THORNABY FC MEETING TO AXE FEMALE TEAMS HELD IN SECRET, SAYS MANAGER

The manager of the women's team at Thornaby FC, which this weekend announced it was cutting its entire girls and women's squad - affecting players as young as five and six - says the all-male board tried to keep a meeting about the decision secret. 

First team manager Abbey Lyle appeared on Woman's Hour on Radio 4 this morning to talk about the decision, branded 'disgusting' by Lioness Beth Mead, which has left 100 girls and women at the north east club without a team, but sees the boys and men's sides continue as normal. 

The Teesside-based grassroots club said it voted to scrap its female section due to 'low staffing issues', insisting that moving forward 'without the women' was the only way to ensure its future. 

Speaking to the show's host Clare McDonnell, Lyle said that the women's team secretary had to 'worm her way' into the 'emergency' meeting after it was kept under wraps - before the decision was announced on Sunday.  

Lyle also said the decision to axe the team was 'definitely not money-driven', saying the women and girls squads are largely self-sufficient via their own set of sponsors, adding 'we've never really gone to the men for anything'. 

She also said that it wasn't 'on any agenda that the men's team might get cut'. 

Those who voted against keeping the female squads have since resigned, with just two board members left, Philip Genery and chairman Garry Morris.  

Ahead of the resignations, Morris said: 'I have made my feelings known to the board, have asked them to reconsider their decision, and also to consider their positions on the board as patrons and trustees of the football club.'

'We are empowered by the fans of the club to make the right decisions for the future of the club, and all those who show their unwavering support to both the male and female teams of all age groups deserve better. 

'I firmly believe this decision made yesterday does not do that, and will be making this clear to the remaining members of the board.'

The pair said they would now look up to set up a 'more diverse' board, saying: 'We just want Thornaby FC to be an open and encouraging environment for women'. 

The Teeside club's women's first team reached a cup final last month, with 800 local schoolchildren turning out to watch and 'wanting their shirts signed'. 

Lioness Beth Mead and other key figures in sport have joined the growing backlash against the grassroots football club.

England star Mead tweeted: 'Disgusted to see this decision, the women's game is on the up but we still have committees making these horrible decisions.

'It's not good enough, these young girls deserve better. I'd love to send the team a signed England shirt to keep them inspired @ThornabyFCWomen. If I can help with anything do reach out, us women need to stick together.'

Women's manager Lyle told the programme: 'While they [the players] do want to be Beth Mead, they also want to play for Thornaby FC, that's their club. That's the sad thing. The younger generation, it pulls on your heartstrings, but the women's side of it, from under 15s onwards, it's frustrating because they come from a generation where they're really fighting to play football.

'It's like we've taken a step back and the women's team have taken it the worst, although they're determined to take positives out of it. We need to get the decision overturned. We deserve it, we've worked really hard.'  

She said the last two days had been 'crazy', saying getting the news was 'hard to process' and saying: 'We tried to digest it a little bit before we told the girls because we needed to do it correctly - because it's obviously all different age groups. We needed to not outright say "you've gone", we needed to support them and see what we could do for them.'

The club's stadium and clubhouse suffered significant damage at the end of last year when vandals started a fire and Lyle said everyone - including volunteers from the local community - had been involved in getting the club back on track, but that the work was 'done for free' by sponsors.

Lyle added: 'It's not a witch hunt, it's not a man vs woman. If you want to play sport, if you enjoy it and it's good for your mental health and you make friends, go and play that sport. We need to make sure this doesn't happen again in any sport. We can't allow this to happen. Generations have changed, things have progressed.'

Baroness Tanni-Grey Thomson, who lives about four miles from where the club plays, also spoke to the show, saying she understood the pressure of finding volunteers coupled with the cost of living crisis, but said the decision had been poorly handled and 'women and girls deserve better. It's as simple as that'.

'The reality is the Beth Meads of this world start off at places like Thornaby - you need that encouragement, that support and to see people like you. These moments highlight how far we've still got to go.' 

Stephanie Hilburn, CEO of Women in Sport, 'We've lived in society where we've seen sport as something men do. We need to relegate that attitude to history, it's an absurd situation to be in. 

'There's a massive gap between the amount of team sports girls and boys get to play - boys get to play something like 22 per cent more team sports. 

'We must stop seeing this as a men vs women thing. There's nothing women want to take away from men's joy in sport. 

'We see our husbands, our sons playing it and loving it - but it is utterly shocking that we are telling girls they don't deserve the joy, the learning of leadership skills, the teamwork, the friendships that boys do. Of course they deserve the same. It's heartbreaking to see these types of decisions'.  

An FA Spokesperson said: 'We are very disappointed to see that Thornaby FC have announced steps to withdraw their support for their women's and girls' teams. 

'In recent years, we have seen unprecedented growth across the women's and girls' game in this country, and we are fully committed to ensuring all women and girls can access and play the game – whether that be in schools or in their local community. We are currently supporting North Riding County FA who are in contact with the club to see if a suitable resolution can be agreed.' 

Nikki Lucas, whose daughter Lily captains Thornaby's successful under 15s team, said the team had just won a tournament when they heard.

She said: 'We were all absolutely devastated, shocked and really deflated. The girls had spent the whole day at a tournament in Chester-le-Street where they absolutely smashed it, lifted a trophy and then came home to this news.'

Mrs Lucas, who lives in Middlesbrough, added: 'We were all sat watching Soccer Aid, women and men playing together at Chelsea's ground, and yet there's clubs making decisions like this. It's crazy that they have done this to them.'

Mrs Lucas said parents held fundraising events for the girls' teams through the season to cover the cost of entering tournaments, and their subs paid for kits and training gear.

Young players would be heartened by the support that the girls' and women's teams have received since the news broke, she said.

'It has been unbelievable, it has been quite emotional this morning, we knew people wouldn't be happy, but we never imagined anything on this scale,' she said. 'The girls have seen the offers of help and it has boosted them up.

'It shows how much the women's game has progressed.'

The under 15s finished runners up in their league, won two cups and have been invited to represent the Teesside area in a national tournament this summer. 

In a statement published on social media yesterday, Thornaby FC said: 'The committee held an emergency meeting with all concerned and discussed the whole future of the club including the events over the last 12 months.

'After discussions it was felt the only way to continue was without the women and running with only the men's team as before they came to the club also with the Staffing levels very low the day to day running of the club is in doubt.'

It comes just twelve months after the club, run by chief executive Trevor Wing, suffered an arson attack which left sections of the ground damaged in the blaze. 

Social media users have been left outraged by the decision, with many labelling it 'appalling', 'discriminatory' and 'shameful'. 

One user wrote: 'Disgraceful. Let me know if you want help finding a new home. Rise above them!'

Another person wrote: 'Shame on the club. No excuse. Best wishes and hope that the whole set up is snapped up by another club.' 

Bethany England, Lioness and forward for Tottenham Hotspur, said: 'Saddened and disgusted to be reading this. 

'The fight for women to keep their place at the table is a never ending battle. This should not be happening, these women and girls deserve better! My thoughts go out to everyone involved at the club, players, staff and volunteers.'

Andy McDonald, Labour's candidate for the new Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency, called the decision to axe the female teams a 'wrong and regressive move'.

He said: 'Now as a community we need to come together to support the club and work out how we keep the teams for girls and women in the town.

'The women's game in this country has sky rocketed in recent years and we need to keep pushing it forward towards the day it is genuinely on a level pegging with the men's game.'

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, winner of 11 Paralympic golds, called the decision 'so sad', adding on social media: 'Where do the girls go now @thornaby-fc'.

South Shields FC Women said: 'Women's football should be championed and we should be proud of the scene here in the north east. We're all thinking of you, and we hope everybody connected with the club finds a way forward.'

A spokesperson for Women in Football said the group is 'dismayed' by Thornaby FC's decision.

They said: 'At a time when women's football is booming, with more girls in England than ever before in need of opportunities to play, the committee members who voted to leave more than 100 girls without a club are flying in the face of progress, fairness, and community.

'Football is everyone's game, and while equality and inclusion take hard work and commitment, they are essential values for any organisation with a role in the community – not optional extras.

'We commend those committee members at Thornaby FC who opposed this measure, including the Chairman Garry Morris, and we urge those responsible to reconsider and reverse their decision.'

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2024-06-11T13:59:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd