been using the current team in their marketing etc.

If you read the statement on the website seems like they weren't allowed to approach any of the players who play for the other team as part of the agreement.

[The Big Shot]

I thought this was poorly done by the club as well, really feel for the players whom have given everything and played for the club these last few years and now its left them right in the sh*t.

The only thing I will say is, its not really a suprise because in the long term it will bring in more money to the club (I assume anyway) and give more local women the chance to play football.

I see alot of outrage about this on social media, but IMO the board have changed direction on this because it seemed (to me anyway) that not many people really took an interest in the womens team.

People have been quick to condem the ruthlessness of this (and rightly so) but when was the last time they made the effort to check on the womens teams result, or to go and watch them play? or to understand better the level that they played at? Its all well and good condeming the ruthlessness of this, but the people doing it probably haven't even bothered to follow the womens teams progress. For what its worth, I would usually read about them in the match programme each home game.

The last game they played at Hornchuch which was their home ground only around 30-40 people turned up to watch them, which lets be honest is a bit soul destroying. Whenever they played at Brisbane Road you'd usually get no more 150 people and most of those would friends/family of the two teams playing.

If more people bothered to make the effort with our womens team and womens football in general to get out and watch them (I include myself in that as well) to show our board and other people within football that people do care about the womens game and that it can generate revenue, things like this I don't think would happen.

[OyinbO]

That’s all fair comment TBS, but a group of women have been treated very disrespectfully here, and that just reflects pretty badly on the Club.

[Real Al]

Can anyone explain why the existing team have to drop down 2 levels? I understand why the new team would have to start there, but why can't they just continue in step 4 as KiKK, or whatever?

[gshaw]

Don't know if anyone seen the slightly bizarre post going round Facebook tonight linking the existing team with the Beelzebub era, all very odd.

The players seem to be the ones really getting screwed over by it all, got to feel for them having the rug pulled out from under then whatever the ownership situation is.

[OyinbO]

Don't know if anyone seen the slightly bizarre post going round Facebook tonight linking the existing team with the Beelzebub era, all very odd.

The players seem to be the ones really getting screwed over by it all, got to feel for them having the rug pulled out from under then whatever the ownership situation is.

Thanks. Just read that. Totally hatstand. Sounds like yer man has been given part of the story and thinks he has all of it. God knows why a “senior member of the women’s team” would be messaging him and why he’d want to share it only by private message himself. Particularly when the majority of the squad have very publicly been saying the opposite

[Fisch]

Nobody is getting screwed over by anybody. The Kikk organisation did a deal with Bechetti to play under the Orient name and avail themselves of some club resources, this was allowed to continue until now. The organisation, indeed the whole women's club was run by Kikk.
LOFC were not happy with the situation and, when finally they got to talk with Kikk, to try to make a deal going forward.which included a development team entering level 6. Kikk refused to entertain that so LOFC ended their 6 year evolvement. Kikk reverted to message board histrionics and did a Donald Trump on social media, thus demonstrating their unsuitability as partners for LOFC. The existing players May apply to join if they wish.
LOFC have conducted themselves correctly throughout.

[BiggsyMalone]

Nobody is getting screwed over by anybody. The Kikk organisation did a deal with Bechetti to play under the Orient name and avail themselves of some club resources, this was allowed to continue until now. The organisation, indeed the whole women's club was run by Kikk.
LOFC were not happy with the situation and, when finally they got to talk with Kikk, to try to make a deal going forward.which included a development team entering level 6. Kikk refused to entertain that so LOFC ended their 6 year evolvement. Kikk reverted to message board histrionics and did a Donald Trump on social media, thus demonstrating their unsuitability as partners for LOFC. The existing players May apply to join if they wish.
LOFC have conducted themselves correctly throughout.

What are the club actually proposing? Do the club want to start their own woman’s team?

[Kitch’s Magic Toes]

Nobody is getting screwed over by anybody. The Kikk organisation did a deal with Bechetti to play under the Orient name and avail themselves of some club resources, this was allowed to continue until now. The organisation, indeed the whole women's club was run by Kikk.
LOFC were not happy with the situation and, when finally they got to talk with Kikk, to try to make a deal going forward.which included a development team entering level 6. Kikk refused to entertain that so LOFC ended their 6 year evolvement. Kikk reverted to message board histrionics and did a Donald Trump on social media, thus demonstrating their unsuitability as partners for LOFC. The existing players May apply to join if they wish.
LOFC have conducted themselves correctly throughout.

Always the lickspittle, Milano. I suppose you have done some research into this, or are you just spewing the club line verbatim?

KMT

[Bottomley’s Ghost]

Bit on this on the Price of Football podcast today. For information the women already had a development team playing at, I think, level 7.