CHERRIES women boss Steve Cuss has revealed the changes brought upon by the side’s step up to semi-professionalism after the team was brought under the umbrella of the club proper.

This summer it was announced that Bill Foley had brought the women’s team under his ownership, with the club previously operating through the Community Sports trust.

That has seen significant investment into the women’s team, seeing contracts handed out for the first time as the side moved away from amateurism.

Asked about the changes, Cuss told the Daily Echo: “So we have our players on contracts now.

“It's a huge step forward. It provides us with that security of knowing what our squad is and how many players we have in that squad.

“When the players are non-contract, it's always that you can have a player taken away by a rival club or somebody that comes in and makes an approach, but having the players on contract has added that security for us.

“It’s really allowed us, from a staff point of view, to really shape our program and really drive it forward.

“I think from a player's point of view, it's a really good position to be in with the bonus of having a contract and being able to have that security behind them as well.”

Aside from the added security and commitment contracts provide, the step up to semi-professionalism has also seen Cherries’ training schedule change.

“We've increased it a little bit,” Cuss continued.

"We've got really good support here with some of the off-field things that we have as well.

“So the players have a gym program, that they will go to down at the Village gym.

“So they're in there (Monday) doing their recovery sessions.

“Some of them then will use that for strength and conditioning on the Tuesday before they come in with us on the Wednesday and Friday as well.

“But it's also enabled us to do a lot more small group sessions and one to one sessions as well.

“So the week is a little bit busier for the players than it has been in previous seasons, I guess.”

Discussing the atmosphere surrounding the team following the move to contracts, Cuss added: “It was really excitement all the way from when the players were informed that the team was going to be taken over by the club, which is slightly different to what it was in previous years where it was run by the community department.

“It was just really excitement and the players have looked forward to that, and I think they've really seen the benefits of that as well.

“Everything that's happening at the club at the moment, it's a real excitement around the women's team and the players have really bought into that.

“There's always that little bit - we're all the same, aren't we?

“When change happens, we're always a little bit worried about what might happen and what might not happen.

“But everything's been a real bonus for the players and they've fairly embraced everything that's happened.”

Cuss's side are set to welcome Portishead to Vitality Stadium on Sunday, November 5 (2pm).