‘Fulhamish’ really is the only word to fit the fortunes of Fulham’s female footballers. Only we could be so ahead of the curve as to create the first full-time professional women’s team in Europe, be swashbuckling Premier League, FA and League Cup winners in 2003, before having to see the project dissolved due to lack of FA investment in the broader field of the women’s game, and then have to start again at the bottom of the pyramid, just as the Women’s Super League was gaining traction and support and financial backing through media and sponsorship was beginning to improve significantly. Imagine if the structure of that team had managed to survive the wilderness of the commercial side of women’s football for just a few more years where we could be now – perhaps Alexia Putrellas would have been Fulham’s first Ballon d’Or winner. But alas, it wasn’t to be.

Our history does, however, give Fulham Women and its supporters a unique story, one that we should be incredibly proud of. From a personal standpoint, and I wonder how many other Fulham fans around at that time share this feeling, it’s a regret that I never got to a game. The names of the stars of that team – Rachel Yankey, Katie Chapman, Marianne Pettersen – are fresh in my mind still, but to have never had the opportunity to be part of an important slice of women’s football history at Fulham is something I’ll always question.

Since the previous guise of Fulham Ladies dissolved in 2010, the progress of the current women’s side has been steady, with an immense amount of hard work put in by head coach Steve Jaye and his team, initially at the Fulham Foundation and now under Huw Jennings strategic eye and the women’s arm of the Club staff. The strategy is not a bulldozing creation of a ‘Manchester United of the South’ to catapult the team to the promised land of the WSL, but instead, a long-term plan focused on success and sustainability, also paving the way for increased participation in football for women and girls of all ages. With an under-18s team now embarking on their first full season at Motspur Park and with more programmes available for young females to try playing football – either one-off events or regular team opportunities – there’s always the chance that the next Mary Southgate might be sitting near you at Craven Cottage on a match day.

These might seem small things, but as we’ve seen with women’s football clubs that are further ahead in their journey of development, it won’t take long before little acorns become big branches in the story that is quickly growing apace for Fulham Women. Now’s the time to get involved – to look back and be able to have been a part of the milestone moments, like the first female fixture for more than two decades at the Cottage – against AFC Wimbledon on Sunday afternoon.

We know that time is a factor for many fans that already dedicate a lot towards following the men’s team and that following both in equal measure is a challenge for anyone with commitments outside of football. However, the feeling of connection between the two Fulham sides is only set to grow over the coming seasons, and with that, the exciting growth in fan support of our women’s team, too. It took until 1898 before the men’s team turned professional, having moved to our Craven Cottage home two years prior, nineteen years after beginning life as Fulham St. Andrew’s at a lowly pitch just off Greyhound Road. Watching our current women’s teams’ growth plus the broader development of women’s football, it’s doubtful it will take as long for our female arm to become as established.

And just as the supporters that visited Fulham St Andrews matches were able to, those attending #FFCW games now will have the badge of honour of saying that they were there during the formation years of the club and its team and identity development. The team are creating a new arm of Fulham FC today, and this progress from Motspur Park to Craven Cottage – even if for now just for one game – is a massive marker in the team’s story. It’s also an incredible achievement that has happened only because of the enthusiasm that the players and management have shown, plus the commitment from our Club to build and showcase this.

Sunday’s match will be special for Southgate, the skipper who grew up watching the Whites at the Hammersmith End, and her team-mates, who are incredible ambassadors for what remains a largely amateur game. The more Fulham fans there on the day – proudly wearing their colours and cheering on the Whites – the more everyone is going to realise what a fantastic springboard it will be. We might not boast a record-breaking attendance in women’s football, but as Barcelona Femení can attest, with an average attendance ranging from 500 to 1,000 at the Miniestadi (where they played until three years ago) to the dizzying crowd of over 91,000 earlier this year at the Camp Nou, these things can quickly snowball once officialdom and fans come together – and with that can often come success, too.