Ladies Professional Football

[bednobs]

do all prem league clubs have ladies teams? what about championship clubs? Can anyone give me an idea of (for example)how the top ladies professional football team (which i think is arsenal) compare to the men's game in way of skill? Are the top ladies team equivalent in footballing skill to a top mens team? Or is their level of skill more like a div 3 mens club?

[ichkeria]

All Women's Assocation clubs in England are stand alone clubs with affiliations, or not, as the case may be, to "men's" clubs.
Most of the super league clubs have such affiliations with the exception of Bristol Academy.
But, interestingly, one of the most famous women's clubs, Doncaster Belles, were always a separate club from Doncaster Rovers. They got their name from Belle Vue, the home of the latter. But they merged with Rovers a few years back.

Not all premier league clubs have affiliated women's clubs, and in any case, the Women's leagues are run separately.

The standard of football is pretty high, skill wise, and actually in the opinion of many, it's better to watch, as skill is more of a factor than, say, brute force and speed.
The depth of quality is less, though.

Chelsea are the current champions and cup holders

[Buenchico]

The competition titles for Women's football can be misleading. For example, you might think that the Women's Premier League would the senior women's league but it's actually below the Women's Super League.

Current league positions:

WSL 1:
Chelsea Ladies
Manchester City Women
Arsenal Ladies
Sunderland Ladies
Notts County Ladies
Birmingham City Ladies
Liverpool Ladies
Bristol Academy Women

WSL 2:
Reading Women
Doncaster Rovers Belles
Everton Ladies
Yeovil Town Ladies
Aston Villa Ladies
Oxford United Women
Durham Women
Millwall Lionesses
London Bees
Watford Ladies

WPL North:
Sporting Club Albion Ladies
Derby Ladies
Nottingham Forest Ladies
Stoke Ladies
Blackburn Ladies
Bradford Ladies
Preston North End Ladies
Newcastle Ladies
Huddersfield Town Ladies
Loughborough Foxes
Nuneaton Town Ladies
Guiseley AFC Vixens

WPL South:
Brighton Ladies
Cardiff Ladies
Charlton Ladies
Portsmouth Ladies
Tottenham Ladies
Coventry Ladies
Lewes Ladies
C & K Basildon Ladies
Forest Green Rovers Ladies
West Ham Ladies
Queens Park Rangers Ladies

[campbellking]

Manchester United quite famously don't. I'm a season ticket holder at Chelsea (men's team), but have also been to see a few of the women's games this season. As I have a season ticket, I don't have to pay to see the women, but even if I did it's only £5 to get in. The standard is pretty good, Chelsea Ladies play attacking football, and after the World Cup signed Fran Kirby, who's just getting better and better and has scored some cracking goals recently.
You have to be able to accept the physiological differences between men and women , the women are never going to play at the same speed and the goalies are more likely to get chipped as they are of smaller stature than the men. The skill level is getting better as more and more players can now train full time. It's certainly above Conference level in terms of skill, and an awful lot cheaper to get in.
Women's Super League has just finished for the season, but give a game a go next year.

[bednobs]

my local team (who i see are in the wsl2) were on the radio this morning saying they'd had an offer to go professional (and had the earning potential of 20k PA for the privelege)
how mny of those ladies team are professioanl

[joeluke]

'Can anyone give me an idea of (for example)how the top ladies professional football team (which i think is arsenal) compare to the men's game in way of skill?'

It doesn't


'Or is their level of skill more like a div 3 mens club?'

Scottish Division 3 maybe

[thesecondlaw]

A decent Men's Sunday League pub team would beat most women's teams I reckon. The women couldn't live with the physical side of the men's game.