Cheltenham Town Ladies and their manager Tom Davies are raring to go ahead of their fixture against Cardiff City in the first round of the FA Cup after the FA announced a doubled prize pot.
Going into the game Davies highlighted some potential threats for his side with the Bluebirds having recently appointed a new manager in Erol Bulut;
“Cardiff are going through a bit of a transition with their new manager, they should be able to implement some of the things they’ve been working on.
“They’re a different side with how they’re going about their in and out of possession transition work”.
Davies was quick to outline his sides progressive mentality going into the big game however;
“For us its about imposing ourselves on the game making sure we make solutions during the game and come out proud.
“The players are consistently working hard both on and off the pitch, they’re doing well with pushing boundaries and hard work pays off”.
After the FA recently announced they were doubling the prize pot for the women’s FA Cup from 3 million to 6 million all eyes have been on the competition as any team would benefit going from the fourth round upwards.
Speaking on what this new funding means to the women’s game Davies had this to say;
“There’s a lot of noise going on about the new money at higher tiers, this is the first season where the money has changed drastically bottom to top.
“We are a side that have the capacity to get into round 3-4 where the difference in prize money is astronomical”.
Furthering this the Robins’ boss discussed how important it was for Cheltenham Town specifically to not only motivate them but also to completely change the landscape of the club;
“For us it’s a target for the rewards we can go and get if we apply ourselves.
“The amount of money can change how we operate as a football club”.
All this being said there’s a heightened sense of importance to cup competitions now for the club and excitement to what the future can bring to the women’s game.
Looking towards the bigger picture of the season in all competitions Davies seemed optimistic;
“We want to go into these games and win them to create moments and memories and then carry that positivity into the league.
“We know with time these results will fall for us”.
Both teams will be amped up to face off against each other in the first round, with all sides focused on the main prize of lasting long enough to earn an incredible amount of money and make long lasting memories for the fans.
