Player "Poaching"

[Number Three]

There appears to be a bit of it going on at the moment, with registered senior women players receiving direct correspondence from other clubs to join them.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it an ethical thing to do be doing in mid-late Feb, when season preparations are already well underway?

Surely women's football clubs need to start working together, rather than against each other? Or is it just about winning?

[ball_girl]

Its always going to happen. Always has, always will.
It might not be right, but that's not going to stop anyone. & if they are successful at "poaching" a player then maybe that player wasn't really happy where they were.

Thats what it has to be about at the end of the day. Enjoyment for the player.

[Number Three]

Its always going to happen. Always has, always will.
It might not be right, but that's not going to stop anyone. & if they are successful at "poaching" a player then maybe that player wasn't really happy where they were.

Thats what it has to be about at the end of the day. Enjoyment for the player.

I agree with this to an extent, but ideally, players are developed at an early age; they move up the ranks together as a team, and they are eventually happy senior players. Simple!

Should there really be a 'tug of war' over players? If they want to join a club, maybe let them make the first move if they're not happy where they are?

What about a points cap for Prem teams, same as the men's side?

[Fitball]

I think we all know which clubs are guilty of this, It's the clubs who are inconsistent and coaches looking for a notch on their resume as opposed to building a club. Easy come, easy go is usually the end result... And rightfully so

[QuantoQuesta]

Is it really poaching if the players are not contracted to a club?

Basically at the end of any season, surely all players are 'free agents' and can be approached by anyone or any club.

Unless anyone has been signed on a two or three year contract surely this is not poaching it is simply recruiting players..?

Or am I wrong? (Sorry if I am and I don't understand this issue properly...)

[Left Wing Back]

transferring from a club out of season is normal practice.

Poaching usually comes along with lots of bs and lies regarding the team they play for or the coaches ability. If they are un happy they don't start preseason.

we have caught out coaches contacting players directly under the age of 18 and using STIC lists to get player details to ask them to move clubs and they were not even their coach. A very sleazy practice indeed and we do not condone it. especially when they have put down the club and or coach to achieve what they want. Simply we are here to build a womens league from the bottom up not just a bunch of one team wonder clubs.

There is no way poaching coaches would ever coach a very junior team as they have to use kids to get what they want, not what the kid wants. seen it too many times and watching it at the moment. The thing they don't know is that the whole league knows how false they are and that they are only in it for themselves. Qualifications do not make you a good coach it takes the right person to mould and develop a player to be a better person as well as a better football player.

All coaches in the STIC system use it to "get players to their club". words directly taken from conversations with three STIC coaches over 5 years, one country, one north and one central. FFSA has created a system for poaching in the juniors, so it is easier there. So in the seniors you have to call them as there is no STIC there a bit harder to poach there.

[juniorsupporter]

Sorry LWB, I disagree that "all STIC coaches use the system to poach players" (sic). I also disagree with your blaming FFSA for poaching of junior players.

I think that there will inevitably be some coaches who use their position as STIC coaches to try to recruit players, but to blanket label all STIC coaches as poachers is unfair. My daughter played STIC from 10-15 and was never approached once. She has played In state teams since age 11 and is now in NTC. Clearly coaches would have welcomed her at their respective clubs, but she was never approached by any coach through her involvement in STIC.

Secondly, to even imply that "FFSA has created a system which encourages poaching" (sic) marginalizes the positive effect of the STIC system, which is to identify potential in junior players, which it does. And to blame the governing body for the abuse of some members isn't accurate.

Every year there is movement, both at the junior and senior levels. Until the girls' and women's games have numbers which make it so playing situations are fewer than the number of players available, like in the boys'/men's game, players will move and coaches will continue to try to attract them. But not all coaches are unethical.

[Left Wing Back]

Sorry LWB, I disagree that "all STIC coaches use the system to poach players" (sic). I also disagree with your blaming FFSA for poaching of junior players.

I think that there will inevitably be some coaches who use their position as STIC coaches to try to recruit players, but to blanket label all STIC coaches as poachers is unfair. My daughter played STIC from 10-15 and was never approached once. She has played In state teams since age 11 and is now in NTC. Clearly coaches would have welcomed her at their respective clubs, but she was never approached by any coach through her involvement in STIC.

Secondly, to even imply that "FFSA has created a system which encourages poaching" (sic) marginalizes the positive effect of the STIC system, which is to identify potential in junior players, which it does. And to blame the governing body for the abuse of some members isn't accurate.

Every year there is movement, both at the junior and senior levels. Until the girls' and women's games have numbers which make it so playing situations are fewer than the number of players available, like in the boys'/men's game, players will move and coaches will continue to try to attract them. But not all coaches are unethical.

yep apologise to those that do the right thing should have put some instead of all. I know coaches who have huge integrity and get approached by kids and parents and do not actively seek. Some always will like anything in life 5% use it for evil and 95% use it for good.

But I did not blame FFSA for poaching I stated a system has been created that makes it easier to poach for coaches, STIC. The 5% will use it for their own gain and I know you will agree to that, my daughter also went to STIC and the conversations I had there with coaches as well as parents were interesting to say the least. It is not FFSA's fault just the coaches who use it for themselves & there is a couple currently there.

[God is an Englishman]

It's women's football, no one owns the players. The players who can be "poached" weren't worth keeping anyway.

[Old Redback]

See it as a positive - it goes on in the mens game so if it is going on in the womens game as well it must mean there is equality.

[juniorsupporter]

That's either a clever bit of sarcasm or an epic piece of faulty logic. Either way well done.

[Fitball]

transferring from a club out of season is normal practice.

Poaching usually comes along with lots of bs and lies regarding the team they play for or the coaches ability. If they are un happy they don't start preseason.

we have caught out coaches contacting players directly under the age of 18 and using STIC lists to get player details to ask them to move clubs and they were not even their coach. A very sleazy practice indeed and we do not condone it. especially when they have put down the club and or coach to achieve what they want. Simply we are here to build a womens league from the bottom up not just a bunch of one team wonder clubs.

There is no way poaching coaches would ever coach a very junior team as they have to use kids to get what they want, not what the kid wants. seen it too many times and watching it at the moment. The thing they don't know is that the whole league knows how false they are and that they are only in it for themselves. Qualifications do not make you a good coach it takes the right person to mould and develop a player to be a better person as well as a better football player.

All coaches in the STIC system use it to "get players to their club". words directly taken from


conversations with three STIC coaches over 5 years, one country, one north and one central. FFSA has created a system for poaching in the juniors, so it is easier there. So in the seniors you have to call them as there is no STIC there a bit harder to poach there.

Well said

[JBJBJB]

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