"Paired together for their first meeting since a 1-1 draw in 1948, interest in the tie at Blundell Park was so high that League Two Grimsby's website crashed almost immediately. "We had to put a pause on the website until we regrouped on the Thursday morning," said Bancroft. "My phone went crazy. It was a pinch me moment for everyone connected to Grimsby Town.""
"She is keen to emphasise the wider impact of a game for which Grimsby could have sold out their 9,000-capacity stadium three times over. There is a personal element though. United were late starters as the Women's Super League began to grow. They entered the WSL fold in 2018 and were promoted to the top flight in their first season. "When I joined the club, the women's team was four years old and the men's was 144," she reflected."
"Bancroft lists two FA Cup finals, a third-placed league finish and Champions League qualification among United's achievements in her time with the Old Trafford club. United have played in another FA Cup final since and this week start another European quest. Yet the perception remains that the Ineos Group - and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe - have minimal interest in the women's side of the club."
Polly Bancroft, Grimsby Town chief executive, experienced intense public interest when Grimsby were drawn to face Manchester United in the Carabao Cup second round. The fixture marked the clubs' first meeting since 1948 and generated demand that briefly crashed Grimsby's website and could have sold out the 9,000-capacity stadium several times. Bancroft previously spent two-and-a-half years as Manchester United's head of women's football, overseeing FA Cup finals, a third-place league finish and Champions League qualification. United entered the WSL in 2018 and achieved rapid promotion. Perception persists that Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe show limited interest in the women's side.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]