Arsenal-land

Gervaise appointed as Arsenal Ladies manager
By Chris Harris, Wednesday, June 03, 2009
http://www.arsenal.com/news/ladies-news ... es-manager

Tony Gervaise will succeed Vic Akers as Arsenal Ladies Manager. The Scot joined the Club last summer as Academy Director and doubled up as Akers' Assistant following the departure of Emma Hayes to the United States. Gervaise previously held the position of Scottish FA Head of Youth Development in women's football and was also Head Coach for Scotland at a variety of youth levels. Now the 54-year-old will take the top job at Arsenal Ladies as Akers steps down after 22 years at the helm. "Tony Gervaise is coming in and will take the job on," Akers told Arsenal.com. "I am sure he will do an excellent job. He has been with me a year so far, which we had planned when he came in to be Academy Director. We planned on him being around me as an assistant and as a coach. He moves on now to be first-team coach. Sadly it looks like we are going to lose [Assistant First-Team Coaches] Marcus Bignot and Laura Harvey, so we will be looking for an assistant to Tony. By the start of the season we'll have everything in place."

Gervaise admits he has some big shoes to fill after succeeding Akers but he is confident that Arsenal Ladies can maintain their position at the top of the women's game. "Vic has had a unique time and he has worked tremendously hard at that," said Gervaise. "To start from where he came from and deliver what he has matches the very best. To win 32 trophies in his time as Manager is just amazing. "What the Club has achieved is fantastic and we’re now moving forward into a new, exciting time. We lost a lot of senior players last season but the squad maintained their standards and took it one better by winning the 'treble'. It was an immense achievement and we will take that forward and use that enthusiasm, hunger and drive. The mentality at Arsenal is first class and it’s onwards and upwards as far as I’m concerned. I look forward to it immensely."

The ladies will never work for a boss like him again, FACT.

He's basically just a chilled out entertainer.

UEFA launch Womens Champions League

http://www.arsenal.com/news/ladies-news ... ons-league

Arsenal Ladies will be challenging for the UEFA Women's Champions League next season.

Changes to the existing UEFA Women's Cup, including its new name, have been agreed by the UEFA Executive Committee and new Arsenal manager Tony Gervaise will lead the 2007 winners into the 2009/10 tournament.

The new-look competition will have more entrants and a high-profile one-off Final to be held two days before the men's UEFA Champions League Final, in the same city. For the first time, the top eight associations in the ranking will be entitled to two entrants - the winners of their national domestic league as now and also the runners-up.

Under the new format, the UEFA Women's Champions League will include just one round of mini-tournaments, including for the first time the runners-up from the top eight ranked nations, with the qualifiers to join the top-seeded clubs in the Round of 32. From this stage the competition will be played on a two-legged knockout basis, giving clubs more opportunity to have games at their home ground.

The other major innovation is the replacement of the two-legged Final with a one-off game. Therefore, the first UEFA Women's Champions League final will be held in Madrid on Thursday, May 20, 2010

So now Everton will get a chance to pit their wits against Europe too

Great news for women's football.

We need to bring back Lianne Sanderson, and not for footballing reasons!!!!!!

Well she was a hell of a player for us that's for sure but she appeared very quick to jump ship (for more money) to join Chelsea.

Maybe, just maybe with the likes of Kelly Smith and Karen Carney gone a return could be possible ?

From what little I have seen of them I'm not totally convinced that Helen Lander or Suzanne Grant are good enough to fill the void.

Not sure why the Amercian league didn't target her, young, quick an eye for goal would have made a good aquisition ?

It's great news for women's football, it will definately raise more awareness. A good and positive move by UEFA.
It would be good if some of the broadcasters would back women's football a bit better and show more games. Or even report more news about it. I've been watching SSN this morning and not heard anything about this.

A couple of new siginings to bolster the defence

Arsenal Ladies complete double swoop
http://www.arsenal.com/news/ladies-news ... uble-swoop

Arsenal Ladies Football Club is delighted to announce the arrival of two new players to further strengthen the team. Joining the Ladies, who won the Domestic Treble last season, will be English International Corrine Yorston (26) as well as Scottish defender Jennifer Beattie (18).

For the past three seasons Yorston has captained Bristol Academy as well as making a significant impact with the England squad, being selected as one of the 17 England players to receive a Central Contract with the FA. A versatile left footed player who can play in defence or midfield, Corrine prefers to be situation in left-back. Beattie will be joining Arsenal from Celtic Ladies who are currently at the top of the Scottish Women’s Premier League. After demonstrating her skill and attacking instincts while at Celtic Jennifer has also proved to be an influential player for her country where she is part of their A squad. In just ten appearances for Scotland, Beattie has scored twice from her defensive position.

Newly appointed Arsenal Ladies manager, Tony Gervaise, said; “We are extremely pleased to find both Corrine and Jennifer and have them join Arsenal Ladies. Both players will be coming to us with a vast amount of experience developed at both Club and international level and will make a valuable impact within our current squad. “To continue the success of the Arsenal Ladies over the past 22 years we must ensure we also develop our squad and our players to the highest level possible.” Arsenal would like to welcome both Corrine and Jennifer to the Arsenal Ladies, and we all look forward to watching them over the coming season.

Just a quick mention that the future of Arsenal ladies looks very good indeed.

Their under 14 team beat Ipswich under 14's 7-0 with virtually all the players being big, strong and good on the ball, star of the show was a young lady called Jade, who apparantly plays for the England under 15's, she was awsome - I wouldn't have liked to have played against her (even in my prime, which was a few years ago now)

Some good news early in the season

Arsenal ladies have won all 6 league matches they have played so far, including an important 3-2 victory away at Chelsea, after being 2-0 down.

All the more impressive as Everton. who last season looked like they would pip them to the title have already lost a match at home to Chelsea 2-5.

Kim Little has by all accounts been awsome, scoring 24 goals in 14 matches (including cup games) not bad for a midfield player eh ?

Oh and they are in the last 8 of the womens champions league too.

Have you seen anything of the WCL at all Stu or know where coverage can be found?? Be interested to see the standard of the competition.

Not realy Richard, I believe the draw for the quarter final and semi took place today, with us being pitted against the current holders German side FCR 2001 Duisburg, so that will be a real toughie.

FFC Turbine Potsdam (GER)
ASD Torres Calcio (ITA)
FCR 2001 Duisburg (GER, holders)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Montpellier Hérault SC (FRA)
Røa IL (NOR)
Umeå IK (SWE)

are the other clubs in the competition, the final will be held 2 days before the mens champions league final on Thursday 20th May (at Getafe's ground, Spain) so that would make a nice double eh ?

An interesting item that some may have missed on Arsenal.com

Vic Akers 'honoured' to be awarded OBE
By Nick Teale
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... warded-obe

Former Arsenal Ladies manager Vic Akers has described being awarded an OBE as 'a major honour'. The 63-year-old has been named on the Queen's New Year's Honours list after stepping down as Ladies manager at the end of last season. During his 22 years at the helm the team collected a staggering 32 trophies and became one of Europe's most successful sides. The founding father of Arsenal Ladies remains involved with the team as General Manager and is also the Gunners first-team kit manager.

Speaking exclusively to Arsenal.com, Akers described his delighted at receiving the OBE. "I'm very honoured to have that bestowed upon me," he said. "I had an inkling about it two months ago when I received a letter saying that it may happen and asking if I would be willing to accept. My family have always been supporters of the Royal Family so it's a major honour for me to receive any award from them."

Not only was Akers in charge of Arsenal Ladies for 22 years, but he was also a key player in the inception of a women's team at the Club. "We founded the Ladies when I was involved in the community side of the Club in 1985," he explained. "I took the idea to David Dein who was vice-chairman then. I put the idea to him and he put it to the Board and we came out with a team of Arsenal ladies. "From there everything went from good to good and we've carried on throughout the years and become one of the best teams in Europe. If was very difficult early doors and we started with one side and developed very quickly in to two and three teams. To be fair I've always had good staff around me."

And Akers also sent his thanks to all those who have been involved with the successful Arsenal Ladies since they were established 22 years ago. "There are many people involved in this award coming about," he said. "None more so than all the girls that have played for the Club since day one in 1987 right the way through to the present day. It was always going to be professional as it could possibly be ,although we were all amateurs, and that's the way we developed the Club and that's why people have enjoyed playing for us."

And also this is a nice little story too, even though she had to put up with Shrek

Young Ladies star wins TV's 'Street Striker'
http://www.arsenal.com/news/ladies-news ... t-striker-

Young Arsenal Ladies star, Ashleigh Goddard, has achieved two of all young footballers’ wildest dreams – being named Britain’s most skilful street footballer and winning tickets to the World Cup Final in the process. Ashleigh plays for the Ladies’ reserve side and has also represented England U15s and U17s, and was a contestant in the 'Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker' series, recently screened by Sky. Having raced through the trials, she went all the way – beating 23 competitors, both boys and girls, to become the winner of the series after completing a range of fiendish street-themed skills tests. And what’s more, Wayne Rooney himself had glowing words for her abilities.

Ashleigh told us: “Everyone was spellbound when Wayne Rooney turned up. He’s such an amazing footballer and not many people get the opportunity to meet him. He was quiet but really nice – he genuinely cared about the show and how we did. The whole point of me applying for the show was to have a bit of fun – I never expected to win in a million years! I was shocked and still am, two months on. Wayne congratulated me, saying that I deserved it and had done well. I couldn’t be happier - for someone like Wayne Rooney to say something like that to you is incredible. Now I can’t wait for the World Cup Final – England against Brazil, Spain or France would be a dream.”

Although we now have to contend with Katie Chapman leaving to the US league soon too We will miss her ball winning, competative style no end, Maybe having had a child last year it was an opportunity too good to turn down.

Katie Chapman joins Chicago Red Stars
http://www.arsenal.com/news/ladies-news ... -red-stars

Arsenal Ladies can today confirm that Katie Chapman is leaving the Club in February to join US side Chicago Red Stars, in line with start of the second Women’s Professional Soccer league in April 2010. Chapman (27) first featured for Arsenal Ladies in three years ago in 2006, joining the Gunners from Charlton Athletic. The sturdy midfielder has made 103 appearances for the Arsenal Ladies and scored 43 goals in all competitions. Unsurprisingly, Katie is also an integral part of the national set up with 73 caps to her name for England and seven goals for the Lions. Katie has won eight major honours with Arsenal Ladies and netted the first goal of the May 2009 Women’s FA Cup Final which led the Gunners to a 2-1 win over Sunderland Ladies.

Katie will continue playing for Arsenal Ladies until mid-February, before moving to Chicago. Everyone at Arsenal Football Club wishes Katie the best of luck for her future with Chicago Red Stars and would like to thank her for her huge contribution towards Arsenal Ladies over the past three years.