Official Site: JOELLE MURRAY FIRST TO AGREE PART-TIME PRO CONTRACT WITH HIBERNIAN WOM

[calumhibee1]

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I can assure you that there is/will be a significant benefit to the club through aligning with our womens team.

Brand growth and future sponsorship being one key element. Big clubs aren't investing as some kind of equality/vanity project.

We can’t even get a sponsor for our men’s team which would be 100x more attractive a proposition to tie your name to. I can’t see any way that the women’s team are going to be benefiting the club through sponsorship.

[Brightside]

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Maybe we can hear all about how it is funded in the grand plan as opposed to having to take your word for it.

Or we could just automatically think the opposite?

[Pretty Boy]

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We can’t even get a sponsor for our men’s team which would be 100x more attractive a proposition to tie your name to. I can’t see any way that the women’s team are going to be benefiting the club through sponsorship.

We could have had a sponsor for the men's team. The club chose to turn at least one offer down.

[SquashedFrogg]

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We can’t even get a sponsor for our men’s team which would be 100x more attractive a proposition to tie your name to. I can’t see any way that the women’s team are going to be benefiting the club through sponsorship.

Think past today. Or tomorrow. Change can be a good thing.

[calumhibee1]

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Amusing response

Funnily enough, I have little (actually zero) interest in the womens game myself - but that doesnt mean that I am unaware that we lost one of Scotlands top talents for nothing recently.

This would not have happened, had she been on a pro contract.

This was reported on the normal BBC Scotland sports news so you didnt have to be "in the know" or even vaguely interested in watching the womens game.

I just think that the womens game is a natural and obvious area for growth both here and worldwide - and Hibs can either be part of it or not, my preference is to be part of it - especially as its very clear that this is not to the detriment of the mens team.

If the women’s game is to grow then absolutely it would be great to be a part of it.

But in a country where we already have a massive attendance at men’s football per capita I’m not sure where we’re going to find the interest on top of that. I know I couldn’t justify spending money on another “version” of football or even the time and I’d imagine most folk would be the same.

[B.H.F.C]

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No I'm afraid I don't. You said the men's game was the only thing people are interested in watching, which is clearly untrue. If you meant something else then say something else.

As I said previously, RG and LD obviously see the potential and think it's worth doing. I'll trust them to make them to make business decisions and develop future strategy for Hibs.

You do know what I mean. Would it be better if I worded it that less than 1% of the folk who bother to turn up at ER on a Saturday will bother to go and watch the ladies on the Sunday?

[Beefster]

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If the women’s game is to grow then absolutely it would be great to be a part of it.

But in a country where we already have a massive attendance at men’s football per capita I’m not sure where we’re going to find the interest on top of that. I know I couldn’t justify spending money on another “version” of football or even the time and I’d imagine most folk would be the same.

It’s not just you and I that are the target audience. I don’t have a daughter but, if I did, I’d love to take her to a women’s game.

[Brightside]

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If the women’s game is to grow then absolutely it would be great to be a part of it.

But in a country where we already have a massive attendance at men’s football per capita I’m not sure where we’re going to find the interest on top of that. I know I couldn’t justify spending money on another “version” of football or even the time and I’d imagine most folk would be the same.

There are plenty families that don’t attend men’s games. Normally coz it’s full of angry wee men screaming abuse at players and fans. We’ve seen 1000s coming to Easter rd to watch Scotland women. A totally different crowd that turn up to the men’s game. There is potential. And it would be very stupid for Hibs not to be part of that. They have done the bare minimum to date. And can do a huge amount more.

[hibby rae]

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You may be correct.

However it's worth considering that this is really the 1st generation that has seen mass participation in women football since the 1920s. Even going back to when I was at school you could count on one hand the number of girls playing football, nowadays multiple teams are running at least one girls team at each age group. Within 10 minutes of my house Edina Hibs, Castlevale, Musselburgh Windsor and Edinburgh South all run girls teams. Plenty of the traditional big guns of Edinburgh football are also involved or getting there.

That's a huge market of girls who want to see people they can relate to playing the game. Add in the increasing number of Scottish players heading down south and it's a commercial opportunity. Will it ever reach the levels men's football has? Doubtful given we have had a century and a bit headstart but there is definite room for growth. Expanding the grassroots was the start, turning it into a revenue stream is the next challenge.

You make a very valid point. It's important people see themselves represented as then they want to be involved. The attitudinal barrier is the toughest nut to crack.

I have a lot of experience working in diversity in the arts and you get the same thing there. On stage, people creating theatre can be reluctant to hire Deaf actors/put on BSL performances as there can be extra costs and they say that isn't recouped through a Dead audience. But then Deaf people are less likely to be involved if they aren't represented. That's just one example but the same applies to all groups.

[hibby rae]

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You do know what I mean. Would it be better if I worded it that less than 1% of the folk who bother to turn up at ER on a Saturday will bother to go and watch the ladies on the Sunday?

Actually yes. Because that is different from what you said.

[overdrive]

Does it even have anything officially to do with the men’s club? The entire share capital is owned by the Community Foundation which is separate to the Club.

[hibby rae]

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If the women’s game is to grow then absolutely it would be great to be a part of it.

But in a country where we already have a massive attendance at men’s football per capita I’m not sure where we’re going to find the interest on top of that. I know I couldn’t justify spending money on another “version” of football or even the time and I’d imagine most folk would be the same.

Remember this is also a summer league. Enough folk complain about missing the football once the league ends. They could go then, even for just a few weeks.

[hibbyfraelibby]

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I’d like to know how it’s to be funded.

If it’s from fans of the ladies team then fair enough. If it’s from club funds then not so much.

Most professional sports start with a fan base to support the costs.

The Ladies are part of the club.

[et_hibby]

Didn’t the SFA receive money for Scotland’s participation in the Women’s World Cup. Don’t know how ring-fenced that money was (if at all) but x% of SFAs money finds its way out to clubs in various forms: prize money, grants, etc ..

[et_hibby]

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Didn’t the SFA receive money for Scotland’s participation in the Women’s World Cup. Don’t know how ring-fenced that money was (if at all) but x% of SFAs money finds its way out to clubs in various forms: prize money, grants, etc ..

..Approx 0.5 million left over (after paying squad) to be distributed solely (and quite rightly!) to the women’s game.. https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/17799715.clubs-sfa-set-benefit-women-39-s-world-cup-windfall/

Presumably these kinds of figures will rise as the women’s game continues to grow. So pay ‘em!!

[J-C]

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The figure isn’t really of interest at this point.

The question is one of whether it is right to take funding from the men’s team to pay another professional set up that isn’t self funded just now, or alternatively whether it is right to use community foundation funding to pay a professional wage.

Who says funding for this is coming out of the funds for the men's team? Is this stated anywhere as fact? Maybe wait to find out the correct details before getting your knickers in a twist.

[Andy74]

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Who says funding for this is coming out of the funds for the men's team? Is this stated anywhere as fact? Maybe wait to find out the correct details before getting your knickers in a twist.

I’ve clearly said I’d like to hear more about how we fund this.

[SquashedFrogg]

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The Ladies are part of the club.

100%

[Brightside]

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I’ve clearly said I’d like to hear more about how we fund this.

But it’s none of your or my business. In the same way I don’t get told how we run the bars or the kids academy.

[Eyrie]

I'm a Hibs fan.

So I was pleased to read earlier that a fellow life long Hibs fan has just signed a professional contract with our club. That the Hibs fan in question happens to be female isn't relevant. That she is a good centre half and captains the team is relevant.

Looking forward to more announcements like this.

And also to watching the season opener on Sunday.

[Barney McGrew]

Obviously all the money Hibs Ladies got for their runs in Europe is being completely forgotten about when people question how this will be funded.

[blackpoolhibs]

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Obviously all the money Hibs Ladies got for their runs in Europe is being completely forgotten about when people question how this will be funded.

Did any of it make its way towards Hecky's howlers?

[Barney McGrew]

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Did any of it make its way towards Hecky's howlers?

if it was then I’m sure there would equally need to be questions asked by certain people as to why that money was being used to fund the mens team

[blackpoolhibs]

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if it was then I’m sure there would equally need to be questions asked by certain people as to why that money was being used to fund the mens team

[stoneyburn hibs]

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I'm a Hibs fan.

So I was pleased to read earlier that a fellow life long Hibs fan has just signed a professional contract with our club. That the Hibs fan in question happens to be female isn't relevant. That she is a good centre half and captains the team is relevant.

Looking forward to more announcements like this.

And also to watching the season opener on Sunday.

Good post, I've never actually watched the ladies in the flesh, must do so.
I'm comfortable with the my season ticket contributing to Hibernian Ladies, I'm not sure why I had to say that.

[calumhibee1]

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Remember this is also a summer league. Enough folk complain about missing the football once the league ends. They could go then, even for just a few weeks.

Do the attendances of the women’s games increase over the summer when there’s no men’s games?

[blackpoolhibs]

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Good post, I've never actually watched the ladies in the flesh, must do so.
I'm comfortable with the my season ticket contributing to Hibernian Ladies, I'm not sure why I had to say that.

There's nothing wrong in anything you said, and you have no reason to feel uncomfortable at all.

I do not want any of my money going towards the womans team, it used to be said that all season ticket money went to the manager, is this not the case anymore, or will this not be the case in future?

[Vault Boy]

Very fitting that Joelle is the first to be awarded with a contract.

[stoneyburn hibs]

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There's nothing wrong in anything you said, and you have no reason to feel uncomfortable at all.

I do not want any of my money going towards the womans team, it used to be said that all season ticket money went to the manager, is this not the case anymore, or will this not be the case in future?

I'm not in anyway uncomfortable with what I said , I'm of the mind that the Ladies are as much to do with the brand Hibernian as the men.
I fully appreciate your stance on this, countless others will have the same view.
The Ladies being funded, along with the club aiming to go green will have detractors, imo both elements are Hibernian moving with the times.

[GreenCastle]

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Obviously all the money Hibs Ladies got for their runs in Europe is being completely forgotten about when people question how this will be funded.

Really ?

Hibs ladies had to pay the club to use ER for the home tie !!