Reading 'still a huge women's club' says new manager

Ed Jackson-Norris hopes the season ahead can be the first step on the road back to the top

While England enjoy a golden age on the international stage, newly appointed Reading Women manager Ed Jackson-Norris is preparing his side - a top-flight team just two years ago - for their second season in the fifth tier.

When the money dried up under previous Reading owner Dai Yongge, the team were withdrawn from the Championship following relegation, and entered into the Premier Division of the Southern Region Women's Football League.

Jackson-Norris joined the club this month after the departure of Pedro Bruno at the end of June.

Dai Yongge sold the club to American businessman Rob Couhig in May in what many fans hope may be a turning point in fortunes for Reading Women's side.

"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.