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WOWSA AWAY DAY – Members share their experience
WOWSA AWAY GAME
Members share their experience of WOWSA’s away trip to Notts County
Following WOWSA’s first away game trip for members to Notts County a few weeks ago, returning home with a fantastic 2-0 win, we caught up with some of our members to hear about their experiences of the day.
Ahead of the away game WOWSA advised members on transport options and times, which pub we were meeting in, and, with the help of AFC Wimbledon, booking tickets so everyone could sit together.
For Ana it was her first away game, she was directed to WOWSA by a fellow AFC Wimbledon fan and joined us for the game, “I enjoyed it so much from the very moment when Jane offered me to be a part of the WOWSA away day. It was very caring, kind and friendly”. Ana travelled on the club coach with AFC Wimbledon supporter and WOWSA member Sue, who regularly attends away games. Sue said “it was great to be with like-minded fans and to be able to share the experience with someone attending their first away game – once we finally got there after the supporters coach breaking down!”
We also had some of our male WOWSA members join us for the day. Ju, who travels regularly by train to away matches, said “I found that the women were very supportive of each other and arranged for those travelling by different means to meet up together and enjoy the day before and during the match” he added that one of the highlights of the day was “seeing the camaraderie between all the WOWSA members and the care they took of each other”.
Will attended the Notts County match along with his girlfriend Hannah, he said “I have been a WOWSA member for just over a year and received the email explaining about the WOWSA away day. I thought it would be a fun thing to be a part of with my girlfriend as we had already planned on going to the game”.
As part of the WOWSA away game a WhatsApp group was set up well ahead of time so members could keep in touch and discuss their plans, travel arrangements and pre-match meet up, this was something Hannah highlighted “I think having the group chat with information about travel arrangements and being able to speak with others that are on the way to the match was a really good way of meeting new people and feeling supported”. WOWSA’s Chair, Jane, added “having the WhatsApp group really helped with that sense of occasion and keeping in touch with other WOWSA members on the day, sharing support for those who had disrupted travel journeys, and sending our photos of the day to each other”.
WOWSA identified a friendly pub in Nottingham for members to meet before the match – with Craig Cope popping by to say hello! Richard, a longtime AFC Wimbledon supporter, also joined the away game, he said “it was great to get to know other members by meeting up before the game in the pub”, Will added that “the meet up at the pub was really enjoyable, and it was good to meet others who were going to the game before the match – I could see how this would help someone who may never have been to an away game before settle in to the ‘away day’ environment”.
For many of the WOWSA members the win was of course the highlight, but there were other great moments from the day, Jane said it was “a great all round experience – from the chat on WhatsApp, meeting other members in the pub before the match, and celebrating together at the game. It was a really friendly atmosphere”. For Will, the main highlight was “obviously the Balmer header, but the chat with Craig Cope at the pub about Balmer’s long throw was also very funny”, with Hannah adding that “from the start of the day to the end it was great!” Ana summed up the experience “I think the atmosphere was wonderful. Of course the win! But also just the people around me, everyone was so friendly and happy. I think I’ve learnt a lot about the club as well!”
So would our members join us again for another away game?
A unanimous yes! “Definitely” delcared Ana, with Will saying that he would “100% do it again”. Hannah had the same sentiment “yes, I would because you are supported”.
Would our members recommend others to join a future WOWSA away day?
“Yes” says Ju, “especially for women on their own or those attending for the first time who would feel more comfortable with female company and support”. With enthusiasm Ana agrees “100%! Away games are fun and an opportunity to meet new people, being a part of WOWSA means that you will have wonderful friendly people around who really care”, with Sue commenting that “it is nice knowing that there is a group of people looking out for you during the day to make sure you enjoy the experience”
And what words of advice do our WOWSA members have for other women who might be hesitant about attending away games?
Ana says “don’t worry, everyone is friendly and the away game is a great overall experience” with Sue echoing that sentiment “you will enjoy it and not feel left out”. Will’s advice would be to “get in touch with WOWSA or other people within the fanbase or on social media, this may help you find someone you can meet up with, which may help you feel more comfortable going instead of being on your own” and Richard adds “come with the WOWSA group, travel together and enjoy the whole day”. And encouraging final words from Hannah, “100% do it! The team at WOWSA will answer any questions or worries that you might have, and help you should feel at ease”.
WOWSA CELEBRATES 1 YEAR!
WOWSA CELEBRATES 1 YEAR
Today, 18 March 2024, marks WOWSA’s first birthday!
It’s been an exciting and busy year which has seen WOWSA undertake several initiatives and our membership grow. We are thankful to all our members and everyone who has supported us on our journey so far.
So what have we been up to to?
We launched on 18 March 2023 at the home match vs Crawley Town and AFC Wimbledon. Ahead of the launch we worked closely with, and are grateful to, the Football Supporters Association (FSA) for their support along with other Women’s Fans Groups. At our launch we had fantastic support from AFC Wimbledon and the 9yrs podcast team – and WOWSA’s Secretary, Kerry McQueeney, did a live interview on BBC London Radio from the Cherry Red Records Stadium!
Soon after we created our first ‘WOWSA Talks To’ video, with the help of Stu Deacons and George Jones, which featured some of our female fans discussing their experiences of supporting AFC Wimbledon.
During pre-season in July we collaborated with the club to host a brunch for the screening of the Lionesses first World Cup match vs Haiti ahead of the QPR friendly later that afternoon. We held a raffle throughout the day which raised over £750 for the AFC Wimbledon Women’s team!
Next up, WOWSA organised a social outing to Dulwich Picture Gallery in September to see the Berthe Morisot Shaping Impressionism Exhibition. The gallery’s Director, and AFC Wimbledon Foundation Chair, Jenny Scott, kindly hosted our visit and gave us a guided tour.
Our second social event was to watch our brilliant AFC Wimbledon Women play Worthing FC at the Cherry Red Records Stadium – a cracking 5-0 victory!
Our events aim to bring women together in social settings both inside and outside of football.
We held our first AGM on 29 November. At the meeting we received feedback on our members matchday experience. We subsequently met with the club to share the feedback and suggested ways to enhance the experience of our female supporters.
Over the course of the last year WOWSA has featured on various outlets, including BBC Radio London and other club-related media to raise awareness of women’s experiences at football, and about the work WOWSA does.
We were proud to host the Women’s Panel Event on Wednesday 6 March at the Cherry Red Records Stadium as part of the club’s International Women’s Day celebrations. The panel event marked the first time a group of women were brought together to openly discuss their roles and experiences.The Women’s Panel Event was in collaboration with the Dons Trust and AFC Wimbledon, and supported by the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and Fans for Diversity, opening with a passionate speech from Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP about her love for AFC Wimbledon and the fantastic work the club does in the community. The event was a huge success and has been described as “insightful, inspiring and honest”
Most recently, we had our first WOWSA away game with a trip up to Notts County which was attended by a group of our members and open to anyone who wanted to join us for their first away match. We worked with the club to arrange tickets together for WOWSA members, advised on travel options and the pub of choice for our pre-match meet up. It was a brilliant day out, with one of our members describing it as “an amazing day” thanking us “for such a caring and friendly approach” – and returning home with 3 points was the icing on the cake!
Over the course of the last year we have worked closely with both AFC Wimbledon and the FSA to ensure women’s experiences can be enhanced at our club and beyond, and this will continue.
We have welcomed and met new female supporters coming to matches, giving them advice on where to sit, the matchday offerings, and anything else to help them have a great first-time experience of games at our fantastic club.
We continue to champion and encourage attendance and support of AFC Wimbledon Women.
We have regularly sourced volunteers for AFC Wimbledon Foundation through our membership network, including on Saturday for their Women at the Game initiative – a big thank you to all of our members who have helped out over the last year!
WOWSA’s Chair Jane Lonsdale said “It’s been a privilege to work alongside the other WOWSA committee members in creating WOWSA and seeing it grow during its first year. The support we’ve had from across the club, and from the FSA has been brilliant. Seeing and hearing the impact WOWSA has had on supporting new fans, particularly women, coming to AFC Wimbledon and them having a positive experience has been exactly what we hoped to achieve. We are really looking forward to growing further and enhancing the great work the club already does in providing an inclusive environment for women.”
Here’s to the next year!
WOWSA
WOMEN’S PANEL EVENT – full video available!
WOMEN’S PANEL EVENT
Full video available to watch!
An inspiring Women’s Panel Event, presented by WOWSA, took place on Wednesday 6th March at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in the run up to International Women’s Day today.
The hybrid event, presented by WOWSA in collaboration with the Dons Trust and AFC Wimbledon, and supported by the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and Fans for Diversity, was opened by Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP with a passionate speech about her love for AFC Wimbledon and the fantastic work the club does in the community.
To mark International Women’s Day today, WOWSA is delighted to share the full Women’s Panel Event recording which can be viewed on the Dons Trust YouTube channel
The panel, was hosted by the FSA’s Fans for Diversity Campaign Manager, Hannah Kumari. Hannah and the panel, comprising Michele Little, Sophia Axelsson, Jennifer Scott and Lou Carton-Kelly, discussed an array of topics from their roles at the club, challenges they’ve faced and their positive experiences working and volunteering in football.
There was a fantastic turnout both in person and online for this first all-female panel event, which created an insightful, inspiring and honest discussion between the panel and the audience.
A wealth of topics were explored from fantastic experiences for women coming to AFC Wimbledon, the vital work AFC Wimbledon Foundation do to make football accessible for women and girls, and what fans would like to see improved – including more home games at the Cherry Red Records Stadium for AFC Wimbledon Women.
WOWSA would like to extend their thanks and gratitude to Mandy Bynon, Stuart Deacons, George Jones and everyone who played a part in making it a successful night.
Statement from WOWSA
Statement from WOWSA
WOWSA is obviously concerned about the content of recent media articles in the national press and we do not condone this behaviour.
We do not wish to comment further to the club’s statement as we are not privy to the full details.
However, we want to continue to work with AFC Wimbledon to ensure it is a welcoming environment for everyone.
It is important that there is a culture of respect where people feel confident that they can speak up against abusive language and other inappropriate behaviour.
Staff can report incidents in line with the club’s internal grievance and whistleblowing policies, and fans can report incidents to the club, details below:
WOWSA raffle raises funds for AFC Wimbledon Women
WOWSA raffle raises funds for AFC Wimbledon Women
WOWSA organised a raffle as part of the FIFA World Cup screening of England vs Haiti and the QPR friendly at The Cherry Red Records Stadium on Saturday 22 July, raising over £750 for AFC Wimbledon Women.
There were 8 prizes up for grabs with Haydon making the draw at halftime. All the winners have now been contacted.
The prizes and winning tickets were:
AFC Wimbledon Women signed shirt – Pink 23
AFC Wimbledon Men’s signed shirt – Blue 109
A Unilever hamper – Beige 36
A Rana Pasta Hamper – Blue 13
A mini goods hamper – Blue 45
A family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) to an AFC Wimbledon Women’s game – Pink 8
A family invite (2 adults and up to 2 children) to watch an AFC Wimbledon Women’s training session – Pink 14
A bottle of Prosecco – Beige 18
We want to thank everyone who supported the event and purchased raffle tickets – congratulations to all the winners!
WOWSA…Update and new ‘WOWSA Talks To’ video
WOWSA…Update and new ‘WOWSA Talks To’ video
It is just over a month since WOWSA launched and we have had a strong response and fantastic support and encouragement from many of our fellow AFC Wimbledon supporters. WOWSA has welcomed a good number of members so far through the membership form on our website who have each received welcome letters and WOWSA pin badges.
We want to welcome more people to join WOWSA, membership costs £5, and anyone aged 14 and over, irrespective of gender, who support our aims can become a member.
We have received queries from new female supporters ahead of attending their first AFC Wimbledon game, some coming on their own, and we have provided information and guidance ahead of their visit. Some of our WOWSA members will be greeting these new visitors at the Cherry Red Records stadium to help make their matchday experience as welcoming as possible, and to offer a friendly face to meet them, show them around, and have a drink in the Phoenix.
Through WOWSA networks, we have encouraged more people to go along to see the women’s games with some great experiences and feedback received. WOWSA secretary Kerry McQueeney said “it has been great to see the support for WOWSA and to welcome new members. Seeing the impact it is already having with women fans attending their first away games, getting in touch to come along to their first games and more fans attending women’s matches has been really great”
WOWSA recently helped the AFC Wimbledon Foundation source some volunteers for the Foundation Day game to raise vital funds for the important work the Foundation do.
We are planning some further events in the coming months and would love to hear from people who would like to be involved and who support the aims of WOWSA.
WOWSA Talks To…
Since our launch we have spoken to a number of female fans about their experiences of supporting AFC Wimbledon, you can hear what they have to say in our ‘WOWSA Talks To’ video:
WOWSA was set up by a group of women born out of their love of Wimbledon and aims to encourage, support and enhance the experiences of new and existing female supporters. WOWSA is an independent voluntary supporters association with an official membership scheme and part funded by, and a certified member of, the Football Supporters Association (FSA).
Our aims are supported by AFC Wimbledon.
How to join?
Membership costs £5 per year and will begin as soon as the membership form and an annual payment has been received. The membership form can be found at https://wowsa.uk/membership/
Who can join?
WOWSA welcomes everyone aged 14 and over, irrespective of gender, who support our aims to become a member
Introducing…Women of Wimbledon Supporters Association (WOWSA)
Introducing…Women Of Wimbledon Supporters Association (WOWSA)
To tie in with Women at the Game and the first home match since International Women’s Day, the Women of Wimbledon Supporters Association (WOWSA) will launch at the Crawley match tomorrow.
WOWSA has been set up by a group of women born out of love for our football club with the main goals of encouraging, supporting and enhancing the experiences of female supporters, existing and new, and continuing to encourage and embrace supporter diversity and inclusivity at AFC Wimbledon, which includes the men’s team, the women’s team and the AFC Wimbledon Foundation.
WOWSA aims to engage and welcome more women and families to support our club helping to maximise attendances, while celebrating our exceptional fan base.
We will champion, support, and help elevate AFC Wimbledon’s work in providing a safe and supportive environment for women, support the club and the Foundation in their diversity and inclusion agenda, while acting in an ambassadorial role to promote the excellent work AFC Wimbledon already does for the inclusion for women.
We’ll work with AFC Wimbledon to ensure all newcomers see our club, and the Cherry Red Records Stadium, as a safe place – in the heart of the community – for everyone to watch their football teams as well as highlighting the many other offerings our brilliant club and stadium has.
In addition, WOWSA will explore opportunities for social events, transport shares and attending away games together.
Jane Lonsdale, Chair of Women of Wimbledon Supporters Association said “We are delighted to be launching the Women of Wimbledon Supporters Association alongside today’s Women at the Game initiative. We are grateful for the support we have had from AFC Wimbledon, AFC Wimbledon Women FC, AFC Wimbledon Foundation, the Football Supporters Association, Women’s Supporters Groups from other clubs, and some of our brilliant fans. We want to promote the excellent work the club already does, encourage more female supporters, make everyone feel welcome and celebrate and enhance the rich diversity at our football club”
AFC Wimbledon Managing Director Danny Macklin said “As a real community club, we’re constantly striving to be inclusive by providing football opportunities for all, whether that’s through participation in our Foundation programmes or attending games. As with most clubs, only 20 per cent of our matchday attendees are girls/women, and we want to change this significantly. Launching the Women of Wimbledon Supporters Association will hopefully encourage more girls and women to come along to our games, or to take part in our wide-range of activities. We pride ourselves on providing a warm and friendly atmosphere at our matches for existing fans and new supporters, so we ask all Dons to show their backing for this important initiative.”
Fans for Diversity lead at the Football Supporters Association (FSA), Anwar Uddin, MBE, said “It’s always a pleasure to work with the fans of AFC Wimbledon who over the years have championed the Fans for Diversity campaign. To support the launch of another group at the club is a privilege and I look forward to see this grow and being an asset to both the fanbase and the club”
During our inception we have received great support from existing Women’s Supporters Associations from football clubs around the country, Fans for Diversity, and the Football Supporters Association (FSA) of which we are part funded by, and a certified associate member of.
WOWSA has an official membership scheme and is an independent voluntary supporters’ association with a committee and a constitution. We welcome members aged 14 and over, irrespective of gender, who recognise the benefits of a diverse supporter base both for the wellbeing of individuals and the club.
Our aims are supported by AFC Wimbledon.
How to join?
Membership costs £5 per year and will begin as soon as the membership form and an annual payment has been received.
Who can join?
WOWSA welcomes everyone to become a member who supports our aims and is aged 14 years and over.
WOWSA Committee
Chair – Jane Lonsdale
Secretary – Kerry McQueeney
Treasurer – Maxine Feehely
Communications – Esther Beaumont
Committee Member – Maddi Sweetman