A Deptford community-focused women’s sports bar project has suffered a major setback after losing £80,000 in funding.
The Other Team, founded by Alex Sefton and Elise Walker, aimed to be the first permanent bar in the UK to only show women’s sports on its TVs.
It was due to open over the weekend, in time for a special event to celebrate the start of the Women’s Super League, but the day before, three out of the four financial backers unexpectedly pulled out, leaving the bar’s opening plans in limbo.
Ex-Army medic Sefton said: “We had months of meetings and emails but no indication this was going to happen.
“It was a big shock and very demoralising for us.”
The venue, which aimed to provide a safe space for women and LGBTQ+ sports enthusiasts, were in talks with nearby gyms and university sports teams about providing sponsorships and spaces for team events.
Sefton added: “We were going to do things like sponsoring a team’s kit or paying for coach fees.”
Sefton explained that the goal of the bar was to reinvest profits back into the Deptford community rather than for profit.
The Other Team founder said the demand was clear, as they previously ran two sold out fundraising events, one selling 250 tickets and filling the Forest Road Brewery venue.
Additionally, in 2023 women’s sports accounted for 8% of TV coverage and a record-breaking number of people turned up to watch events live in the UK.
Ben Savin, a trainer at The Commando Temple, a gym that was set to be their next-door neighbour and a key event partner, expressed excitement about the opening of The Other Team bar.
Savin said: “When the Olympics comes round, everyone’s happy to watch the men’s and the women’s, but with other sports, there’s just so much less representation.
“So, for them to create a space where young girls, young women, can go and watch sports, find some inspiration, find role models, I think is wonderful.”
The bar had already secured licensing and a partnership with Forest Road Brewery, a brewing company based in New Cross, to create their own branded beer, with 10% of every pint sold going to support local teams.
Tom Ravey, Senior New Business Manager at Forest Road Brewery, has been collaborating with The Other Team on fundraising events and creating the dedicated lager for the bar.
He said: “To have such a great venue, like The Other Team, as someone that we cannot just work with, but really partner with is great. This venue is something that I really want to see.”
Despite already spending thousands of pounds before opening, the co-founders remain optimistic that the bar will open, bolstered by one remaining investor and a crowd-funding page.
Sefton and Walker are hopeful that their efforts will keep the venue alive.
Sefton added: “We can’t let people down. We’ve already got so far.”
Image credit: Alex Sefton, The Other Team
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