Moneyfields Women: Hampshire’s Fairytale Still Being Written

As part of the FA Women’s National League Spotlight series, three key figures at Moneyfields Women opened the doors to a club quietly rewriting expectations in the south of England. Manager Karl Watson, first-team coach Jack Randall and captain Ali Hall each offered insight into how a club founded as recently as 2017 has climbed the pyramid and why their story feels far from finished.

Based in Portsmouth, Moneyfields Women currently sit top of Division One South West, boasting 12 wins from 14 matches and 37 points, while also preparing for the FA Women’s National League Plate final after defeating third tier Gwalia United in a convincing 2-0 victory on 1 February. It’s the latest chapter in a rise that has been anything but conventional.

From grassroots to genuine contenders

Promotion to Tier 4 in May 2022 marked a significant milestone, but Moneyfields have refused to stand still. Last season’s second-place finish underlined their consistency, while a memorable run to the fourth round of the 2023/24 Adobe Women’s FA Cup, including a tie against now Women’s Super League side London City Lionesses, proved they could compete well beyond their level, even in defeat.

What makes their progress remarkable is the context. Moneyfields operate as a small, independent club, without the financial backing or historical pull of nearby WSL 2 and Tier 3 sides such as Portsmouth, Southampton or Bournemouth. Instead, they have built carefully: a reserve team to strengthen the pathway, a strong community presence and a matchday programme at every competitive home fixture at the John Jenkins Stadium.

The 2024/25 season represented another step forward with the introduction of a semi-professional model, allowing players to be paid for the first time. Karl Watson credits the wider momentum of women’s football, particularly England’s Euro 2022 success, with accelerating the board’s ambition.

A statement of intent

Credit: Jason Brown

That ambition was made clear with the summer signing of Ali Hall, who arrived from a promoted AFC Bournemouth side after spells with Portsmouth, Stoke City, Coventry United and Aston Villa. Surrounded by professional clubs, Moneyfields’ ability to attract a player of Hall’s experience was a statement of belief as much as recruitment.

Now captain, Hall describes Moneyfields as one of the toughest opponents she faced before joining, a reputation built on organisation, intensity and togetherness. After training with the squad during the summer off-season, alignment was immediate. “It’s not just about wanting to join or wanting to sign players,” she explains. “It has to work for everyone.”

The former Cherries player believes the quality at Moneyfields exceeds Tier 4, praising a coaching staff that balances challenge with belief. While acknowledging the larger budgets elsewhere, Hall sees little difference on the pitch, only greater determination. For her, professionalism is non-negotiable if promotion to Tier 3 is the goal: acting like a Tier 3 side before becoming one.

Built on belief and resilience

Credit: Tom Phillips

At the heart of the journey is Karl Watson, who has been with the club since its inception. Early on, he was fundraising, driving team buses, securing sponsors and handling administration alone, all while pushing for basic standards that were once seen as unreasonable. Players paid to travel. Youth teams sponsored the senior side. Equality between the men’s and women’s teams wasn’t understood, let alone embedded.

Watson’s previous Tier 3 experience shaped his vision, but real change required difficult conversations. A strong FA Cup run proved pivotal, easing financial pressures and opening eyes within the club and community. Despite limited facilities, at times without a home ground or consistent training base, players never complained, a resilience that Watson believes defined their progress.

Now, with equal budgets across the men’s and women’s sides and growing external interest, the club looks very different. Offers of sponsorship have replaced desperate pitches. Delegation has replaced micromanagement. Yet the emotional toll remains. Watson speaks candidly about burnout, misogyny in the game and the strain of pushing change, balanced by moments of pride, including watching his daughter and players he’s coached since childhood feature in that historic FA Cup run.

Promotion to Tier 3, he says, is paramount, not just competitively, but culturally. Seeing young girls wearing Moneyfields shirts is as important as results.

A culture that punches above its weight

First-team coach Jack Randall, in his first senior head coach role, echoes that sense of growth. His focus this season was simple: become a winning side, while creating an environment that is progressive, demanding and happy. He describes the squad as a family, positive, energetic, but unafraid to hold each other accountable.

Randall believes Moneyfields are outperforming the league technically and tactically, supported by a squad eager to learn. His experience working across youth and senior football has shaped a patient, adaptable coaching philosophy, centred on players rather than rigid systems. Recruitment, he says, starts off the pitch, with work ethic, resilience and a willingness to embrace the “ugly” side of the game.

Awareness of Moneyfields is growing across Portsmouth. Comparisons with nearby professional clubs are no longer far-fetched and expectation has risen sharply.t.

The underdog with momentum

Without a famous men’s team or historic name to lean on, Moneyfields Women have built something distinct. Competitive, community-driven and relentlessly ambitious, they have become Hampshire’s fairytale not through overnight success, but through alignment, resilience and belief.

All eyes will be on promotion to the Southern Premier Division this season.