:00:37. > :00:38.Hello and welcome to the Women?s Football Show.
:00:39. > :00:41.The WSL is back after a seven week break and we?ve
:00:42. > :00:52.plenty of football to help you through the post-World Cup blues.
:00:53. > :00:54.It's tense at the top, can leaders Birmingham take the strain?
:00:55. > :00:58.Faye White runs the rule over England hot shot Jess Clarke.
:00:59. > :01:00.We meet the Welsh defender who hopes to be
:01:01. > :01:14.And we'll round up all the action from the WSL.
:01:15. > :01:22.I am very pleased to say I am joined by the Player of the Year leucine
:01:23. > :01:26.bronze as well as Julian Dicks, in charge of the West Ham United ladies
:01:27. > :01:27.team. We will hear from them and a bit later.
:01:28. > :01:30.Few tipped Birmingham City for a shot at the title, but having
:01:31. > :01:33.already defied the odds to reach the last four of the
:01:34. > :01:35.Champions League the Blues have got another prize in
:01:36. > :01:44.The surprise package of 2014 Birmingham have so far silenced the
:01:45. > :01:50.critics that tipped them for a season of struggle. They sit top of
:01:51. > :01:52.the WSL at halfway through the season and no one better
:01:53. > :02:01.encapsulates their determination and spirit than Jade Moore. No pain, no
:02:02. > :02:06.gain. It is match day and you are here hours before anyone else, what
:02:07. > :02:11.are you doing here? I am working, luckily I get to work at this
:02:12. > :02:15.wonderful stadium. I have opened a business and this is where I am
:02:16. > :02:22.today. It is a sports and injury clinic run by myself and the physio
:02:23. > :02:27.at blooms. Be honest, when she usually does this, does it work and
:02:28. > :02:35.does it hurt? It does work but it really hurts. Whenever I come for a
:02:36. > :02:40.mass I prepare myself. I'm thinking what have you done to me? But then
:02:41. > :02:46.the next day I feel much better. What has been the secret to your
:02:47. > :02:49.success? A lot of the things about us is togetherness, we have a really
:02:50. > :02:57.good team spirit this season and I keep saying we are like a family. We
:02:58. > :03:00.do things together. Our ex-captain Rachel Williams were the big
:03:01. > :03:03.characters in the squad and off the pitch we have missed their
:03:04. > :03:08.characters but Dave has managed to bring other players and we are doing
:03:09. > :03:15.well as a squad so I cannot really say we have missed them at all! We
:03:16. > :03:18.have great team spirit and camaraderie and we have always been
:03:19. > :03:22.renowned for that. We knew the quality we had on the quality of our
:03:23. > :03:27.youngsters and those that have been coming through have been consistent.
:03:28. > :03:30.We have five in the World Cup and five in the European Championships
:03:31. > :03:41.we have always crowded ourselves on the youth development. You have just
:03:42. > :03:45.been short listed for the England squad again after quite a few years
:03:46. > :03:51.which must be nice. Yes, it is about seven years, it is nice to get some
:03:52. > :03:54.recognition and I want to play well for Birmingham and I enjoy playing
:03:55. > :03:59.for Birmingham and I think it shows on the pitch. A busy week for
:04:00. > :04:03.Birmingham began with a defeat to Bristol in the cup but back at
:04:04. > :04:07.Solihull and a repeat fixture saw Birmingham go ahead with a touch of
:04:08. > :04:14.MAG project. Emily Westwood made it 2-0. Bristol managed to claw one
:04:15. > :04:18.back through an own goal but the Birmingham Bond came good again. The
:04:19. > :04:24.first of two back-to-back league victories that keeps them top at the
:04:25. > :04:29.halfway stage. It was a hard fight today. About 95 minutes was the
:04:30. > :04:34.longest 90 minutes I have played in my life to be honest with you. I am
:04:35. > :04:37.not surprised that Jade Moore is cream crackers, she had already done
:04:38. > :04:46.a day 's work before she got to the game but maybe that is a reflection
:04:47. > :04:49.of how things are. They are part-time and they have to work as
:04:50. > :04:51.well. They are at the top of the table, how impressive is that? That
:04:52. > :04:54.is really impressive from a team that are not full-time. They are
:04:55. > :05:00.very together as a team and I think that pulls them through. They have
:05:01. > :05:03.it against them with the money and that the other teams have and maybe
:05:04. > :05:08.they feel they have to prove a point a bit to stick together and pull
:05:09. > :05:11.through. We are halfway through the league season and there are still
:05:12. > :05:16.tough Games at the end of the season. You won last season with
:05:17. > :05:20.Liverpool. How difficult is it mentally? It is a mental challenge,
:05:21. > :05:23.isn't it? Once you gain your momentum you are fine which is what
:05:24. > :05:32.they have at the minute but if you start to let a few sloppy goals in
:05:33. > :05:34.or you draw a few Games then that is when you worry yourself, especially
:05:35. > :05:38.in the position they are in, they have the games in their hands. They
:05:39. > :05:42.are at the top and if they drop points it is their fault that they
:05:43. > :05:46.have lost it. They have Remi Allen and Jo Potter and Karen Carney and
:05:47. > :05:51.also Jade Moore, is that really what is driving them at the top?
:05:52. > :05:56.Definitely their midfield is one of the best in the league. They have
:05:57. > :06:00.got everything. Jo Potter's technical ability is second to none,
:06:01. > :06:32.her left foot is outstanding. Jade Moore has a bit of everything and
:06:33. > :06:34.Remi Allen tops it all off with hard work and enthusiasm, all three of
:06:35. > :06:37.them together, you cannot really knock what they have got. Karen
:06:38. > :06:40.Carney going into tackle for them has a bit of flair and talented she
:06:41. > :06:43.is not a bad player. She is not bad, is she? You used to play for the
:06:44. > :06:46.men's team for Birmingham City, do you want to see them do well? Of
:06:47. > :06:49.course I do. All the teams I played for I want to see them do well. Now
:06:50. > :06:52.you are West Ham ladies, how did that come about? The captain put it
:06:53. > :06:55.on twitter and I've retweeted it and it went from there. I had a chat
:06:56. > :06:58.with the chairman and he offered me the job and that was about six weeks
:06:59. > :07:00.ago. What are your early impressions? They are a good bunch
:07:01. > :07:03.of girls. They work hard and the pre-season has just started. I have
:07:04. > :07:07.just got to make them a bit more aggressive. If they need that, they
:07:08. > :07:11.have got the right manager! You have the name, but do you have anything
:07:12. > :07:14.else from the men's club? Not really. In the last few years they
:07:15. > :07:17.have not read back to them but we had a meeting last week and
:07:18. > :07:21.hopefully they will take us on board. We are not asking for the
:07:22. > :07:25.world but we would like kit and training kit and things like that so
:07:26. > :07:29.hopefully they will come through. Your players have two pay for their
:07:30. > :07:41.own kit and they had to pay to play? Yes, they do not pay subs but
:07:42. > :07:45.fee upfront for their kit and if you want to go to away Games you have to
:07:46. > :07:48.pay for the coach so hopefully West Ham will come on board and help us
:07:49. > :07:50.out. If Karen Brady is watching, you would like and a bit more support!
:07:51. > :07:54.Of course. We could always deal with more support. Let us hope she is
:07:55. > :08:02.watching. Birmingham is Karen Brady's old club and they could soon
:08:03. > :08:06.face even more competition. The FA announced plans to strengthen the
:08:07. > :08:14.WSL to 20 teams with clubs from the Premier League to be considered for
:08:15. > :08:17.promotion. We created the women's super second division and we now
:08:18. > :08:25.want to expand and go to 20 teams across both divisions. The women's
:08:26. > :08:29.Premier League has a north and south division and they have a play-off
:08:30. > :08:37.for the overall division that will be offered a place in the WSL2. We
:08:38. > :08:40.will not be relegating out because if you came out you would have so
:08:41. > :08:46.many months of not playing football that you expect the club would
:08:47. > :08:50.probably fold so I -- so it gives us a chance to sit down with those
:08:51. > :08:56.clubs in the Premier League over the next couple of years and try to find
:08:57. > :09:00.a comp system playing seen so we unite the periods longer term in
:09:01. > :09:05.terms of relegation and promotion. We have merged together the four
:09:06. > :09:09.combination leads into one strong and sustainable meat. Those
:09:10. > :09:14.ambitious clubs going out no that if they win the league they will have
:09:15. > :09:18.the chance to go into the WSL which has to be good for the super league
:09:19. > :09:22.because good clubs going through is really important for the top of the
:09:23. > :09:27.game, healthy for the top of the game. There is a step towards
:09:28. > :09:32.uniting the winter and summer leagues. How important is that for
:09:33. > :09:35.you as a player? I think it is really important and really
:09:36. > :09:40.important for the young girls especially do are coming through. It
:09:41. > :09:43.is a big jump to ask them to go from centre of excellence football to the
:09:44. > :09:47.full ladies football when you are playing with England internationals
:09:48. > :09:51.but the more teams you get together and you have a little link and a
:09:52. > :09:56.bond it makes it easier for people to try and reach their goal and
:09:57. > :10:00.their potential through football and climb the leagues as they do in the
:10:01. > :10:04.men's. If you were to get some extra funding which would be nice from
:10:05. > :10:08.your point of view, in theory you could get promoted from the Premier
:10:09. > :10:13.division, the salmon -- Southern Premier division that you are in at
:10:14. > :10:16.the moment, into Division 2. Is that good for you? I think it is good for
:10:17. > :10:21.the players to have the perspective that they can get promoted as well
:10:22. > :10:26.as relegated as well. It works both ways but as a player if you can win
:10:27. > :10:29.the league you want to have a chance to go up. Who are the clubs in your
:10:30. > :10:33.division that you think are doing well this season? I know you are
:10:34. > :10:40.very new to it and have only been a few weeks. Coventry have done very
:10:41. > :10:43.well. I am just into it and I do not really know a lot of the teams in
:10:44. > :10:48.the league and I do not know a lot of the girls in the league so every
:10:49. > :10:53.day is a new learning curve for me. How are you learning? Who are you
:10:54. > :10:58.talking to? I just talk to the girls. I talk to Ray and I have had
:10:59. > :11:01.a lot of help from different people. Every day is a new learning curve
:11:02. > :11:04.for me. How are you learning? Who are you talking to? I just talk to
:11:05. > :11:08.the girls. I talk to Ray and I have had a lot of help from different
:11:09. > :11:10.people. Everyday is a learning curve for me but I am sure the girls will
:11:11. > :11:13.put me straight. You have conversations with them about the
:11:14. > :11:15.opposition in the league and Women's Football Show Ahold? Yes. They have
:11:16. > :11:19.played in that league last year and they know some of the girls and they
:11:20. > :11:21.know the good players and the not so good players. They know the teams
:11:22. > :11:26.that are structurally very good and sound defensively and so I do talk
:11:27. > :11:31.to them. You have been coaching girl that in America as well, how did you
:11:32. > :11:35.find the standard? The standard was very good. Technically for me in
:11:36. > :11:38.America the girls were better than the boys, partly because they
:11:39. > :11:43.listen. When you talk to the girls you can see them listening but the
:11:44. > :11:46.boys have an attention span of seconds and if you speak to them
:11:47. > :11:50.they'd speak over you and stuff like that so technically the girls were
:11:51. > :11:53.better than the boys. That is interesting because in this country
:11:54. > :11:57.traditionally football is a men's sport and there maybe a prejudice
:11:58. > :12:01.against women playing football but in the United States they do not
:12:02. > :12:04.have the history of men playing the girls -- playing the game and
:12:05. > :12:09.technically the girls were superior. For me they were and I coached all
:12:10. > :12:17.sorts of different age groups and for every age group there were boys
:12:18. > :12:19.who were technically very good but the girls ages were just as good and
:12:20. > :12:27.I enjoyed myself out there. Good luck to you with the West Ham
:12:28. > :12:32.ladies. Attendances this year for the WSL are up from last year. That
:12:33. > :12:35.could be to do with an increasing quality in the pitch. Judge
:12:36. > :12:38.yourselves. Here are all the goals from the past week.
:12:39. > :12:42.yourselves. Here are all the goals With one win from their previous
:12:43. > :12:48.four matches Liverpool return to action with a much-needed win over
:12:49. > :12:50.Everton. Kate Longhurst won the read speed one - zero victory. The
:12:51. > :12:55.reigning champions were in action three days later. Jeremy Davidson
:12:56. > :13:08.opened the scoring against Bristol Academy. Further goals showed that
:13:09. > :13:13.the side are not ready to give up their title without a site -- fight.
:13:14. > :13:15.This solo effort was the only consolation for the
:13:16. > :13:18.This solo effort was the only consolation for vixens who had a
:13:19. > :13:22.player sent off later on. Chelsea and Arsenal only had three wins
:13:23. > :13:26.between them but most were buoyed with their recent good form. They
:13:27. > :13:36.went in front and the Blues extended their lead. The Gunners were given a
:13:37. > :13:40.lifeline in the form of a second-half penalty and Kelly Smith
:13:41. > :13:43.reduced matters with a night of the season. It was not enough to prevent
:13:44. > :13:51.another league defeat for the Gunners. After a slow start to life
:13:52. > :13:57.in the WSL Manchester City seem to be finding their feet. Notts County
:13:58. > :14:03.went to the sword as they made it seven wins. Later they went to
:14:04. > :14:06.Chelsea to extend their good form. Natasha Flint followed up her solo
:14:07. > :14:14.effort against Notts County with an even better goal to give city a
:14:15. > :14:20.first half lead. Chelsea hit back. Katie Chapman's diving header pulled
:14:21. > :14:29.them level and the Blues got a dramatic win at the death. That
:14:30. > :14:33.keeps them second in the WSL table. Without a win this season Everton
:14:34. > :14:38.went into their match with Arsenal in desperately need of points. It
:14:39. > :14:44.was an ominous start as Danielle Carter put Arsenal ahead. At the
:14:45. > :14:50.stroke of half-time Nikita Parris found herself with acres of space to
:14:51. > :14:57.equalise. A handball in the box gave Everton a golden opportunity but
:14:58. > :15:02.Michelle Hinnigan's spot kick was saved. The home team's misery was
:15:03. > :15:14.compounded with a tap in at 84 minutes and Everton remain winners.
:15:15. > :15:19.We promised you some decent goals. She had a bit of luck but she has
:15:20. > :15:26.looked whether keeper is and chipped it back from 30 yards. Two victories
:15:27. > :15:31.for your side, Liverpool, Lucy. Dreadful injury problems. Getting
:15:32. > :15:40.the players back, is that the catalyst? Definitely. Catrin
:15:41. > :15:46.scored. We do not say her surname! She has been a big player last year.
:15:47. > :15:54.She went unnoticed but having her injured was a big blow. And some of
:15:55. > :16:01.the girls on the bench injured. It has been a struggle but to get
:16:02. > :16:06.everyone back now has showed form. Are you counting ourselves out of
:16:07. > :16:12.the title race, five points off, seven to go? No chance at all! We
:16:13. > :16:17.have to win the games and hopefully Birmingham drop a few points on the
:16:18. > :16:23.way to give us a helping hand. We are not out of it. A couple of teams
:16:24. > :16:29.may be saying the same things. Chelsea are not out of it.
:16:30. > :16:33.Birmingham, pressure on. Chelsea are looking good. They have signed very
:16:34. > :16:39.good players. Many foreign players but real quality. Are they
:16:40. > :16:45.contenders? I thought Chelsea would be a contender before the start of
:16:46. > :16:49.the season. Emma Hayes is a good manager bringing players together.
:16:50. > :16:52.If Chelsea can stay consistent with their performances there is no
:16:53. > :16:58.reason why they cannot go on and beat any team on the day. For them,
:16:59. > :17:02.consistency is the key. They have the talent and the players. Not
:17:03. > :17:10.looking good for Everton, still looking for their first win in the
:17:11. > :17:15.league. It is hard to say any team but you would see Everton are
:17:16. > :17:21.favourites to go down. The quality of the teams that everyone has to
:17:22. > :17:25.play now is hard to call. They have to grind out results and the
:17:26. > :17:30.mid-table teams might take their foot off the pedal and Everton could
:17:31. > :17:36.take over anyone really. Arsenal we have not mentioned but they won
:17:37. > :17:40.yesterday doing well will stop the new manager situation, John Bear
:17:41. > :17:45.isn't in the frame, not in the frame but they will be interviewing this
:17:46. > :17:51.week and they say they are not in a huge hurry because John Bear is
:17:52. > :17:55.doing quite well off the bottom. Breaking news, Notts County have
:17:56. > :18:00.been fined by the FA for failing to fulfil a fixture, their Meadow Lane
:18:01. > :18:04.ground wasn't available last month against Bristol Academy. They fell
:18:05. > :18:09.to get a suitable alternative venue. Bristol were awarded the three
:18:10. > :18:13.points pending appeal. It up season for Notts County. They lost Ellen
:18:14. > :18:17.White for the campaign with knee injuries, Jess Clarke has been a
:18:18. > :18:27.more than able deputy. Faye White went to assess her in the new role.
:18:28. > :18:32.After a couple of years interrupted by injury, Jess Clarke looks to be
:18:33. > :18:37.back to her best. Notts County with 12 goals are so many and a recall.
:18:38. > :18:44.Let's see how she gets on against Birmingham today. Birmingham like to
:18:45. > :18:49.sit deep and show defensive shape so it might limit the space if Jess
:18:50. > :19:00.Clarke plays. We will see what she comes up with to counter that.
:19:01. > :19:12.Notts County had a good attempt. Jess showed her speed and a great
:19:13. > :19:13.tackle by the defender. She is sharing pace with a great quality
:19:14. > :19:31.cross. Birmingham take the lead, 1-0. Jess
:19:32. > :19:57.really needs to up her game now. Good skills but not convinced by her
:19:58. > :20:02.form. Good skill! That is typical Jess, working hard, getting onto a
:20:03. > :20:08.loose ball, good bits of skill, good ball into the box but no good
:20:09. > :20:13.support. A typical day for Jess, did not get the service she needs to
:20:14. > :20:17.break down the Birmingham defence but positively she looks comfortable
:20:18. > :20:28.as a striker and is an asset for Notts County and England.
:20:29. > :20:36.This is how the table looks. Birmingham City out on top. And
:20:37. > :20:41.Chelsea in behind them. Liverpool in third and Everton at the bottom.
:20:42. > :20:47.This is the table pending any appeal by Notts County. There were no WSL
:20:48. > :20:54.two matches but what a fixture coming up on Saturday, Doncaster
:20:55. > :21:02.Council and and go head-to-head at the Keepmoat Stadium. 6:30pm on
:21:03. > :21:07.Saturday. It will be a belter. More bad news for Notts County, they have
:21:08. > :21:13.lost that defender Sophie Bradley, she has injured her knee ligaments.
:21:14. > :21:18.She will be out for the rest of the season. The World Cup is next year
:21:19. > :21:26.so it is a worry for Sophie. We wish her all of the best. They have not
:21:27. > :21:31.had much luck. It is a real shame for Sophie, she is a good player and
:21:32. > :21:35.a lovely girl. She is someone you think, you are gutted for her.
:21:36. > :21:43.Hopefully she can get back together and come back flying next year. Jess
:21:44. > :21:49.Clarke hoping to be picked, he told her she did not score enough goals
:21:50. > :21:54.and then she has been moved up front and scored 12 and 13. That is always
:21:55. > :22:02.part of her game, she has moved on and I think people say she has
:22:03. > :22:07.heavily relied on at Notts County but that is the way the team play.
:22:08. > :22:13.They allow her the freedom to roam around and get on the ball and does
:22:14. > :22:17.what she wants. She is scoring a handful of goals. She will hope to
:22:18. > :22:21.make the cut for the England game, the friendly against Sweden in the
:22:22. > :22:26.north-east. Quite a hotbed of football talent. Yes, a few of us
:22:27. > :22:37.have come through the ranks at Sunderland, me, and others. They are
:22:38. > :22:43.up there playing now but there is a youth coming through at the minute.
:22:44. > :22:48.The girls are that have gripped in them from up north, a bit of fire
:22:49. > :22:53.and the girls really work hard to get themselves where they are. Good
:22:54. > :22:57.for Jordan Nobbs to be playing at her home ground, her dad played for
:22:58. > :23:04.Hartlepool. Confirmation that the England friendly will be played at
:23:05. > :23:09.the Victoria Park. On Sunday, August three, kick-off at 2pm. Also live on
:23:10. > :23:24.and BBC live. One player who will not be in the
:23:25. > :23:28.Wales team is Lauren Price having won 15 senior caps, the defender is
:23:29. > :23:32.taking a break to pursue a long-time ambition. I am here
:23:33. > :23:35.taking a break to pursue a long-time ambition. I am at the National
:23:36. > :23:38.Centre to meet an incredible young woman. Four-time kick boxing world
:23:39. > :23:43.champion in hedges, she has captained the Welsh and in hedges,
:23:44. > :23:48.she has captained the Welsh under 19 football with the senior side.
:23:49. > :23:51.Lauren Price is hanging up her boots and donning boxing gloves as she
:23:52. > :24:03.goes for gold at the Commonwealth Games.
:24:04. > :24:09.Four-time world champion, six time European Championship kick boxing,
:24:10. > :24:14.silver medal at the British tae kwon do, bronze at the world boxing,
:24:15. > :24:22.bronze other Europeans in boxing and altogether I have 54 caps for Wales.
:24:23. > :24:25.Boxing is where it is at, a successful football career with
:24:26. > :24:32.Cardiff City and the national side has been put on hold. I can go back
:24:33. > :24:40.to football. It isn't the end of the journey. It did not sound like
:24:41. > :24:49.sleepless nights and agonising. No. You cannot do it all. Especially at
:24:50. > :24:54.the level she was playing. If I do well in Glasgow, boxing is for me.
:24:55. > :25:01.It is her first big tournament at home so it is a lot of pressure. I
:25:02. > :25:09.think she can handle it. And it boils down to the draw. If she gets
:25:10. > :25:14.a nice draw, I can see Lauren doing very well. I would love to come away
:25:15. > :25:27.with gold. Hopefully I will come away with a medal. We think we have
:25:28. > :25:34.found a diamond in Lauren. It is intensive, the crossover. Nikita
:25:35. > :25:40.Paris place for Everton and Katie Taylor won Olympic gold. Do you
:25:41. > :25:48.think there was a strong connection between the two sports? Yes, I would
:25:49. > :25:53.not be as strong and fast feet. That has a lot to do with it. You get the
:25:54. > :25:58.first tackle, the same in the ring, you hit someone with a shot as hard
:25:59. > :26:07.as you can and they will think, she can hit. Katie Taylor is a big
:26:08. > :26:12.inspiration for me. She is as high as you can get in women's boxing.
:26:13. > :26:17.She is class. I would love to be as good as her one day. Do you think
:26:18. > :26:23.winning the Commonwealth gold would be a great -- greater feeling than
:26:24. > :26:29.the first Welsh cap? To win a Commonwealth gold medal on top
:26:30. > :26:33.dashboard top everything. And it all kicks off on Wednesday. The
:26:34. > :26:37.Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony is at 8pm on BBC1. Lauren Price gets
:26:38. > :26:41.under way a week tomorrow. We wish at the very best of luck. If you
:26:42. > :26:46.would like to follow in her footsteps, head over to the website
:26:47. > :26:52.to get inspired and find the details of your nearest club, boxing,
:26:53. > :26:58.football or anything else. Perhaps golf. That was your second career,
:26:59. > :27:05.Julian. Was it difficult to take up football? No, football was always
:27:06. > :27:13.for me. I took up golf because I had to have something to do after I
:27:14. > :27:19.damaged my knee. I was 22. When I did my knee, I played golf and that
:27:20. > :27:27.was it. The more I practised, the better I got. That was it. Not a bad
:27:28. > :27:32.footballer, Player of the Year but was it a decision for you? Another
:27:33. > :27:38.sport? My mum was not a big fan of football when I was little but she
:27:39. > :27:44.is my biggest fan now. She urged me towards tennis, a white dress and
:27:45. > :27:49.skirt but I wasn't having any of it! Is in a football kit every week.
:27:50. > :27:55.She gave up in the end. Imagine Julian are showing up in a white
:27:56. > :27:59.skirt. I can't imagine. The Women's Football Show returns at seven
:28:00. > :28:05.o'clock on BBC Three. Hopefully you will join us for that. Thank you to
:28:06. > :28:20.Julien Come Grade II have you in the studio and Lucy as well. Birmingham
:28:21. > :28:25.City in pole position. Goodbye for now. -- Julian in the studio.