Solihull Moors chairman ‘dismayed’ by issues raised by women’s team

Solihull Moors chairman Darryl Eales has expressed his dismay at a row over the club’s women’s team and promised a swift resolution of the “collective failure” which prompted it.

A statement from the Moors Women’s squad posted on X by player Alex Liddiard on Friday aired claims that the players had “endured conditions that no team, at any level, should be expected to tolerate”, including ill-fitting kits, a lack of basic equipment, no provision of transportation for away games and no guaranteed pitch for midweek fixtures.

Eales has revealed he held a meeting with representatives of the team, which plays in the fourth tier of the women’s football pyramid, Division One Midlands of the National League, and the Solihull Moors Foundation, under which it operates, on Sunday in a bid to address the issues raised.

Writing in his programme notes for the men’s team’s National League clash with York on Tuesday evening, he said: “There are certainly no winners in such a situation and as chairman of the club and a big supporter of the Foundation, I am dismayed that collectively we find ourselves in such a position which should have been resolved by compromise, dialogue and understanding others’ point of view. This is our collective failure.

“The above having been said, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive and friendly community club and, with the concerns being raised, I immediately sought a meeting with the Foundation and representatives of the women’s team.

“The meeting was held on Sunday and I felt was very positive. It was acknowledged that the club had no prior knowledge of many of the issues raised and hence it was somewhat unfair to bracket the club as in some way responsible.

“I think anyone who knows me will confirm, that once I am aware of an issue, I will ensure it is discussed and resolved, one way or another, and quickly.”

Eales revealed the women’s team, which said it had been forced to forfeit a cup-tie against West Brom because it could not secure a pitch, would play Wednesday evening’s home fixture against Worcester City at the club’s Damson Park home, known as the ARMCO Arena, as longer-term solutions are sought.

He said: “Any agreed solution needs to be sustainable and to be successful. Both these elements can be achieved through us working collectively together and we will continue to talk with all of the stakeholders to get the right structure in place to make this happen.”