Chelsea Women manager Emma Hayes said it is time for stadiums hosting top-level women's football to have undersoil heating after her side's game with Liverpool was suspended after just six minutes on Sunday.
Despite pitch inspections at Kingsmeadow earlier in the day that deemed the surface playable, the referee abandoned the Women's Super League clash when it became apparent the pitch was too frozen.
While it was broadly agreed to be the correct decision as players had been slipping on the surface, questions were asked as to why the game was allowed to go ahead in the first place and why stadiums that host WSL games are not all equipped with pitch heating facilities.
"You could see from the opening minutes that it was like an ice rink down the sides," Hayes told BBC Sport after the game was stopped. "[Liverpool manager] Matt Beard was upset that it even got to that point and he's right.
"We have to say to ourselves that it's time for undersoil heating. We've got to take our game seriously. Yes, we can have our blowers and pitch tents, but it's not enough.
"The game should never have started. Everyone wanted to get the game on, but when you have got emotions of teams wanting or not wanting to play, that's when you need a decision from above. The FA weren't here, they need to be making the decision.
"We've made progress with investment into the quality of grasses and surfaces across the league. No game at the top level of the women's game should be cancelled. We need undersoil heating, we don't live in Barbados."
Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema took to Twitter to lament the decision to postpone that game as well as Tottenham's clash with Leicester City due to cold weather, posting: "Players safety should always come first. Luckily no one got injured today.
"Only way to fix this is to demand undersoil heating or playing our games in men's stadiums. FA and clubs, please do better."
The Dutch star was quote-tweeted by Liverpool's Katie Stengel, who wrote: "I heard Stamford Bridge was wide open today."
Chelsea's Fran Kirby also gave her thoughts on Twitter, adding: "Apologies to both sets of fans who travelled today. Players safety should always be the number one priority. Luckily no one was injured today and the right decision was taken eventually. Women's football deserves better and we won't stop fighting to make that happen"
Bompastor pleased with Chelsea progress after Arsenal win
Sonia Bompastor hailed her Chelsea players for taking her ideas on board quickly following Sunday's 1-0 friendly victory over Arsenal.
New arrival Sandy Baltimore scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea overcame their London rivals at Audi Field in Chicago.
Chelsea begin their quest for a sixth straight Women's Super League crown against Aston Villa on September 20, following a period of upheaval at Stamford Bridge.
Former Lyon boss Bompastor took the reins after Emma Hayes left to take the United States job and has overseen two pre-season victories, with the Blues also beating Gotham FC 3-1 on Monday.
Though she acknowledges there is more work to do ahead of their WSL opener, Bompastor believes her new players have already made plenty of progress.
"What I take from the game is that we worked really hard as a team and even if we had difficult moments, we were able to manage them," Bompastor said.
"This is a good team spirit and I like that. Of course, the result was good even if we know we still need to work. These have been two good games for us to build on and to progress.
"We are in the beginning. It's not even been one month working with the team and it takes time to make sure all the girls understand our game model and the expectations I have of them on the field.
"I'm really happy. I think what we have wanted to work on since the beginning has been about the team spirit and from the two games we've played you can see we are playing like a team together, even when we have hard moments in games.
"From these two games, we will be working, progressing and reinforcing the messages on the game model.
"I'm already happy with the girls, their performance and what they're achieving on the field."
Khadija "Bunny" Shaw sets sights on new heights after winning PFA Women’s Player of the Year Award
Reggae Girlz forward and captain Khadija "Bunny" Shaw continues to make history, adding the prestigious Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Women's Player of the Year award to her growing list of accolades. Shaw’s remarkable season with Manchester City Women saw her leading her team to a second-place finish in the Women's Super League, narrowly missing out on the title to Chelsea on goal difference.
Shaw’s performance throughout the season was nothing short of spectacular. She ended the campaign as the league's top scorer, netting 21 goals, including three hat-tricks, and providing three assists. This impressive tally not only made her the leading scorer but also marked a personal best, surpassing her total from the previous season by one goal.
After receiving the award, Shaw reflected on her journey and the significance of the honor. "I am both happy and proud to have received this award — to be recognized in such a way by my peers is a very special honour," Shaw said. "I also want to thank my teammates and the entire coaching staff because without them this would not be possible. I’d also like to congratulate all my fellow nominees who are such amazing players. To have been voted the player of the year means a lot."
The 27-year-old Shaw's journey to the top has been a testament to her hard work, determination, and unyielding belief in her dreams. Speaking with the BBC, she shared, "For me, it's been quite an interesting journey to where I am now, but from a young girl growing up, I always had a dream, and that dream was to be the best that I could be. Every day I try to do that not just on the field but off the field and to see if I can inspire young girls, not just in Jamaica but the Caribbean, to show that 'okay, if I can do it, it's definitely possible for you. You just have to believe in your dream.'"
Despite her success, Shaw is not content to rest on her laurels. She is already looking ahead to next season, determined to push her game to even greater heights. "I think for me, it's about keep having fun, embracing my journey, and pushing my levels even higher because when I look back at this season, there are a lot of goals I should have scored," she said. "But for me, it's just embracing the journey and keep working hard for the team, keep pushing my levels, and you never know where I will end at the end of the season."
Shaw’s impact goes beyond her on-field achievements. As the first Jamaican woman to win the PFA Women’s Player of the Year award, she continues to be a beacon of inspiration for young athletes, particularly in the Caribbean.
In addition to the PFA award on Tuesday, Shaw had previously been named the Women’s Super League Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season and Player of the Year at the Women’s Football Awards, further cementing her status as one of the top players in the world.
Bompaster 'likes the pressure' of replacing Hayes at Chelsea
Sonia Bompastor says she "likes the pressure" that comes from succeeding Emma Hayes at Chelsea.
Hayes, who won Olympic gold earlier this month with the United States, left the Blues at the end of last season after a glittering 12-year spell in charge that saw her win seven Women's Super League titles, including each of the last five in a row.
She also led them to five Women's FA Cups and two Women's League Cups to bring her tally to 14 major trophies.
Bompastor, who spent three years in charge of Lyon, winning three consecutive league titles and a Champions League, is now hoping to build on Hayes' success.
"I just feel a lucky manager to have this opportunity to build from Emma and have this opportunity to show who I am as a manager but also as a person," Bompastor said in her first Chelsea press conference.
"I already told everyone that we are here to win every single title, every single game, so this is why I came. I like the pressure.
"When I had the meeting with the sporting directors, I said this is something really special to win the Champions League.
"I think we have all the quality at this club to have this trophy at home."
Hayes came close to winning the Champions League with Chelsea, but fell short in 2020-21, losing to Barcelona.
With one eye on achieving European success this season, the Blues have already brought in Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore, but Bompastor is keen to get some more additions through the door to ensure they can make a strong challenge.
"You know how competitive the league is here, maybe one of the most competitive in the world, so it's so difficult for an English team to perform in every game," she added.
"I'll make sure we have the good numbers and the quality to perform in every game."
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