Is the first of women’s football club Hera United ready for the new football season? The team is still part of Telstar, but hopes to play their first premier league match of this season on 7 September under their own name. The KNVB still has to give permanently permission for this. Today we were at the training on the fields of AFC, their provisional home base.
On the main field of AFC in Zuid, the women were happy to work in sweat today. Under the leadership of head coach Ed Engelkes, formerly assistant coach of the Oranje Leeuwinnen under Vera Pauw and head coach of the AZ women and Ajax women, there was a strong training to get fit.
A lot of energy
Right back Puck Dark: “We play a lot of eleven against eleven, many games, well open during training, we are still working on that in the base.” Donkers is enthusiastic about the new team. “It is an inquisitive group, it contains young girls and somewhat older girls, there is a lot of energy and that is tasty.”
Head coach Ed Engelkes: “Our ambition is to stay in this competition, we don’t want to relegate next year.” He finds modesty in place. “We have a new club, some girls left and new ones. We have to be realistic. Other clubs such as FC Twente, Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord have been busy for much longer. Let’s perhaps surprise other groups, I think that will happen a number of times this year.”
New rules
At the end of June, the KNVB adjusted the rules, so that it became possible to allow a club with only female players in professional football. But before a definitive green light is given for a license for Hera United, the assessment committee of the KNVB still has to rule. So the women still play under Telstar now.
Marieke Visser, co-founder of Hera United: “We are doing everything we can to be Hera United before the start of the first match. So we have new players, the selection is complete, we have hired a new assistant trainer Jessie van den Broek, a new goalkeeper trainer and a new state and performance, so actually everything.”
First home game
Right back Puck Dark cannot wait until the license is complete and she can develop at the new club Hera United. Her ambition is not only a better learning to play football, she would also like to become a leader. What they are most looking forward to? “The first home game against PEC Zwolle,” she says laughing. “Here at AFC on September 21 and I hope that many people come to watch.” The first away match is against AZ on September 7.
Why a football club only for women?
Hera United will soon be the first football club exclusively for women. What is the added value of this and what is the big difference with football clubs where both women’s teams and men’s teams are? In the video below, Puck Donker, Ed Engelkes and Marieke Visser answer that question: