After last year’s sixth placed league finish, under Julian Dicks’ stewardship, West Ham United Ladies appeared to be progressing as a club nicely and admirably. With a new manager installed in the summer, along with a great sense of ambition, the future seemed bright. Last night, however, it looks as if the club has imploded from the inside before our very eyes.
West Ham Ladies declared that yesterday evening manager Marc Nurse had called a meeting to announce that he had decided to release a number of players. The players in question were club captain Stacey Little, vice-captain Kerry Stimson, Kelley Blanchflower, Lily Mellors, Emma Sherwood, and Kayleigh Xidhas.
Soon the players took to twitter to challenge that announcement. It became apparent that the players had in fact walked rather than being released. Little, the 28-year-old captain who had shown herself to be the heart and soul of the dressing room, stated that she had been suspended by the club for “having an opinion as captain.” She had then decided to leave, along with the other five players, after being “treated disgustingly.”
“Tonight I am absolutely devastated & heartbroken to be leaving the club I love and have done so much for,” added Little via twitter.
“When they say blood, sweat and tears that’s exactly what I have given and so much more! I was the proudest captain and would have run through brick walls for my team.
“It was a very hard decision to make but there’s only so much you can take. I have been driven out of this club by two individuals for having a voice!”
Later in the evening vice captain Kerry Stimson spoke to Hammers Chat about the circumstances behind their departures. Stimson and some of her teammates had felt that manager Marc Nurse was struggling. As such they offered their views to help so as he could succeed at West Ham considering he was new to ladies football.
“Marc doesn’t listen to anything we say to him,” explained Stimson. “We had told him the formation would not work in this league and he ignored us which preceded a 5-0 defeat to Coventry in the opening game.”
“We kept trying (to offer support) and when we suggested that we were not improving, he (Marc) said that the fact we had not lost 5-0 since demonstrates improvements have been made. It is his way or no way.”
Stimson then revealed that she had actually been released on Sunday following another defeat to C&K Basildon. During the debrief some members of the team asked Nurse what should be done differently as they felt it wasn’t working. However, they also felt that they didn’t get proper answers or that he was listening to them. The situation became heated and Stimson kicked a ball at her manager, an action she now regrets. Two hours later she received a text from Nurse stating that he had requested for her to be released due to violent conduct.
Stimson was then asked by Hammers Chat about how it had exploded all of a sudden on Tuesday night.
“Marc text the whole squad bar myself and Stacey about the meeting…everyone but his captain and vice-captain. It was going to be an open meeting where anyone could say anything and it would have no consequence’s.”
Stimson and Little were both upset, considering they were the leaders in the dressing room, but their teammates had sent them texts so they were able to attend.
Once they had arrived the girls were told to vote on whether to let them stay or leave. “The girls wanted us to remain so we got to stay.”
Stimson revealed that no one was happy and everyone was trying to make suggestions. However, whenever someone spoke the manager would interject.
“Marc would tell other girls we had been slagging them off. He tried to split the dressing room.” The meeting ended with the aforementioned players quitting the club.
“We just love the club and are so passionate about it and each other,” said Stimson. We cannot stand back and watch this manager, who hasn’t got a clue, run it into the ground.”
Stephen Hunt, the chairman of the club, told the BBC that the manager had deemed the players “surplus to requirements.” He also said that the club will now be focusing its future on its current main players, such as Indian international Aditi Chauhan, as well as also discussing the signings of several new players. The club will release a statement of its own in due course.
Last night has been painful and damaging for West Ham Ladies. Seeing players of that caliber leave is saddening but even more so when you consider how much passion and love they have for the club. Little, Stimson, Blanchflower, Mellors, Sherwood and Xidhas have been inundated with support on twitter with regards to the whole affair and they are all West Ham through and through. As part of the West Ham family we wish them all the best for the future.
The club, however, have plenty of work to do in the coming weeks. Funding is key to its survival and a lot of supporters may have just been lost.
