Southampton’s amateurs eye third scalp under veteran Spacey-Cale
Arsenal legend at helm as homegrown side make debut at St Mary’s in cup tie, writes Molly McElwee
Arsenal legend Marieanne Spacey-Cale has six FA Cup winner’s medals at home, but will be on the side of the underdog today when Southampton FC Women take on Coventry United in the fourth round of the competition. Not that the odds are of much concern to them. The amateur fourth-tier side have beaten opposition a league above them in both of the past two rounds, though Coventry will be a bigger challenge as a Championship, part-time outfit.
Former England player Spacey-Cale is undaunted, however, after the huge strides her Southampton side have made. In two seasons under her, as not only manager, but also the head of the entire women’s football programme, the team has blitzed through their opposition. They have yet to lose in the league under her and remain on course for their third promotion in as many seasons. Their 27-game unbeaten league run has invigorated the club in their commitment to keep pumping money into the programme, to the tune of £1 million a year.
Their ambition to aim for a place in the Women’s Super League is clear, and the club are trying to do it while keeping things local. They are in close contact with the regional talent centre, ensuring the senior team is full of young women from the area – the squad’s average age is 20, “We’ve got quite a young, homegrown squad, so the experiences they’re gaining now and the challenges they’re facing are great,” said Spacey- Cale. “It’s all part of their development for where they aspire to be in the future, playing our way into the higher leagues, while learning and growing as a group and continuing the integration with the club.” That integration goes beyond just finances. Despite being unpaid amateurs, the women’s team train at the same facilities as the men, at the club’s Staplewood base – a perk many WSL sides cannot boast. Their 3,000-seat Testwood
Park ground is also home to the men’s under-23 side, and they have been averaging attendances of 308 this season – again, something some top-tier teams have been struggling to achieve.
Today, though, they will get a taste of the big leagues, making their debut at St Mary’s Stadium to play their first fourth-round FA Cup match.
The club confirmed 2,000 tickets had been applied for and, despite being far from the tens of thousands seen at other higher-tier women’s fixtures, it is a number that would eclipse their record attendance of 832.
“We had a training session at St Mary’s [last] Sunday, to familiarise them with the environment, the whole wow factor,” Spacey- Cale said.
“The team want to challenge themselves again, now we’ve got the opportunity to see what the Championship feels like.”