Former Arsenal Women’s manager Vic Akers hopes the Gunners will emulate his team when they face Barcelona in the women’s Champions League final in Lisbon this weekend
Vic Akers is full of pride when he sees thousands of fans flocking to Arsenal WSL games at the Emirates. It is a long way from his very early days in charge when his players would have to pay Sunday League style subs just to hire the pitches.
Akers hopes Arsenal’s current generation will emulate his team when they face Barcelona in the women’s Champions League final in Lisbon this weekend. Arsenal were the first and so far only British side to conquer Europe.
But there is a unique piece of history from that success – when his Arsenal side won an unprecedented quadruple back in 2007 – which he thinks will never be beaten. Akers said: “I don’t think anyone will repeat what we did by winning all four. And I take immense pride about it.
“We grew the game. It gives me so much pride when I go to games at the Emirates now and see thousands of people walking up to the stadium.
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“Barcelona are the best team, in my view. By far. They took Chelsea apart in the semi final. They pop it around the pitch, they are so well coached. But you never know – it’s a one-off game and anything is possible.”
Akers worked miracles during his 22 year stint as Arsenal manager while combining his role as kit man for the men’s first team. Not only did he take Arsenal’s women to the top but he also put the whole women’s game on the map. It started from humble beginnings – players paying their own subs – and today’s generation is reaping the benefits.
“The girls paid to play, we had to pay for pitches, I had very little money from the club at that point, it changed in the 90s,” said Akers. “ Arsene Wenger was fabulous, the players were supportive and the gaffer was brilliant,” said Akers, who turns 79 in August.
“The gaffer was right behind it, David Dein was so supportive and it’s just brilliant to see what’s happened to the game and very nice to hear get some recognition along the way. The club have invited me to Lisbon which is a nice touch.”
Akers’ team won the lot in 2007 but their hardest task was Swedish side Umea in a two-legged final. They won away from home 1-0 thanks to Alex Scott’s goal, held them at home and lifted the trophy.
And they did it all without Kelly Smith who Akers regarded as the best player in the world at that time. Smith was sent off after being kicked from pillar to post in the semi final with Brondby and she finally snapped and got sent off.
But Akers’ secret to success was to opt to play at Borehamwood rather than the Emirates and also work a tactical masterplan to cope without Smith.
Akers said: “I gave the players the option because we’d been told we could play at the Emirates. I left it to them to decide with a vote. My feeling was that we had a better chance at Borehamwood.
“It’s the closeness of the supporters at Borehamwood, it’s further away at the Emirates and I don’t think we would have filled it back then, even though the game is changing now. It gave us a better atmosphere, the crowd was on top of the players and the opposition didn’t like it. They had a running track, astroturf and a very different ground. Their crowd couldn’t get to us and that’s why we did so well over there.
“You know you have to work double hard, everyone else has to contain them and I knew goals would be hard to get. We had to get numbers behind the ball, then all of a sudden Alex Scott got the ball and we were shouting: ‘Shoot!’
“That’s what she did, it flew in the top corner and all of a sudden we’ve beaten the best team in the world and we’re going back with a 1-0 lead. We had two midfield destroyers in Katie Chapman and Jayne Ludlow and they covered every blade of grass, that’s where we won the game with their endurance and our keeper was great on the day. So, you never know. It could happen for this team. And now it’s a one-off game.”
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