ManU continues "to refuse to introduce a women’s team," according to Mike Keegan for the London DAILY MAIL.
The club has "long come under fire for not fielding a side in the Women’s Super League."
Criticism "has intensified on the back of their cross-town rivals at Manchester City adopting their own female team in 2012 and subsequently throwing substantial resources at it, bringing in many of Europe’s top players." When "pressed on the matter once again" at the club’s latest fans forum, ManU Group Managing Dir Richard Arnold revealed that its "stance had not changed."
Arnold instead "pointed into the Centre of Excellence the club run for girls and hailed the success of the Under-17s team who made the FA Youth Cup Final." He told the meeting that ManU works "with more than 2,500 girls in the community each week but added there were ‘no plans in place at present’ for a women’s team." It was hoped that the strong performance from England’s women at last year’s World Cup, at which they finished in third place, "may have increased pressure" on ManU, with the sport’s popularity and exposure at a high. However, that "has not been the case" (DAILY MAIL, 6/14).
