 Welcome to Toffee TV. This Sunday, Everton women's team will be facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley. And who better to talk about it than Sada Halpin. Sada, how excited are you for the FA Cup final feature in Everton? It feels still unreal to be honest with you. It's been obviously a few weeks now since we beat Birmingham to make sure that we cemented our plays in the final. But yeah, it's the closer it's getting and you're seeing these little edits thrown together by the club, you know, the build up the road to Wembley and all this. And when I'm watching those, I just get goosebumps and I'm like gushing 48 hours. Well, almost exactly 48 hours. The girls will be walking out at Wembley and the potential to bring the FA Cup home for the first time for women in 10 years, which just be amazing. And it would be no less than what they deserve to be honest, Perth. I know you've been watching them a little bit this season and seeing some of the football they're playing. And I think if they were to get a trophy, it would be just reward for just how much they've improved and how hard they've worked to get where they are. Yeah, we did a preview, didn't we, at the beginning of the season. And obviously, you know, we were quite excited by the fact that, you know, we brought new players in. Willie Cake, he was starting to get his own team, get his own methods, you know, the new stadium. And, you know, since then it's been really, really good, hasn't it, ever? No, unbeaten in the league, second in the league. And I do really, really well. Yeah, it has. And of course, you know, the news this week as well that Megafon are going to be the new shirt sponsors as well, which is going to be worth a lot of money to us and shows that the club are heavily backing. Willie Kirk and this Heaven Women's side. And that will be worth, as I said, I think it's the biggest deal that the club have ever had for a sponsor. And they've got a new shirt sleeve sponsor as well. So all that kind of stuff just shows we're a club going in the right direction. And as you saw before, drawn one and we were really, really disappointed to draw the one that was when a girl got booked twice and didn't get sent off. So, you know, I think we weren't our best that day, but we still got the draw there against the decent side. So, yeah, Everton are just flying and some of the football we're playing. And you look at the players that we signed as well, like Valerie Govhan, who's just an absolutely heavyweight of the women's game. And she could be a really key player for for Sunday's final, I think. Yeah, I was absolutely amazed when she signed. Absolute top class player showed that in the last World Cup. But how well has she settled? Because obviously she comes off the bench now and again as well. So, you know, she fully settled in now. Yeah, she's she's settled in absolutely perfectly. I think she scored four or five goals now. I think it's four, actually, a few in the cup, a few in the league. And as she said, she's not started every game. She's she's actually I actually kind of prefer seeing her come off the bench and make that impact. I spoke about the the strength that we have in the players like Haley Rasso, Izzy Christensen, Simone McGill, who will just be aggressive, chase down everything. Tenacious, the high press and they really tire tire teams out and down. And then if they've done all that and maybe nicked a goal in there as well, because they're all capable of that, then you think you've got Valerie Govhan, who can come off the bench when teams are tired. And, you know, she's she's deadly with her feet, with her head, just a top, top quality centre forward, a real number nine. And yeah, it'll be interesting to see how she's used on the weekend, whether she will be in that start in 11 or whether she'll be used as it impacts off the bench. But when you look at players, that could be the match winners. I think she's she's certainly won one of the first ones that will spring to your mind. And obviously, Everton needed a centre forward because they lost Chloe Kelly to Manchester City, and she's in a very strange position because she played for Everton in the earlier rounds of this tournament. And now they're going to be facing her in the final. What's all that about? It is. It's so bizarre. And, you know, Chloe is a very good friend of mine, but I've even said to it, it's not fair, you know, it just does seem bizarre that not only could you, you know, fair enough, there's some players are allowed to now compete because, you know, the players that clubs have signed. But I think there should be something about if you've actually competed in that specific competition, that tournament for the team that you're now facing in the final. I mean, there's every chance that that Chloe is. I mean, for me, she is easily at the moment Man City's best player. And when you look at the fact they've got players like Lucy Bronze in there, I think everybody will say Chloe Kelly's just sets, carried on what she was doing at Everton, which I never had a doubt she'd do. But yeah, it is very frustrating in a lot of ways, as much as she's a great girl and I love her to bits. Yeah, it will be quite quite a stinger if she she was to end up winning the match for City. But hopefully we won't have to reflect on anything like that. And we can we can get the job done, despite them having some incredible talent in that side. Yeah, so if anyone doesn't know Chloe Kelly played for Everton last season, they moved to Manchester City in the summer. But because this tournament has gone over from last season, she played for Everton in the earlier rounds and is now playing for Manchester City in the final. There's obviously no no cup tied rules in this trophy. But also on the side of that as well, we've also got Poppy Pattinson in our squad who was actually playing for Bristol in the same competition. And we knocked out Bristol and now she could potentially win the trophy with Everton. So it is just bizarre. I mean, I had no idea how this was going to work for a long time. The players weren't even sure. I was saying to some of our new girls, you know, when they first came, are you going to be able to compete in the cup? And they were saying, you know, we're not sure. Willi Kirk wasn't sure. But yeah, we find ourselves in a really quite bizarre situation. I'm not sure how they're going to dish out the winners medals. Does Chloe get one regardless? Does Esme get one regardless? You know, Anessa Kagemann, who's now at Brighton, it's it's it's mad. But listen, I'll be I'll be giving out medals to everybody. If we win, I'll I'll find it. You'll have a medal if you win. Do you reckon? I listen, I don't you'll find it somewhere. You know me, Perth, I'll pop up. I'll just I'll just go up. I've got I'm with the team. I'll just get a coat on. That's it. I've got all the gear on and smile and wave. I'll be like, the toffee TV. Hey, I'll bring it in the studio next time when when I'm allowed back in. But as you just said there, it's, you know, I haven't got a new place on the summer that I can play in the tournament complain the final. So I suppose they've give everyone a clean sheet, a blank slate. And, you know, it's probably fair and just starting to pick holes and it all makes it simpler for everyone. And everyone knows where they are ultimately, don't they? It does. It's and that's the thing. I think, you know, we, like she said, we're lucky because we've been able to have players like Valerie Gavan, Haley Rassow, is he Christians and all these new girls that have signed. And they've been massive. The Danish girls also move all that right back, who's been influential towards the season. So, yeah, in that sense, we're lucky to be able to do that as well. But I think it's just the fact of that she was an Everton player and she's facing Everton and could ultimately decide the trophy ultimately. But, yeah, like I said, hopefully we don't have to dwell on that. And, you know, Chloe can be happy because she'll pick up a winner's medal for Everton anyway, and we can all go home happy. Obviously Manchester City, the opponent on Sunday. You know, one of the teams you regard as a heavyweight now and not only in the women's super league, but around Europe, brought quite a few plays in in the summer. But I've had a bit of a slow start having the fifth in the in the league at the moment. Does that give, you know, cause for optimism for Evertonians? For the team, did he think that the better side or is just too early in the season to know? You know what? Honestly, when you see the players that Manchester City have got, they've got definitely one of the best squads in women's football in the world. No doubt. And he said the other day they could start and outfield 11 players of England international senior internationals. You know, they've got World Cup winners in there. They've got internationals from all the very best countries in the world. But as you said, you know, it just doesn't seem to have gelled yet. Even bringing in plays like Lucy Bronze, one of the biggest household names in women's football, Alex Greenwood. And, you know, maybe it is a matter of bringing in so many new players, the fact that they've also got a new manager. Things are just taking a little bit of time to bed in. But on the flip side of that, Everton have also brought in something like seven, eight new players. Plenty of outgoings as well. So there's been lots of change at the club, but we just seem to have really gelled very quickly. Of course, that comes with the momentum of getting good results as well, keeps everybody happy, but there's just a really good feel, good factor. The mixture of having players like Daniel Turner, Chantel, Boye Holorka and Meg Finnegan, they've been at the club. Some of them, Shani and Meg, since they were nine years old, you know. But then we've also brought in players from France, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Australia, you know, it's a real kind of lively bunch, you know, with all these different nationalities in there. And I think that kind of feeds into how how good it is. It's just it's just great. It's a great atmosphere. And I think, yeah, you're right that that could that could benefit Everton. I feel on Sunday that we just have that proper team spirit that maybe hasn't quite what quite happened yet for city. As opposed to the biggest disappointments of Everton winners, that pop world is shut. Yeah, what are we going to do? This is it. We're going to have to do you think what what what what tier are London on now? I don't know what's going on any more. Paid off. Yeah, exactly. Northwest, Northwest tier three going going down south. I don't know what's going on down there. As I said, I'm keeping myself to myself at the moment and not watching the news because I'll just lose my head and probably say things that I shouldn't. So I'm being I'm being good. But yeah, I'm being very diplomatic. I'm trying to be it's hard, isn't it? I think you feel my pain on that one pad. But yeah, I think what we'll have to do is when things get better, whenever that might be, we're going to get the trophy and we're going to take it to pop world and we're all going. Obviously, it is going to be an empty Wembley. How are the girls about that? Because, you know, obviously, you get to playing a cup final and then the National Stadium is empty for it. So how are the how are the girls about that? Are they fully focused on the game? Has it even come into the thinking? I mean, they're absolutely grutted as we all are, that fans aren't going to be there. And I think, you know, this season, last season, we started to build and I think grow a bit of more of a rapport with the fans and gained a bit more momentum and interest in that sense. But this team, I was speaking to Meg the other day and she said, I feel like it's the real sort of first Everton team that Evertonians have really resonated with, since maybe the team that had, you know, Tony Duggins and your Lucy Bronzes and your Nikita Parises, your Jill Scott. So I think Everton have really bought into this. The fans are right behind them. So the fact they're missing is gutting. And Dan was talking about Anfield last season. There was 23 and a half thousand people there, I think at Anfield and obviously the vast majority of them, I think 20,000 or so were reds. But it was only the blues you could hear in that second half. And they said, how much that meant to them and to have that Anfield, you know, at the end, just being able to celebrate with the Evertonians, it's something they'll always remember. And that would have been massive for us to have our fans there on the day. And also their family and friends, you know, I just think it's a real shame that such a big occasion is missing people. So where are you going to be on Sunday? Because obviously you're at Wembley. But there's no way they can keep you in a seat. There's no way you can be sitting down for the entire game. Never mind a cup final. So I've just got visions of you finding yourself next to one of those big boom mics and over there is your voice screaming and encouragement at the team. Do you know what, Perth? Whenever we play, because I obviously get quite passionate and animated, whenever we play at some point in the game, I always go, and look down and there's like a boom mic and I have this sinking feeling of like, oh my word, what has that picked up? But no, we've been all right so far. And you're absolutely right. I cannot sit still and watch the game. I have to walk. I have to wander and no bigger occasion than Wembley. I'm going to have to go and explore, I think, but that's one of the first things I thought. I know I've got red zone, but what that will mean, like whether or not I can go on the pitch or I'll have to wait and see when I get there, but I'm hoping I've got decent access. I promise I'll be good if anybody from the FA is watching. Hey, you'll get your steps in. Exactly, mate. I'm just trying to look after myself, my mental health, my fitness, and, you know. You'll get your 10,000 and no one will not on that pitch a few times. Oh, imagine me as well. Like that just nails got actually, no, we can't do that either. Can't do it. Just pacing round like a mad woman, I think, counting down the minutes and it's one of them, isn't it? Games, if you go behind in a game, they go like that, but if you win in, they seem to last forever, so. I suppose the other disappointment is the fact that Everton Men's team kick off at two o'clock, the women's game kicks off at half two, and it means that that potential audience that would have been there on TV is not going to be there. The fans can't be in the game, which is disappointing enough, but for the fact that there's a game on at the same time, just poorly organised, and that's not from the women's team, because obviously this is a cut fan that's been rearranged, and this is the only day it can be, really. But from the men's game, I don't know whether the club could have done any more to have got the game moved to maybe a four o'clock kick off on Sunday, but it's sad that people who may not normally watch women's football can't tune in for a big occasion. Of course, there's a little overlap at the end, there's the last half an hour of the game, but it's a little bit sad. I know a lot of people out there will be sort of watching on a second screen, whether it be the iPad or on the phone or the laptop or whatever, but it just takes away from what is a great occasion. Yeah, there's no question in that it's extremely poor to know that the men's senior team are playing at the same time or women have got an FA Cup final at Wembley. Like you said, automatically that then will deflect a large part of the audience for people that would ordinarily have watched and I'm sure are fully behind and rooting for the girls, but will just watch the Premier League game if it was sorted so that it could have been on the Saturday, that would have been avoided. It would have been able to, this is a massive, massive occasion for everybody involved and some of these girls, it's their first ever cup final and at Wembley, it's one thing, obviously the main thing that we're missing that we've already spoken about is the fans, that is the main thing without a shadow of a doubt, but even to know there was more people watching to be able to have that big occasion where it's all eyes on the cup final, the big match for the day kind of thing, I think it would have been a really good opportunity to make a big thing of it and celebrate the fact that the game is going ahead and that it's taking place at Wembley, it's the 50th final and it just feels a little bit like, oh, we'll lash it on there and it doesn't matter that, yeah, go ahead, we'll move the Newcastle game as well, get that on telly, get a few quick. It's not good. I mean, internally and for the girls and that, I know they're just gonna give it everything and they won't be too swayed by these things, but it is a massive, massive disappointment and I hope that after this game, especially if Everton get it done, I hope we can make a real thing of the fact that more needs to be done going forward to make sure that people, because imagine, Blue's missing out on watching him lift the cup because of whatever, or missing some of the game, it's a massive shame, but let's hope, as I said, that this will pave the way for change going forward. And it happened in the semi-final as well, didn't it? Everton were obviously playing in the Calibre Cup against West Ham, while Everton ladies were playing at Birmingham and I know there's not really anything they could do about that, but let's hope in the future that this doesn't happen again. I know it's a very particular year because of what happened with Covid and everything, but it's just sad, isn't it? It's just sad, but all there is left to say is good luck to the girls on Sunday. Good luck to you, Sarah, running around Wembley and hopefully you'll be running around Wembley with the cup at the end and with your medal and we'll be able to hear you on those boom mics. Yeah, definitely. Thank you so much, Ped. And I'll be sure to tell the girls that everyone at Toffee TV and everyone who watches Toffee TV is sent them the very best because it means an awful lot to them as well. Seeing the support on social media, they're very much aware of the fact that everybody's getting right behind them. So yeah, thank you very much and I'm sure I know they'll do everything they can to bring that home and I'll do everything I can to somehow blag a medal and bring it home and bring it into the studio. That's Toffee in our studio. Right, that's it. Well, that's happening, that's happening. Speak it into existence. That Toffee will be sat in that studio in a couple of weeks time. Yeah. Is right, mate. It's coming over in a minute. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Huge thank you to Sarah for joining us to preview this Sunday's FA Cup final, Everton vs Manchester City at Wembley. It's a 230 kickoff. In the UK, it's on the BBC, it's on BT Sport. I'm sure it's on round the world as well. So if you wanna catch that game, make sure you do. While you're watching Everton vs Newcastle United, I imagine as well. So there you go. Big thanks to Sarah. She's fantastic. You can catch her on here, YouTube channel and covering Everton men's games and women's games. Don't forget, give this video a like. Subscribe if you haven't already. If you want more great videos, join us over on page. And thanks for watching. See you later.