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Women'sAkers’ Arsenal come to the four
Delight for Arsenal Ladies as they lift the UEFA Cup after drawing 0-0 with Umea on 29 April 2007 to win 1-0 on aggregate. Image courtesy of www.arsenalpics.com.
(FIFA.com) 08 May 2007
Talk of quadruples is nothing new in England this season, but until this week it was focused almost exclusively on Chelsea’s attempts to claim four major trophies.
Yet, as it transpired, while Jose Mourinho’s Londoners faltered in both the Premiership and the UEFA Champions League, another team from just across the city managed to complete an incredible clean sweep of domestic and European titles.
Everything Arsenal Ladies have touched this season has turned to gold, and should they avoid losing to Everton today, they will have gone through an entire campaign without tasting defeat.
On Monday, the Gunners added the FA Cup to a trophy cabinet already creaking under the weight of the League Cup, championship and UEFA Cup trophies, re-affirming their ascent to a pre-eminent position in the women’s game. However, for Vic Akers, this quadruple success merely represents the culmination of two decades of patient toil.
"This is our 20th year and what a fantastic year it's been," said the Arsenal coach, who has been the driving force behind Arsenal Ladies since their inception in 1987. Akers also serves as the men’s team’s kit-man, and in a season which has seen Arsene Wenger’s side under-perform in their new home at the Emirates Stadium, the achievements of the club’s women have come as a timely and unexpected fillip.
Kelly Smith celebrates after scoring for Arsenal Ladies in the 4-1 FA Cup final win over Charlton at the City Ground, Nottingham on 7 May 2007. Image courtesy of www.arsenalpics.com.
Europe conquered
In no competition was their success more surprising than the UEFA Cup, where Akers’ part-time outfit shocked everyone by beating Swedish giants Umea - Marta, Hanna Ljungberg et al - to become the first team from outside Scandinavia and Germany to lift Europe’s top prize.
After 180 minutes of fraught, nervy football, just one goal stood between the sides - a 35-yard thunderbolt from full-back Alex Scott in the final minute of the first leg in northern Sweden. In the return, Umea laid siege to the Arsenal goal, but found it had an obstinate guardian in Republic of Ireland No1 Emma Byrne.
The Gunners lived on their nerves until the very end, watching helplessly as Umea twice hit the woodwork in the closing stages, but ultimately they clung on to a victory attributed by Akers to their dedicated application.
"You don't get anything without putting the effort in and that's what we've done – it was a massive effort and we've got the reward," he said afterwards. "It's a massive boost for the game in Great Britain that the trophy has been taken out of Scandinavia and Germany. We should see more kids playing now and an improvement higher up."
Akers’ hope that girls and young women in the UK will be inspired by Arsenal’s success was shared by the club’s stand-in captain Jane Ludlow, who has spent the season deputising for the injured Faye Smith. "There are more kids getting involved day in day out," she said. "Hopefully with the coverage we've had now, and winning a major trophy outside our borders, people are going to stand up and take notice and realise that we have talent in this country and can win major trophies."
Long-serving Arsenal Ladies coach Vic Akers, seen here posing with Jayne Ludlow and the UEFA Cup trophy, has pledged to stay on and lead the Gunners' quadruple defence. Image courtesy of www.arsenalpics.com.
Akers rejects retirement
There was certainly ample evidence of England’s appetite for women’s football on show on Monday at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, where a crowd of 24,529 turned out to watch Arsenal come from a goal down to beat Charlton 4-1. It was the eighth time Akers had taken the Gunners to the FA Cup final, and each time he has returned to north London with the trophy.
There were even reports that having conquered Europe and secured a fourth successive English league title, the 60-year-old might retire, considering his mission to have been accomplished. However, these rumours were quickly laid to rest following the completion of this historic quadruple. Asked if he would still be at the helm next season, Akers replied: "Absolutely. I'm proud of the team. They have been fantastic."
Not that Ludlow, whose first half brace paved the way for the FA Cup to remain with the Gunners, ever had any doubts. "He has been here for 20 years and I think he will be here for another 20 years yet," she joked of the veteran coach. "The players all owe a lot to him - as does the club and women's football in general."
And what of the future? "We need to retain our league title and win the FA Cup again," said the stand-in skipper, "and we want to be European champions again." Replicating such a perfect season might well prove nigh impossible, but with Akers at the helm and the players’ ambitions unchecked, Arsenal will ensure that none of their trophies are prised away without a fight.
Delight for Arsenal Ladies as they lift the UEFA Cup after drawing 0-0 with Umea on 29 April 2007 to win 1-0 on aggregate. Image courtesy of www.arsenalpics.com.(FIFA.com) 08 May 2007
Talk of quadruples is nothing new in England this season, but until this week it was focused almost exclusively on Chelsea’s attempts to claim four major trophies.
Yet, as it transpired, while Jose Mourinho’s Londoners faltered in both the Premiership and the UEFA Champions League, another team from just across the city managed to complete an incredible clean sweep of domestic and European titles.
Everything Arsenal Ladies have touched this season has turned to gold, and should they avoid losing to Everton today, they will have gone through an entire campaign without tasting defeat.
On Monday, the Gunners added the FA Cup to a trophy cabinet already creaking under the weight of the League Cup, championship and UEFA Cup trophies, re-affirming their ascent to a pre-eminent position in the women’s game. However, for Vic Akers, this quadruple success merely represents the culmination of two decades of patient toil.
"This is our 20th year and what a fantastic year it's been," said the Arsenal coach, who has been the driving force behind Arsenal Ladies since their inception in 1987. Akers also serves as the men’s team’s kit-man, and in a season which has seen Arsene Wenger’s side under-perform in their new home at the Emirates Stadium, the achievements of the club’s women have come as a timely and unexpected fillip.
Kelly Smith celebrates after scoring for Arsenal Ladies in the 4-1 FA Cup final win over Charlton at the City Ground, Nottingham on 7 May 2007. Image courtesy of www.arsenalpics.com. Europe conquered
In no competition was their success more surprising than the UEFA Cup, where Akers’ part-time outfit shocked everyone by beating Swedish giants Umea - Marta, Hanna Ljungberg et al - to become the first team from outside Scandinavia and Germany to lift Europe’s top prize.
After 180 minutes of fraught, nervy football, just one goal stood between the sides - a 35-yard thunderbolt from full-back Alex Scott in the final minute of the first leg in northern Sweden. In the return, Umea laid siege to the Arsenal goal, but found it had an obstinate guardian in Republic of Ireland No1 Emma Byrne.
The Gunners lived on their nerves until the very end, watching helplessly as Umea twice hit the woodwork in the closing stages, but ultimately they clung on to a victory attributed by Akers to their dedicated application.
"You don't get anything without putting the effort in and that's what we've done – it was a massive effort and we've got the reward," he said afterwards. "It's a massive boost for the game in Great Britain that the trophy has been taken out of Scandinavia and Germany. We should see more kids playing now and an improvement higher up."
Akers’ hope that girls and young women in the UK will be inspired by Arsenal’s success was shared by the club’s stand-in captain Jane Ludlow, who has spent the season deputising for the injured Faye Smith. "There are more kids getting involved day in day out," she said. "Hopefully with the coverage we've had now, and winning a major trophy outside our borders, people are going to stand up and take notice and realise that we have talent in this country and can win major trophies."
Long-serving Arsenal Ladies coach Vic Akers, seen here posing with Jayne Ludlow and the UEFA Cup trophy, has pledged to stay on and lead the Gunners' quadruple defence. Image courtesy of www.arsenalpics.com.Akers rejects retirement
There was certainly ample evidence of England’s appetite for women’s football on show on Monday at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, where a crowd of 24,529 turned out to watch Arsenal come from a goal down to beat Charlton 4-1. It was the eighth time Akers had taken the Gunners to the FA Cup final, and each time he has returned to north London with the trophy.
There were even reports that having conquered Europe and secured a fourth successive English league title, the 60-year-old might retire, considering his mission to have been accomplished. However, these rumours were quickly laid to rest following the completion of this historic quadruple. Asked if he would still be at the helm next season, Akers replied: "Absolutely. I'm proud of the team. They have been fantastic."
Not that Ludlow, whose first half brace paved the way for the FA Cup to remain with the Gunners, ever had any doubts. "He has been here for 20 years and I think he will be here for another 20 years yet," she joked of the veteran coach. "The players all owe a lot to him - as does the club and women's football in general."
And what of the future? "We need to retain our league title and win the FA Cup again," said the stand-in skipper, "and we want to be European champions again." Replicating such a perfect season might well prove nigh impossible, but with Akers at the helm and the players’ ambitions unchecked, Arsenal will ensure that none of their trophies are prised away without a fight.