How the progression of Port Vale Women is characteristic of wider trends
England’s victory over Germany in the final of last July’s delayed European Championships was a watershed moment for domestic women’s football.
True, the sport’s popularity and status had been growing consistently in the immediate years prior, but the Lionesses’ exploits at Wembley that day pre-empted a monumental shift in the narrative. With increasing broadcasting revenues, professionalisation of club infrastructures, and unprecedented investments in its grassroots movement, the women’s game is developing at a spectacular rate.
The betting markets
If Sarina Wiegman’s side can earn successive major honours by being crowned World champions in Australia this summer, one can only imagine the scale of the impact back home. England are placed as second favourites (7/2) to emerge victorious Down Under, with the Women’s World Cup odds suggesting USA are the most likely candidates (5/2) to win the ninth edition of international football’s showpiece competition. Third favourites Spain, who have been rocked by a dramatic player mutiny due to a bust-up between a number of squad members and Head Coach Jorge Vilda, are priced at 6/1.
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Positive progression at Port Vale
The meteoric rise of the domestic game, coupled with the recent upturn in the fortunes of the international side, is reflective of the growth we’ve seen at Port Vale. The club’s women’s team, established just six short years ago, has rapidly developed into a well-organized, highly-capable, and enthusiastically-supported side.
PVWFC’s inaugural season concluded in promotion, as the Valiants progressed from the Staffordshire County League to the West Midlands Regional League structure. Placed at steps 5 and 6 of the women’s footballing pyramid, the West Midlands Regional League facilitates three divisions; the Premier Division (5th step), Division One North, and Division One South (both in 6th step). Port Vale Women currently ply their trade in Division One North, with ambitions to soon advance into the league’s Premier Division, which feeds directly into the FA Women’s National League, positioned at steps 3 and 4 of the seven-tier system.
Last season, the Bradeley-based side finished fourth in the table, two places and nine points better off than their efforts in the 2021/22 campaign. The Valiants even have a non-English-born player in their midst, with Philippine defender Lia Perl Masibay having moved to London from her native homeland at the age of five. Masibay is part of a competitive 20-player squad, which is balanced by a mixture of youth and experience.
Source: Pexels
Planning for the future
As well as boasting a capable current crop of players, the club also has a healthy roster of talent developing through its youth ranks. Vale Women have six youth teams at U9, U11, U12, U13, U14, and U16 level, and have therefore set about creating a pipeline of future players for the senior team.
So, whilst England are locking horns with the world’s best nations in Australia and New Zealand, just remember that Port Vale Women will be making final preparations for an assault on the West Midlands Regional League Division One North title. Perhaps both sides will triumph in their respective campaigns.…