Reading 'still a huge women's club', says new manager
"Behind the scenes, it's just been about making sure that the infrastructure is there to achieve what we want to achieve," said Jackson-Norris. "Three years ago we were preparing for a season in the WSL. Now, three years later, we're preparing for a season at tier five which is an almighty drop off."We've gone from being a full-time professional club to now being in a division that doesn't allow players to be contracted. With that comes all sorts of challenges."
'Think forward'
The women's side currently play their games 20 miles outside of Reading, at Slough Town's Arbour Park."We're still a huge women's club, so we've got a very loyal supporters' base who remain interested in the women's team. "We're fortunate in that sense, but we're playing games outside of Reading which makes it difficult to continue to grow."Certainly the air at the women's and girl's section of the club at the minute is a case of, well, what's happened is outside of our control, we have no influence over it, all we can do is think forward, we don't want to look behind us anymore."Jackson-Norris says he hopes new owner Rob Couhig will be able to help get the women's team back to the top tier. "The priority in the short term for him has been to stabilise the men's first team and to make sure the men's side of the club, and on a lesser scale the academy, are operating at a financially sustainable and sensible way whilst trying to be competitive. "That side of the club is what brings in the majority of the money so that's totally understandable."He's also said that women's side is part of his thinking, they want to be able to help our set-up as much as possible and we are in the medium-to-long-term thinking of the football club and that's great."After an exodus of players following the drop down the divisions, Reading finished eighth of 10 teams in their division.They were defeated 3-2 in their first pre-season game away at Leatherhead FC on Sunday.
You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Auto Express
2 minutes ago
- Auto Express
Car finance compensation: am I eligible?
You can't go on social media or switch on the television these days and fail to hear about the ongoing car finance scandal. Lenders have put aside billions of pounds in potential compensation for consumers, but court rulings have shaken things up a bit, meaning fewer people are now eligible. Advertisement - Article continues below The Supreme Court recently overturned a decision made by the Court of Appeal last October that declared that any type of hidden commission involved within a car finance deal was unlawful. Such a decision originally led to thousands signing up with claims firms in the hope of securing a slice of the billions set aside by lenders in case the Supreme Court ruled against them. Now, however, it looks as if only those who had previously signed up to a finance deal involving a Discretionary Commission Arrangement (DCA), or potentially those whose finance deals involved 'excessive' levels of commission, will be able to claim. Already lost? We don't blame you, so let us answer all of your most burning questions. The ongoing car finance scandal started at the beginning of 2024 when the UK regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, announced that it was launching an investigation into what's known as Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs). Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Outlawed in 2021, DCAs essentially mean lenders artificially inflating interest rates in order to provide the dealer with additional commission, thus pushing up the cost of finance for the customer. This, according to experts, was the case in roughly 40 per cent of finance deals between 2017 and 2021, costing consumers as much as £500 million per year as opposed to flat commission rates. Advertisement - Article continues below This came to a head after a Court of Appeal case between customers and some of the UK's largest lending firms ruled that any part of a finance deal involving commission that's not overtly outlined and agreed to by the consumer is unlawful. Such a decision sent shockwaves through the industry because this meant almost all car finance deals from 2007 could be eligible, with experts originally estimating as much as £40 billion being up for grabs in compensation. In early August, the UK's highest court, the Supreme Court, overturned the Court of Appeal's judgement, claiming that dealers do not have a fiduciary duty to act in their customer's interest, rather than their own. Lord Reed, the President of the Supreme Court, delivered the judgement, saying that 'At no point did the dealer give any kind of express undertaking or assurance to the customer that in finding a suitable credit deal it was putting aside its own commercial interest as seller'. However, the Court did uphold a ruling in which the amount of commission paid to a dealer was deemed excessive, accounting for as much as 55 per cent of what the customer had paid. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below After originally trying to push its own influence over the Court's verdict, the Treasury said in a statement that it 'respect[s] this judgment from the Supreme Court and will now work with regulators and industry to understand the impact for both firms and consumers.' Following the Supreme Court's judgement, the FCA said it would launch a consultation into a potential redress scheme for those having signed up to finance deals involving DCAs, as well as those including 'non-disclosure of other facts relating to the commission that [made] the relationship unfair.' Advertisement - Article continues below What does this mean? Well, it appears those with DCA finance agreements, as well as those who will be able to claim that their finance deal was misleading in any way, will be entitled to compensation. In some sense, this is bad news for consumers because it means that far fewer people will be eligible to receive redress. However, it's a slightly less severe blow to the industry, given that the issue is expected to cost around £18 billion, rather than the £40-50 billion originally expected. Nevertheless, the Finance and Leasing Association – the trade body that represents lenders – called the idea of an official redress scheme 'impractical', saying that it has 'concerns about whether it is possible to have a fair redress scheme that goes back to 2007 when firms have not been required to hold such dated information, and the evidence base will be patchy at best.' Unfortunately, the payout for those affected looks to be a lot less than what was originally expected; while estimates suggested that most claimants would be able to walk away with four-figure sums, the FCA suggested that the majority will likely get less than £950 per finance deal. This will come as a disappointment to some, however the FCA insists this is in an attempt to balance the impact on both businesses and consumers. But with such a low figure and many paying tens of thousands of pounds out on the average finance deal – several thousands being that of the inflated DCA interest rates – many might not get back all of what they are technically owed. For the time being we recommend simply filing a complaint with your lender; there are several free tools available online, such as the one from Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert, which can help you find old finance agreements and draft such a letter. There is also the option of sitting tight for now; the chances are that the FCA will announce what's known as an 'opt-out' redress scheme, which means lenders will be forced to get in contact with you in order to arrange compensation. However, there is still no harm in filing a complaint because this will cover all bases, on the basis that the FCA might make the redress scheme 'opt-in', forcing consumers to do the contacting legwork themselves. Most important, however, is that Auto Express' advice is not to sign up for any of the dozens of car-finance claims-management firms you've undoubtedly seen being advertised online. Not only is doing so unnecessary, but they can also take up to 30 per cent of your winnings – even if the FCA sets up an 'opt-out' scheme in which the claims firms would have to do nothing. Thinking about buying a new car? Click here for our guide on how to buy a car online ... Find a car with the experts Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra slash electric car prices Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra slash electric car prices Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra aren't waiting around for the government grant by cutting £1,500 from their EV prices Electric cars driven until they die: the truth about EV range Electric cars driven until they die: the truth about EV range Five EVs under £24k have joined Dacia's Spring on the UK market. How far can you go on a budget? We find out Car Deal of the Day: MGS5 EV for under £200 a month is a true bargain Car Deal of the Day: MGS5 EV for under £200 a month is a true bargain The ZS EV's replacement is an excellent small electric SUV, and our Deal of the Day for August 4
Leader Live
2 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Pope's form, Stokes' fitness and pace options – the questions facing England
There are just over three months until England arrive in Perth and the planning can now begin in earnest. Here, the PA news agency looks at five key questions England need to answer. Will Ben Stokes be fully fit? England are a completely different team when their inspirational captain is firing on all cylinders. He was in brilliant form this summer, rolling back the years with ball in hand, but missed the Kia Oval decider with a shoulder problem. A six-to-10-week lay-off will follow but any further setbacks would raise serious alarms. Having been struck down by knee, hip, hamstring and shoulder injuries in the past two years, is it too optimistic to expect him to be in peak condition throughout a gruelling tour? What is the pace bowling pecking order? England have talked up the importance of building deep reserves of fast bowlers but when the first Test kicks off in Perth they must be clear on their best combination. Jofra Archer looks certain to be in it after his long-awaited comeback, Mark Wood hopes to be back after missing the entire Test season, while Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton, Chris Woakes and Sam Cook all played this summer. Woakes looks like missing out with a dislocated shoulder, but how do the others stack up? How do they get the best out of Ollie Pope? A big hundred against Zimbabwe and another century in his first knock against India removed some of the questions that had been circling about Pope's spot at number three. But he finished the series averaging 34 and was 10th on the run-scoring charts. Jacob Bethell's disappointing effort in the fifth Test against India has weakened his case as a replacement but England need more from a senior player in a key position. Could taking the vice-captaincy off him and promoting white-ball skipper Harry Brook be part of the answer? Is the spin situation settled? A lot of faith has been placed in Shoaib Bashir, with England backing their hunch that he can do well in Australia. It has been a mixed bag so far, with 68 wickets in 19 Tests but a stubbornly high average of 39. His broken finger opened the door for them to have an overdue second look at Liam Dawson, but the county scene's standard-bearer was dropped after taking one for 140 at Old Trafford. Will he travel as competition for Bashir, could there be a return to Jack Leach or might England look at using all-pace attacks for some Ashes contests? How will they prepare for the war of words? Australian players, fans and media cheerleaders have been paying close attention to the India series and it is has not been hard to realise the long-range sledging has already started. From David Warner's recent jibe at Joe Root to the social media barrage about the merits, or otherwise, of 'Bazball', the heat is already rising. Expect that to continue all the way until Glenn McGrath shockingly predicts a 5-0 win for Australia. England have refused to entertain much Ashes talk in recent months but the temptation will rise as the weeks tick by. Will they fire some broadsides of their own or keep things on the field?
South Wales Guardian
2 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Pope's form, Stokes' fitness and pace options – the questions facing England
There are just over three months until England arrive in Perth and the planning can now begin in earnest. Here, the PA news agency looks at five key questions England need to answer. Will Ben Stokes be fully fit? England are a completely different team when their inspirational captain is firing on all cylinders. He was in brilliant form this summer, rolling back the years with ball in hand, but missed the Kia Oval decider with a shoulder problem. A six-to-10-week lay-off will follow but any further setbacks would raise serious alarms. Having been struck down by knee, hip, hamstring and shoulder injuries in the past two years, is it too optimistic to expect him to be in peak condition throughout a gruelling tour? What is the pace bowling pecking order? England have talked up the importance of building deep reserves of fast bowlers but when the first Test kicks off in Perth they must be clear on their best combination. Jofra Archer looks certain to be in it after his long-awaited comeback, Mark Wood hopes to be back after missing the entire Test season, while Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton, Chris Woakes and Sam Cook all played this summer. Woakes looks like missing out with a dislocated shoulder, but how do the others stack up? How do they get the best out of Ollie Pope? A big hundred against Zimbabwe and another century in his first knock against India removed some of the questions that had been circling about Pope's spot at number three. But he finished the series averaging 34 and was 10th on the run-scoring charts. Jacob Bethell's disappointing effort in the fifth Test against India has weakened his case as a replacement but England need more from a senior player in a key position. Could taking the vice-captaincy off him and promoting white-ball skipper Harry Brook be part of the answer? Is the spin situation settled? A lot of faith has been placed in Shoaib Bashir, with England backing their hunch that he can do well in Australia. It has been a mixed bag so far, with 68 wickets in 19 Tests but a stubbornly high average of 39. His broken finger opened the door for them to have an overdue second look at Liam Dawson, but the county scene's standard-bearer was dropped after taking one for 140 at Old Trafford. Will he travel as competition for Bashir, could there be a return to Jack Leach or might England look at using all-pace attacks for some Ashes contests? How will they prepare for the war of words? Australian players, fans and media cheerleaders have been paying close attention to the India series and it is has not been hard to realise the long-range sledging has already started. From David Warner's recent jibe at Joe Root to the social media barrage about the merits, or otherwise, of 'Bazball', the heat is already rising. Expect that to continue all the way until Glenn McGrath shockingly predicts a 5-0 win for Australia. England have refused to entertain much Ashes talk in recent months but the temptation will rise as the weeks tick by. Will they fire some broadsides of their own or keep things on the field?
