GOLDEN GIRLS' SECOND CHANCE

JONNY BRICK REPORTS ON WATFORD WOMEN'S RETURN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE WIDER GAME...

AS HEAVY rain pelted down onto the Wealdstone FC pitch at Grosvenor Vale on an other wise sunny day in September, Watford FC's women's side were sat in the dressing room having conceded in first-half injury time.

The Golden Girls would lose the game and end up with their first home defeat since last November; many of their wins came in the third tier, into which they had been relegated with the last kick of the 2021-22 season.

They bounced back at the first attempt, beating Nottingham Forest in a play-off between the winners of the Northern and Southern sections of the Woman's National League. Blackburn's match-winner came from captain Jade Richards, a very tall centre-back who was brought off at half-time through injury. This made the contest fairer: looking at Richards, a dead ringer for Virgil van Dijk who was at least four inches taller than any other player on the pitch, I wondered why on earth she wasn't professional.

It turns out she is head performance coach for UCLan's women's football side and possesses a UEFA B licence.

Before the game I had finished reading Carrie Dunn's book The Reign of the Lionesses. A prolific author on the women's game, Carrie reminded readers that one glorious day at Wembley would not change every aspect of women's football in England.

Clubs like Oxford United, who were overhauled by Watford on the last day of the previous season, are part-time and are powerless to stop their best talent being poached by teams in higher divisions.

Indeed, prolific striker Carly Johns now wears number nine for Watford. She will hope she can replicate her form a division higher than usual after three strong seasons banging in the goals for the U's.

The turnover for Watford's women is even more remarkable than it is for the men's side.