Joe Sheehan can remember the attendance at his first match in charge of Ipswich Women without hesitation. It was about three years ago and they were playing Brantham Athletic in the quarter-finals of the Suffolk County Cup: there were 32 fans watching and while nobody would sniff at a 14-0 win an appearance at the equivalent stage nationally felt some way off.
On Sunday, though, Ipswich will be there: they host West Ham in the last eight of the FA Women’s Cup and the sellout attendance at their home ground, in nearby Felixstowe, will be about 2,000. They lead the National League South, one of the third tier’s two branches, and the Hammers’ visit is the latest show of progress for one of the UK’s most progressive operations. Ipswich are a Championship club in waiting and potentially much more: it will be a chance to show that to the country, given the tie will be screened live, and perhaps a reminder the league system needs shaking up to give its more impressive setups the opportunity to flourish.
