Ladies Win Back-To-Back Titles

Ladies team win league title in extraordinary circumstances!

After promotion to Division One in the 2018/2019 season, the Ladies First Team set about winning back-to-back titles. The team were having a strong 2019/20 season, top of the league and seven points clear with five games remaining, also reaching the League Cup Semi-Final for the second year running. COVID-19 then took over, the league was null-and-voided, and the team had three months off.

June 2020 and the squad was allowed to resume training in small groups. With two training sessions a week for three months and with two friendly games a week throughout August, the team were determined to do all they could to win the league.

The season commenced in September as planned. As well as victories in their opening league games, the team entered the FA Cup for the first time. After a couple of byes, we played Abingdon, two divisions higher, narrowly losing 2-1 but grateful for the experience of playing a higher ranked team. After another league game, AFC Wimbledon U23s were the opponents in the County Cup. A fantastic game against stronger opposition but unfortunately the team fell short with a 6-4 defeat.

The league season continued but for various reasons we had only played four league games when lockdown two was implemented. A month off, no training and no idea when the team would resume. The team managed two more games before Christmas, leaving the league record with five wins and one draw which was credible given the circumstances.

Lockdown three then came into place. Another two months off and no expectations of the season recommencing or even being completed. The league put it to the clubs and the majority wanted to continue. After just two training sessions the season recommenced on Easter Sunday with fourteen weeks to play nine games, some of which would be double headers (two games of one hour each). The campaign recommenced with a draw and two defeats against teams also vying for the title. Our destiny was out of our hands, reliant now on other teams dropping points. With three games remaining, teams had dropped points and we were one point clear at the top. The title at this point could have gone any way.

Unfortunately, the remaining oppositions we had to face were unable to field teams and we have been awarded the points from those games. Not the way we wanted to end the season, but given the efforts by these players, the league title is fully deserved.

With a playing record of P 35, W 29, D 2, L 4, over the last two seasons this squad has well and truly earnt their winners’ medals.

We now look forward to hearing if our promotion application was successful. This would take the team to step six in the women’s pyramid and the Southern Region Women’s League.