Ben Fisher Middlesbrough Women - The Start of the Journey.
As Chair of Boro Women, Ben Fisher has helped guide the team and the club in an upwards trajectory over the past few years. A lifelong Boro fan and former Boro junior Ben has now been appointed General Manager of Middlesbrough Women. His club is now part of Middlesbrough Football Club. This must be a dream come true.
Q: Ben tell me what this day means to you?
BF: I am immensely proud and immensely excited. What we've been running the club in the past it is what we've dreamed of, it allows us to move forward with the ambition I had and with the club's backing we want to be a team that the club are going to be proud of.
Q: And what does it mean for this summer? How will things change?
BF: It will step us up completely, obviously the training facilities...
Q: Will you be training here at Hurworth?
BF: Yes, we will be training here.
.. the anticipation of playing at the Riverside. It will just give everybody a huge lift. It will raise a lot of excitement. There will be a lot of players hopefully wanting to come in and join. It will be a journey.
Q: You stepped up using the facilities at Stockton Town. Is it a measured progression? I know this is a quantum leap.
BF: No definitely. In the League we are in there are certain ground grading criteria and Stockton meets all that. It is a nice facility to play at. Yes and I think that will fit in well with what the club are going to do here.
Q: With a new more professional training set up and a new manager, how much difference do you think we will see in the short term next season?
BF: I am hoping to see a massive difference. Even the players that are here now they will want to impress, they will want to play at the Riverside. They won't want to lose their shirts. I think with the facilities you will see a massive improvement from everybody really, coaches and players.
Q: What will this mean through the community, am thinking about girls in schools etc.
BF: Yes it is massive. The way we want the club to go is we want it to be a professional outfit. We want them to be full time. We want to give the opportunity to girls on Teesside and further afield that if they want to be professional footballers then is going to be the club and it gives them the opportunity.
In the past, it is not that the club hasn't had ambition but they haven't been able to match the ambition of certain players where now hopefully we can keep those players on Teesside and build something to be proud of.
Q: And we have Beth Mead mentoring at Teesside University with her scholarship scheme and mentoring one of the young players here today, Armani Maxwell.
BF: Yes. And I have got her on speed dial (laughs)
Q: But it surely fits together so well.
BF: Of course it does yes. Everything, the ties with the University, Stockton Town, everythung just ties in nicely. And it is going to be a great journey.
Q: Tell us about your new manager.
BF: Michael (Mulhern) was manager of Sunderland from 2000 to 2014. He got them from Tier 5, which is a division below where we are now, to WSL and to FA Cup Finals and he brought through basically half the Euros winning Lionesses team. If he can replicate that I think we will be alright.
Q: Because we have always produced a lot of talent in this area haven't we?
BF: Yes, that's it. It is like the hotbed of football isn't it but they have had to go further afield to realise their potential. As I said hopefully we can now match their potential here.
Q: Surely playing for Middlesbrough FC that must open you up to far more potential.
BF: Exactly yes. The Boro . We have contacted players that are massive Boro fans who play at a higher level and if we can get them to come here we are going to have some team.
It gives everybody the opportunity to play for Middlesbrough Football Club now.
Q: How will you feel at that first game at the Riverside?
BF: Immensely proud. It is a dream come true doing this now. Going to work at the Riverside. Being here at Hurworth. To be at the Riverside watching the players come out will be unbelievable.
Q: Does it feel like the start of something?
BF: Yes definitely. It was hard getting to this point but I know that is going to continue and it is going to be harder work to get us to where we want to be.
Q: But you on the road now.
BF: That's it. We have got the club here with us now. So, it is going to be great.
Q: Ben tell me what this day means to you?
BF: I am immensely proud and immensely excited. What we've been running the club in the past it is what we've dreamed of, it allows us to move forward with the ambition I had and with the club's backing we want to be a team that the club are going to be proud of.
Q: And what does it mean for this summer? How will things change?
BF: It will step us up completely, obviously the training facilities...
Q: Will you be training here at Hurworth?
BF: Yes, we will be training here.
.. the anticipation of playing at the Riverside. It will just give everybody a huge lift. It will raise a lot of excitement. There will be a lot of players hopefully wanting to come in and join. It will be a journey.
Q: You stepped up using the facilities at Stockton Town. Is it a measured progression? I know this is a quantum leap.
BF: No definitely. In the League we are in there are certain ground grading criteria and Stockton meets all that. It is a nice facility to play at. Yes and I think that will fit in well with what the club are going to do here.
Q: With a new more professional training set up and a new manager, how much difference do you think we will see in the short term next season?
BF: I am hoping to see a massive difference. Even the players that are here now they will want to impress, they will want to play at the Riverside. They won't want to lose their shirts. I think with the facilities you will see a massive improvement from everybody really, coaches and players.
Q: What will this mean through the community, am thinking about girls in schools etc.
BF: Yes it is massive. The way we want the club to go is we want it to be a professional outfit. We want them to be full time. We want to give the opportunity to girls on Teesside and further afield that if they want to be professional footballers then is going to be the club and it gives them the opportunity.
In the past, it is not that the club hasn't had ambition but they haven't been able to match the ambition of certain players where now hopefully we can keep those players on Teesside and build something to be proud of.
Q: And we have Beth Mead mentoring at Teesside University with her scholarship scheme and mentoring one of the young players here today, Armani Maxwell.
BF: Yes. And I have got her on speed dial (laughs)
Q: But it surely fits together so well.
BF: Of course it does yes. Everything, the ties with the University, Stockton Town, everythung just ties in nicely. And it is going to be a great journey.
Q: Tell us about your new manager.
BF: Michael (Mulhern) was manager of Sunderland from 2000 to 2014. He got them from Tier 5, which is a division below where we are now, to WSL and to FA Cup Finals and he brought through basically half the Euros winning Lionesses team. If he can replicate that I think we will be alright.
Q: Because we have always produced a lot of talent in this area haven't we?
BF: Yes, that's it. It is like the hotbed of football isn't it but they have had to go further afield to realise their potential. As I said hopefully we can now match their potential here.
Q: Surely playing for Middlesbrough FC that must open you up to far more potential.
BF: Exactly yes. The Boro . We have contacted players that are massive Boro fans who play at a higher level and if we can get them to come here we are going to have some team.
It gives everybody the opportunity to play for Middlesbrough Football Club now.
Q: How will you feel at that first game at the Riverside?
BF: Immensely proud. It is a dream come true doing this now. Going to work at the Riverside. Being here at Hurworth. To be at the Riverside watching the players come out will be unbelievable.
Q: Does it feel like the start of something?
BF: Yes definitely. It was hard getting to this point but I know that is going to continue and it is going to be harder work to get us to where we want to be.
Q: But you on the road now.
BF: That's it. We have got the club here with us now. So, it is going to be great.