Emma Hayes to honour late father with Chelsea promise ahead of WSL season
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said she will honour the legacy of her late father by continuing her success with the Blues in the upcoming Women’s Super League season.
Hayes has long described her father, Sid, as a monumental cornerstone in her football career and a key component in her drive and determination.
On Monday, Hayes announced the tragic passing of her father, 82, on social media and ahead of the new season, the Chelsea manager addressed her loss in her pre-match press conference.
”Of course, it has been a very difficult time for me. A very challenging summer and a little bit longer than that,” she said at Cobham.
“I will say this, I say it on behalf of all my family, if I didn’t come to work today then I could hear my dad, I would hear him in me and he would be saying get your backside to work.
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“You’ve got a game to prepare for and a title to defend. It is important we get on with life and I will honour that. I was very, very happy to see the players and come back to start.”
Hayes is familiar with the trials of beginning a season in the face of adversity, having been forced to miss a large chunk of the start to last season due to undergoing an emergency hysterectomy.
Chelsea are bidding to claim an unprecedented fifth league title on the bounce under Hayes, starting with a London derby as they host Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Hayes said she is expecting an "aggressive" Tottenham side under new manager Robert Vilahamn, though Hayes will not have to face former Blues striker Bethany England with the Lioness recovering from shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, Hayes will have the returned Fran Kirby at her disposal, a huge boost to the Blues' attacking ranks as they look to kick-start their title defence.
Since taking over at Chelsea, Hayes has long advocated for a more sustainable women’s league and this season, steps have been taken to do so with a rise in ticket prices.
And Hayes voiced her support of the rise in ticket prices ahead of the new season, particularly as appetite in the women’s game continues to increase exponentially.
“Ticket prices across the board have had to rise. Our average price has raised from around seven pounds. I respect it is a jump for fans but we have got world class players on show, we have to value that.”
She added: “No, we don’t need to make ticketing ridiculous but I think paying £12 to watch an unbelievable team at Stamford Bridge is affordable.
“If they have more money and want to spend more on tickets then so be it, just as you would for a nicer theatre ticket or a cushioned cinema ticket.
“We have to respect that nothing is really just given, if we are asking for quality of access, which I am, then commercial and marketing have a lot of work to do, not just at Chelsea.
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“I hope commercially and marketing-wise we stay in big stadiums so we all have to accept it costs money if we want to be there, it is not a charity, it is a business.
“I want to be there, the players want to be there and fans want us to be there so we need to keep pushing to make that happen and there won’t be cancellations because of weather.”
Chelsea host Spurs at Stamford Bridge at 5:30pm on Sunday.
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