By Tom Wood
The founder of Chelsea Ladies who helped take them from Sunday morning mud-heaps to Wembley Stadium has some advice for Sheffield FC Ladies.
Just like Tony Farmer’s Chelsea team, Sheffield FC have climbed up the leagues rapidly with six titles in the last eight years. They are now one of the two teams in the top two divisions which are not affiliated with a men’s team in the football league. This is something that Tony finds refreshing.
“It’s good to see teams like Sheffield FC doing so well. Traditionally, sides in the Women’s Super League have been supported by their Premier League sides. But women’s football doesn’t have to be a replica of the men’s league.”
In 1992, Tony’s Chelsea started in the third London division but were soon promoted to the national Premier League before Tony left in 1997. Tony has put his team’s success down to the belief of his players which is something Sheffield will have to do.
He said: “I would say to them to believe in themselves, just like anything else, you need belief. They need to know that they can go to the best teams in country and beat them.”
During Tony’s time at Chelsea he has gone on to coach some of England’s best players over the last decade including former England captain Casey Stoney and highest ever capped England player Fara Williams.
“Casey was 13 when she played and we used to pick her up and take her to training and games. I remember telling her that she had the potential to play for England one day. She laughed at me, but she’s gone on to have a great career and has captained her country.”
Again, Tony put Fara’s and Casey’s success down to the drive they had to become top footballers, which is something Tony thinks Sheffield will need.
“What they have done already is an amazing achievement and I just think it’s all about self-belief and giving it go. Casey and Fara had it in abundance and they have reached the very top.”
When Tony started Chelsea Ladies it took nearly a year for him to convince the Chelsea board. He said that it did have its doubters at first but they quietened down after a few years.
“When we first started we had a lot of criticism. We were called no hopers. If you look at the team now, there’s 22 full time professional players and 18 of them are now internationals, they don’t look like no hopers now.”
Chelsea have become a real force in the Women’s Super League and they were crowned champions for the first time last year which Tony witnessed.
Oddly, their 4-o win over Sunderland which sealed the title for the blues, was 23 years to the day when Tony’s Chelsea side played their first ever game which ended in the same result.
They also made history in winning the FA Cup for the first time at Wembley Stadium which Tony went to watch as a supporter.
“Seeing the club that I have supported for a very long time and the team that I formed twenty odd years ago playing at Wembley was an amazing feeling.”
Wembley littered in the Sheffield colours might not be the first thing on the player’s mind but if Tony’s old Chelsea team are anything to go by, it might not be too far in the future.
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