Nottingham Forest Women might have finished the season with two pieces of silverware, but for head coach Andy Cook there is still a slight sense of frustration.
The Reds beat AFC Wimbledon to lift the FA Women’s National League Plate and thumped Mansfield Town 10-1 in the FA Nottinghamshire County Cup final. There is plenty to be positive about.
There is also plenty to build on. For Cook, falling short of promotion with a fifth-placed finish in the FA Women’s National League North is a motivating force ready for the 2022/23 campaign.
Read more: Forest 'want' £5m-rated goalkeeper as summer transfer window officially opens
Read more: Forest transfer state of play as summer window officially opens
“We’re a bit frustrated with where we finished in the league,” he said. "That’s something we’re all very keen to put right next season. The successes are great, winning trophies is brilliant. We’re especially proud of the Plate final.
“But the league is the bread and butter of what you do, and you want to finish as high as you can. That’s something we’re all really disappointed with, that we didn’t finish as high as we could have done. The potential of the squad is good, and we didn’t really reach our potential in the league this season.
“But the cups are fantastic. With all the investment and hours you put into it, silverware is the thing that justifies why you do it. It’s why you get into it.
“Ultimately, there can only be one or two winners in a season, only a few names on trophies - and Nottingham Forest is one of them. We’re really proud of that.
“It’s something we want more of next season. The frustrations are there, but the platform to build on is something we believe we can harness in the off-season. We want to make sure that when we come back in July, we’re as ready as we can be for next season.”
Cook’s side have been part of a memorable 2021/22 for the whole club. There has been a palpable buzz on the banks of the Trent.
In addition to their trophy success, Forest also broke the attendance record for women’s National League football last October. Their home fixtures are usually played at Eastwood Community’s ground, but a crowd of 4,443 was in place at the City Ground for their clash with rivals Derby County.
“The attendance record is something we were really proud of,” Cook said. “Newcastle went and blew it out of the water with 22,000 at St James’ Park. But the fact we could generate that crowd was brilliant. The people of Nottingham have always come out and supported the team.
“The feelgood factor around Nottingham at the moment is brilliant. Not only ourselves, but with the men getting into the Premier League, I believe that’s something we’ve got to make sure we can develop and get on the tailcoats of; make sure, as a whole club, we are moving forward.
“There’s definitely an appetite for women’s football. And there’s definitely an appetite for the team to play at the City Ground, and for the fans to come and see us.
“One of the things we can probably use this year is that the men won’t be using that stadium for a number of weeks, because of the World Cup. I’m sure everyone will be watching the World Cup, but our league will still be going and we’ll still be playing. There’s a definite window of opportunity there that I think we’ve got to take control of.
“There’s a hope that we can have two or three fixtures there. That was the plan this season, and we managed to do that. I believe that’s the same again next season.
“I think the interest is getting stronger in the women’s game. The test of that is going to be how many fans get through the gates at the Women’s Euros this summer. f they can get good attendances at some of those games, I think that’s a good test of where the game has come in this country. And where it could potentially go to.
Bumper Forest promotion special - 48-page souvenir special now available to buy, grab your copy here
“We sit in the third tier, which is classed as amateur, but it’s about getting that appetite to come and support your football club. Rather than, ‘I’m going to go watch the women’s team’, it’s just supporting your football club.
“The Under-18s got 67,000 at Old Trafford to watch them (in the FA Youth Cup final). It wasn’t a case of, ‘I’m going to watch the Under-18s play’, it was, ‘I’m going to watch Nottingham Forest and support the football club’.
“I think that’s exactly the process of it. There seems to be a little bit more of, ‘we’re Nottingham Forest fans, it doesn’t matter which team is playing, there’s 11 people wearing that shirt and representing the football club’. If the Euros get good figures and good attendances, people will be encouraged to go watch games across the country next season as well.”
Membership is now on sale for the 2022/23 campaign. Priced at £35 for adults and £20 for concessions, with family membership (two adults and two juniors) at £99, it covers entry to all the team’s games, including any at the City Ground.
“It’s not a case of, ‘you have to buy a season ticket, you have to come down, you have to watch just the women’s team’, it’s a case of supporting the football club,” Cook added. “You might buy a season ticket to watch the men at the City Ground, and for an extra £20 or £30 you’ve got the access to come watch our games. Ultimately, for the price of what is pretty much one ticket to watch the men play, that is the price of all our fixtures for the season.”
