18.09.2016 Views

Bradford City WFC vs Blackburn Rovers LFC Programme

Bradford City WFC's programme for their encounter with Blackburn Rovers LFC in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, Sunday 18 September 2016.

Bradford City WFC's programme for their encounter with Blackburn Rovers LFC in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, Sunday 18 September 2016.

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Women’s Football Club<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong><br />

<strong>vs</strong><br />

<strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> <strong>LFC</strong><br />

FA Women’s Premier League<br />

Sunday 18 September<br />

Kick-off 2PM


Proud Sponsors of<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Women’s<br />

Football Club<br />

Tel 01274 882331 Fax 01274 882332<br />

Email info@patchett-joinery.co.uk<br />

Patchett Joinery<br />

Ryefield House<br />

180 Highgate Road<br />

Queensbury<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong><br />

West Yorkshire<br />

BD13 1DS<br />

2


THECLUB<br />

THEPROGRAMME<br />

THE PEOPLE<br />

Club Chair: Sally Thackray<br />

Club Treasurer: Allyson Matthews<br />

Coach Liaison: Jess Pearson<br />

Player Liaison Officer: Jess Pearson<br />

Football Development Officer: Charlotte Stuart<br />

Club Secretary: Sally Thackray<br />

Media Officer: Amee Ruszkai<br />

Photographer: George Wood<br />

Senior Coaches: Charlotte Stuart, Lee Harrison,<br />

Declan Smith, Chris Birks, Sarah Lowden<br />

Junior Coaches: Charlotte Stuart, Shauna Legge,<br />

Adam Fox, Andy Uttley, Joe Bray, Paul Scott, Georgia<br />

Clipson, Danny Barker, Samir Butt, Amee<br />

Ruszkai, Antonia Butcher, Qasim Akhtar<br />

THE HONOURS<br />

Yorkshire and Humberside League Champions:<br />

1988/89 1995/96<br />

Yorkshire Plate Runners-up: 1989<br />

Yorkshire Cup Winners: 1996<br />

Northern Division Champions: 1996/97<br />

FA Cup Quarter Finals: 1998<br />

Premier League Cup Semi Finalists: 1998<br />

North East Premier League Champions: 2006/07<br />

County Cup Champions: 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016<br />

THE DETAILS<br />

First Team Home Venue:<br />

Eccleshill United, Kingsway, <strong>Bradford</strong>. BD2 1PN<br />

Training Venue/Reserves Home Venue:<br />

Rawdon Meadows, BD10 0NN<br />

Email: info@bcwfc.co.uk<br />

Website: www.bcwfc..co.uk<br />

Twitter: @bcwfc<br />

Facebook: /bcwfc<br />

Instagram: @bcwfc<br />

5 Chair Chatter: Chairwoman Sally Thackray gives<br />

her thoughts ahead of this afternoon’s game<br />

6 Match Preview: All you need to know about<br />

today’s fixture<br />

8-9 Lucy Sowerby: Scorer of the winner in midweek,<br />

the striker speaks of the impact of that result<br />

11 Reserves: <strong>City</strong> take on Leeds this afternoon ,<br />

looking to bounce back from defeat last time out<br />

14 Today’s Opposition — <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong>: Just who<br />

are this afternoon’s visitors?<br />

15 ‘A’ Team: It’s league matters, finally, for <strong>City</strong> today<br />

16-17 The FA Women’s Premier League: Look ahead to<br />

this afternoon’s fixtures and view the standings<br />

19 Our Home of Football — Eccleshill United: Catch<br />

up with our ground-sharers<br />

20-21 Last time out: Read up on the Bantams’ last<br />

outing, as they welcomed Huddersfield Town<br />

22 Stuart McCall’s Bantams: Plenty of players are<br />

returning from injury for the in form side<br />

23 Fixtures and Results: The club’s full schedule for<br />

the season<br />

THE FACTS<br />

<strong>City</strong>’s last beat <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> in April 2014.<br />

In their six meetings in the FAWPL, these two have<br />

produced an average of 3.83 goals per game.<br />

<strong>Blackburn</strong>’s top scorer this season, Ella Toone has<br />

eight goals in two games and will head to the<br />

World Cup with England’s under-17s at the end of<br />

the month.<br />

THE ISSUE<br />

Editor: Ameé Ruszkai<br />

Photos: George Wood,<br />

Alex Daniel<br />

Print: Staples (<strong>Bradford</strong>)<br />

3


Tough tackling midfielder Danielle ‘Spud’ Whitham returns to <strong>Bradford</strong> today having left the club in the summer.<br />

4


Chair Chatter: Sally Thackray ahead of today’s game<br />

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Eccleshill United FC for today’s FA Women’s Premier<br />

League Northern Division fixture against <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> <strong>LFC</strong>.<br />

A warm welcome to all players, club officials and spectators who have made the journey from<br />

Lancashire to be here today.<br />

We can expect a tough game today against an opponent who have enjoyed some good results<br />

this season, and also against us in the past. <strong>Blackburn</strong> come here with lots of quality, quality<br />

they showed as they beat West Bromwich Albion last week 5-1.<br />

But, as last season’s 2-2 draw here showed, we can also expect a very competitive game between<br />

two talented sides.<br />

After four disappointing defeats but positive performances, it was terrific to see us finally get a<br />

deserved win on Wednesday night against Huddersfield Town.<br />

With the same hard work and commitment today, hopefully we can get another three points<br />

on the board and snap our run of two seasons without a win over <strong>Blackburn</strong>.<br />

Elsewhere today, I’d like to wish good luck to both the reserves and the ‘A’ Team, who are also<br />

in action.<br />

Our reserves follow up the first team’s derby with Huddersfield in midweek with a big clash<br />

against bitter rivals Leeds. After losing their opening game of the season, I know the players<br />

will be eager to bounce back in such a big game.<br />

The ‘A’ Team, meanwhile, start their league season after a long wait. It’s been a month since<br />

they opened their League Cup title defence with victory over Hemsworth, and today hopefully<br />

they can start the league in a similar manner today.<br />

Here’s to what will hopefully be a successful day all round for <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Women’s Football<br />

Club.<br />

Enjoy the game,<br />

Sally<br />

5


Match Preview: <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>vs</strong> <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong><br />

Player-manager Charlotte Stuart in action against <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> last season.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> welcome <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> this<br />

afternoon in search of back-to-back wins for<br />

the first time this season.<br />

Current form<br />

<strong>City</strong> come into the game having just registered<br />

their first win of the season, beating local rivals<br />

Huddersfield Town 1-0 in midweek.<br />

<strong>Blackburn</strong>, meanwhile, downed champions<br />

West Bromwich Albion by a 5-1 scoreline.<br />

<strong>Rovers</strong> are after a third win in a row today and<br />

a fifth game unbeaten.<br />

Team news<br />

<strong>City</strong> have a full squad available as they strive<br />

to thwart <strong>Blackburn</strong> today, with Lucy Sowerby<br />

out to score for the third successive game.<br />

Meanwhile, they will be tasked with keeping<br />

two former Bantams quiet as well.<br />

Danielle Whitham returns to face the club she<br />

played 55 times for after joining in 2014.<br />

Emma Rankin is also back, making up for lost<br />

time with <strong>Blackburn</strong> after an injury-plagued<br />

spell with <strong>City</strong>.<br />

Previous meetings<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong>’s last win over <strong>Blackburn</strong> was in April<br />

2014—Sarah Danby’s 90th minute corner<br />

floating in without a touch to make it 2-1.<br />

Since then, there have been four meetings<br />

and no <strong>City</strong> wins.<br />

In this fixture last year, the Bantams were<br />

three minutes away from a victory despite<br />

being down to 10, only for a late equaliser to<br />

deny them exactly that.<br />

Their latest meeting was equally close, but<br />

<strong>Blackburn</strong> emerged 1-0 winners at Ewood<br />

Park thanks to Amie Fleming’s 30-yard strike.<br />

6


ABOUT US<br />

Passionate about children and young people<br />

One in a Million is a <strong>Bradford</strong>-based charity that helps children & young people<br />

from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing education through sports, the arts<br />

and enterprise. We have a passion for this great city.<br />

ONE IN A MILLION<br />

The Bantams Business Centre,<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> AFC,<br />

Valley Parade,<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong>,<br />

BD8 7DY<br />

NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURE<br />

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> <strong>vs</strong> Stoke <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong><br />

Sunday 25th September 2016<br />

Eccleshill United FC<br />

Kick-off 2PM<br />

7


Lucy Sowerby: “It’s all clicking, we look dangerous”<br />

Lucy Sowerby battles for the ball against Derby County.<br />

Relief was the word of the day on Wednesday<br />

as <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> finally got that first win under<br />

their belts.<br />

The fact that it was against local rivals Huddersfield<br />

Town only made the victory sweeter<br />

as <strong>City</strong> got off the mark for the new season.<br />

Lucy Sowerby was the player at the bottom of<br />

the team pile on when the clock read 67<br />

minutes, the striker applying the finishing<br />

touch to a lovely team move to break the<br />

deadlock.<br />

But while she was delighted to be the scorer,<br />

and in the end the match-winner, the result<br />

was all about the team.<br />

“I'm happy to have got the goal that won us<br />

the game but at the same time I'm just glad<br />

we scored!” Sowerby said.<br />

“As a team we needed that goal and you could<br />

see by the celebration how much it meant to<br />

the whole squad.”<br />

The celebrations at full time were on a similar<br />

scale, and it was clear how much the win<br />

meant to the players as well.<br />

After four defeats in a row, four games that<br />

the players felt they could have won, getting<br />

three points was a huge weight off of the<br />

shoulders.<br />

“It's a massive relief and one that we 100%<br />

deserved!<br />

“We've been getting better and stronger each<br />

week and every player showed how much we<br />

wanted and needed this win.”<br />

However, while <strong>City</strong>’s fortunes may have<br />

changed, Sowerby believes that nothing else<br />

needs to—it’s about continuing to play well.<br />

8


Lucy Sowerby: “It’s all clicking, we look dangerous”<br />

When asked whether the result can kickstart<br />

the Bantams’ season, “definitely” was the<br />

answer.<br />

“There's less pressure now as we have got our<br />

first three points. We now need to kick on and<br />

keep winning and stay positive.”<br />

The goal scored on Wednesday perfectly captured<br />

the quality of football <strong>City</strong> have been<br />

playing lately, just without getting the results<br />

to match.<br />

Having broken down a Huddersfield attack,<br />

the ball pinged between the right wing and<br />

midfield fluently before Shauna Legge burst<br />

into the final third, crossing for Sowerby to<br />

finish.<br />

Player of the match, Lucy Sowerby<br />

is all smiles after Wednesday’s<br />

win!<br />

Despite not winning any of their first four<br />

games, <strong>City</strong>’s football has been this confident<br />

and positive throughout, and Wednesday’s<br />

result can only build on this.<br />

“Confidence is a major part of football and I<br />

believe that as a group were becoming more<br />

confident and believing in one another.<br />

“This result can only help us. It's one that we<br />

have been waiting for and it couldn't have<br />

come at a better time, against the perfect<br />

rivals.<br />

“We just need to stay positive as a team and<br />

take the performance from Wednesday into<br />

Sunday, and if we do that I believe we will get<br />

the three points.”<br />

<strong>Blackburn</strong> will present a tougher task today.<br />

They’ve enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season,<br />

drawing just one game and winning the<br />

rest.<br />

That stalemate came against Huddersfield, the<br />

Terriers showing that <strong>Rovers</strong> aren’t unbeatable.<br />

The Lancashire outfit required a last gasp<br />

equaliser to earn a share of the spoils in fact,<br />

trailing 3-2 in the dying moments having fallen<br />

two goals behind in the first half.<br />

Sowerby says <strong>City</strong> will not go into the game<br />

with an underdog mindset either, nor with<br />

huge concerns about their opponent.<br />

“The game plan will be to win and play our<br />

game. Let <strong>Blackburn</strong> fear us because we are a<br />

good side who are now finding their feet and<br />

performing as a team.”<br />

It’s clear that Wednesday’s win has injected<br />

plenty of confidence into this team, and that<br />

could be key today.<br />

“Everything we have been working on in training<br />

and in games over the past few weeks is<br />

starting to click and we look dangerous.”<br />

9


The last meeting between these two was a showpiece at Ewood Park. <strong>Blackburn</strong> kept the three points in Lancashire on the<br />

big occasion, winning 1-0 in a tight encounter.<br />

10


Reserves: <strong>City</strong> out to bounce back in derby with Leeds<br />

After a week off spent processing their opening day defeat to Middlesbrough, <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s<br />

reserves are back in action this afternoon with a tasty local derby against Leeds.<br />

The Bantams struggled against a Boro side who have benefited from the strengthening of<br />

their first team, and the final result acted as a wake up call for this new-look side.<br />

However, with them having had more time to work on what went wrong on Teesside, they<br />

will make the short journey to Leeds this afternoon knowing exactly how to make amends for<br />

that disappointing display.<br />

The Leeds clash is one that everyone always keeps an eye out for when the fixtures are released.<br />

A traditional rival of the club, it’s a game that everyone looks forward to.<br />

<strong>City</strong> have enjoyed the fixture in recent meetings as well, giving the team another reason to<br />

look forward to it.<br />

Last season, the Bantams hammered the Lilywhites 9-2 on home soil, while the reverse was<br />

another successful outing for <strong>City</strong>, the final score reading 4-2.<br />

There’s been a lot of change over the summer though, both in the dugout and in the squad.<br />

There will be no complacency heading into this game, with <strong>City</strong> to be fired up for it as not only<br />

a derby, but a chance to bounce back.<br />

With the Bantams to play Boro away again next weekend, this time in the cup, they will not<br />

want a repeat of the trip to Teesside two weeks ago, and will be eager to make that journey<br />

north off the back of a good win and a good performance today.<br />

The reserves will kick-off at 2PM this afternoon in Leeds, and you will find updates from that<br />

game on the club’s official Twitter. Give us a follow @bcwfc!<br />

11


TODAY’S<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong><br />

MANAGER<br />

Charlotte Stuart<br />

COACHING STAFF<br />

Lee Harrison<br />

Faye Boshell<br />

PHYSIO<br />

Kirsty Goodbold<br />

CHLOE PRECIOUS<br />

CHARLOTTE OATES<br />

CHARLOTTE STUART<br />

PAIGE CROSBY<br />

ZOE ROBERTS<br />

SHAUNA LEGGE<br />

ELLIE OLDS<br />

ABI LEE<br />

MEG LAWSON<br />

HANNAH CAMPBELL<br />

LAURA ELFORD<br />

LUCY SOWERBY<br />

ROSIE MCDONNELL<br />

Wednesday 14th<br />

Kick-off<br />

CHELSIE STOKES<br />

FAYE BOSHELL<br />

JADE BRINDLE<br />

JESS GRAHAM<br />

Today’<br />

Aaron<br />

12


TEAMS<br />

<strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> <strong>LFC</strong><br />

CARA BICKETT<br />

ELLIE COOK<br />

NATASHA FENTON<br />

SOPHIE FLYNN<br />

MANAGER<br />

Gemma Donnelly<br />

DANIELLE HILL<br />

JESS HOLBROOK<br />

SAFFRON JORDON<br />

KATIE MAHER<br />

ELLA MCCAMON<br />

FAYE MCCOY<br />

September 2016<br />

7.30PM<br />

KAYLEIGH MCDONALD<br />

KELSEY PEARSON<br />

EMMA RANKIN<br />

LYNDA SHEPHERD<br />

GEORGIA STEVENS<br />

s Official<br />

Bannister<br />

AINSLEY STRICKLAND<br />

ELLA TOONE<br />

DANIELLE WHITHAM<br />

13


Today’s opposition: <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> <strong>LFC</strong><br />

Formed in 1991, <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> Ladies have<br />

enjoyed a glorious rise to the pinnacle of<br />

women's football.<br />

Under the supervision of the club's Community<br />

Department and the watchful eye of BRFC,<br />

the Ladies team needed only seven seasons to<br />

reach the Northern Combination League.<br />

Following a move to the club's magnificent<br />

£20m Brockhall training complex in 2003, <strong>Rovers</strong><br />

went on to lift the Lancashire Cup and become<br />

the first team to win the Northern Combination<br />

title with a 100% league record.<br />

An undefeated <strong>Rovers</strong> set a Northern Division<br />

record in 2005-06, winning 20 of 22 league<br />

games and lifting the Lancashire Cup for the<br />

third year running, whilst Andy McNally became<br />

the first non-top flight coach to be<br />

named Nationwide Manager of the Year.<br />

Adam Lakeland replaced McNally at the helm<br />

in January 2007 and guided the team to a<br />

fourth successive Lancashire Cup and the historic<br />

achievement of two successive FA Women's<br />

Cup ‘Team of the Round’ awards, en<br />

route to the semi-final stage.<br />

<strong>Rovers</strong> endured a disappointing season in<br />

2008-09, losing the Lancashire Cup final on<br />

penalties to Rochdale, but they bounced back<br />

in 2009-10. They won the Lancashire Cup for<br />

the sixth time in seven seasons and their<br />

strong end to the season included an historic<br />

1-1 draw against Arsenal at Ewood Park.<br />

Despite a superb start to the 2010-11 season,<br />

<strong>Rovers</strong> were relegated to the Northern Division<br />

on goal difference following a final day<br />

draw away to Barnet.<br />

Scott Rogers guided the team to the latter<br />

stages of all three domestic cup competitions<br />

in 2011-12, lifting the Lancashire Cup, and<br />

made a late promotion push in the Northern<br />

Division, only to eventually finish fourth.<br />

After an impressive temporary stint the season<br />

before, Gemma Donnelly took full control<br />

and assembled a new-look squad for a successful<br />

2014-15. <strong>Rovers</strong> finished third in the<br />

FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division<br />

and secured silverware by lifting the Lancashire<br />

Challenge Cup for the first time in<br />

three years, beating Morecambe 3-1 victory in<br />

the final.<br />

2015-2016 saw <strong>Rovers</strong> towards the top of the<br />

table again, finishing third in the FA Women’s<br />

Premier League Northern Division with an<br />

increased points tally.<br />

<strong>Rovers</strong> were able to retain the County Cup<br />

and the return of a reserve team was also a<br />

success as they would go on to win the Reserve<br />

League Cup.<br />

This year has already proven to be a milestone<br />

for the club too. <strong>Rovers</strong>’ highly reputable Centre<br />

of Excellence was granted a tier 1 status as<br />

a Regional Talent Club, the highest level available.<br />

14


‘A’ Team: The long wait to start the league begins<br />

After having to wait a week longer than everyone<br />

else in the division, <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s ‘A’<br />

Team finally get their new league campaign<br />

underway today.<br />

Their season officially started a month ago<br />

with a 5-1 victory over Hemsworth in the<br />

League Cup, but the fixture acted like more of<br />

a pre-season arrangement such has been the<br />

gap between then and today.<br />

However, the players are raring to go this<br />

afternoon now, eager to go one better than<br />

they did last season.<br />

It was a bittersweet end to 2015-16 for the ‘A’<br />

Team. Despite avenging two successive Shield<br />

final defeats with a League Cup victory over<br />

top flight Tingley Athletic, they missed out on<br />

promotion to the Premier Division by four<br />

points.<br />

Yet, <strong>City</strong> have an incredible record in the West<br />

Riding County Football League.<br />

Back-to-back titles in 2013-14 and 2014-15<br />

saw them propelled up the pyramid, losing<br />

just one league game over the two seasons.<br />

You can add to this two Shield finals, in which<br />

they earned themselves two sets of runnersup<br />

medals.<br />

While they missed out on that third successive<br />

promotion last year, with the club as a whole<br />

strengthening from firsts to reserves down to<br />

the ‘A’ Team, they will feel they have more<br />

than enough to go up this year.<br />

Yorkshire Amateur are <strong>City</strong>’s opponents today.<br />

They’ll come into the game confident,<br />

having defeated Crossley 7-1 in the cup and<br />

Republica Internationale 4-0 in their league<br />

opener last week.<br />

However, <strong>City</strong> will be the favourites as they<br />

look to storm to another successful season. 15


FAWPL Preview: Sunday 18 September<br />

After only two midweek games, we have a<br />

healthy four fixtures in the FA Women’s Premier<br />

League Northern Division this afternoon.<br />

Middlesbrough suffered their first league defeat<br />

of the season seven days ago, but they<br />

got back on track on Tuesday and will be out<br />

to pick up where they left off at home to<br />

Nottingham Forest today.<br />

Boro battered Newcastle United 7-1 in that<br />

midweek Tees-Tyne derby, but can expect a<br />

tougher test from today’s opponents.<br />

Forest are well rested having not played for<br />

two weeks and they will be keen to make up<br />

for the 2-0 home defeat they suffered to Derby<br />

County last time out.<br />

Meanwhile, Newcastle are out to bounce back<br />

as they host Huddersfield Town.<br />

The Terriers themselves also lost in midweek,<br />

going down 1-0 at <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong>. Just like that<br />

fixture on Wednesday, this game will feature<br />

two teams looking for their first league win of<br />

the season.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong>’s narrow victory takes them to<br />

eighth prior to today’s game with <strong>Blackburn</strong><br />

<strong>Rovers</strong>, meaning there are now just three<br />

teams without a win to their name this season<br />

– all sat below the Bantams.<br />

Town and Newcastle we have mentioned, but<br />

the other one is the big surprise.<br />

Reigning champions West Bromwich Albion sit<br />

rock bottom of the table with three defeats<br />

and a devastating goal difference of minus 12.<br />

Fixtures—Sunday 18 September:<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>vs</strong> <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong><br />

Leicester <strong>City</strong> <strong>vs</strong> West Bromwich Albion<br />

Middlesbrough <strong>vs</strong> Nottingham Forest<br />

Newcastle United <strong>vs</strong> Huddersfield Town<br />

Today, they visit Leicester <strong>City</strong>, who have<br />

bounced back well after that 4-0 defeat to<br />

Fylde on the opening day.<br />

An entertaining 5-3 win over Stoke <strong>City</strong> followed,<br />

while their last outing was a shock 3-0<br />

success over the season’s early surprise package,<br />

Boro.<br />

One would imagine the Baggies’ fight back has<br />

to start at some point though and that they<br />

will kickstart their title defence soon.<br />

With their cup win over <strong>Bradford</strong> a couple of<br />

weeks ago having failed to galvanise them,<br />

could today be their day instead?<br />

16


2016-17 FAWPL Northern Division: The Standings<br />

POS P W D L GD PTS<br />

1 Middlesbrough <strong>LFC</strong> 4 3 0 1 11 9<br />

2 Fylde <strong>LFC</strong> 3 3 0 0 7 9<br />

3 Derby County <strong>LFC</strong> 3 3 0 0 6 9<br />

4 <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> <strong>LFC</strong> 3 2 1 0 6 7<br />

5 Leicester <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> 3 2 0 1 1 6<br />

6 Nottingham Forest <strong>LFC</strong> 2 1 0 1 -1 3<br />

7 Stoke <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong> 3 1 0 2 -3 3<br />

8 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> 4 1 0 3 -4 3<br />

9 Huddersfield Town <strong>LFC</strong> 3 0 1 2 -3 1<br />

10 Newcastle United <strong>WFC</strong> 3 0 0 3 -8 0<br />

11 West Bromwich Albion <strong>WFC</strong> 3 0 0 3 -12 0<br />

/FAWPLOfficial<br />

@FA_WPL<br />

thefa.com/wpl<br />

#WeArePremier<br />

17


Shauna Legge knocks the ball on in last month’s clash with Derby County.<br />

18


Our home of football: Eccleshill United FC<br />

After heading to Doncaster yesterday to face<br />

Rossington Main off the back of three successive<br />

defeats, this week Eccleshill United have<br />

a real chance to turn things around.<br />

Back-to-back home games against two sides<br />

they’ll be expected to beat suggests that the<br />

Eagles will be back on track sooner, rather<br />

than later.<br />

On Wednesday, they’ll welcome Westella &<br />

Willerby – the side sat second bottom in the<br />

division, currently without a win from their<br />

opening eight games.<br />

Saturday then sees Campion AFC pay them a<br />

visit.<br />

Campion only entered the Northern Counties<br />

East League this season and they’ve made a<br />

decent start, with three wins, two draws and<br />

two defeats.<br />

However, without their superior experience at<br />

this level, the Eagles will be the favourites and<br />

will be more than disappointed with themselves<br />

if they don’t come away with the three<br />

points.<br />

In four home games this season, Eccleshill<br />

have won three and lost one – that defeat<br />

coming against Hall Road Rangers, who are<br />

high flying in third.<br />

This quick fire start on their own patch means<br />

United are already looking capable of improving<br />

on last year’s 13th place finish.<br />

In 2015-16, they won just nine of 20 home<br />

games.<br />

But with three already won and another 16 to<br />

come, they have the potential to smash that<br />

total this season.<br />

The two games to come will be crucial in this<br />

sense, but also with regards to getting the<br />

season as a whole back on track as Sean Regan’s<br />

side look to resurrect their recent form.<br />

19


Last time out: <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 1-0 Huddersfield Town<br />

What better way to get your first win over the<br />

season than by defeating your local rivals?<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> ended a run of four successive<br />

defeats with a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield<br />

Town on Wednesday night.<br />

Lucy Sowerby's finish rounded off a lovely<br />

team move in the second half, and that goal<br />

proved to be the difference between the two<br />

come full time.<br />

The celebrations at the final whistle mirrored<br />

those of a World Cup triumph, with the relief<br />

at getting the monkey off their back huge for<br />

<strong>City</strong>.<br />

It's been a difficult start to the season, but the<br />

performances have been encouraging along<br />

the way and Wednesday finally saw the Bantams<br />

get the result to match.<br />

The display oozed confidence; confidence that<br />

they could end this barren run. The football<br />

was lovely, the tricks and flicks came out, and<br />

the team stuck together even during a frustratingly<br />

goalless first 67 minutes.<br />

The deadlock seemed to have been broken by<br />

Sowerby inside 20 minutes, but the linesman's<br />

flag flew right up as she made sure Hannah<br />

Campbell's header had enough on it to go in.<br />

Faye Boshell looked set to score a few<br />

minutes later instead, but she missed the ball<br />

from a few yards out after a corner produced<br />

a goalmouth scramble, while Campbell couldn't<br />

find the target shortly after as she raced<br />

one-on-one.<br />

But most importantly, <strong>City</strong> kept going.<br />

Huddersfield enjoyed a good spell around the<br />

half hour mark, with Charlotte Oates forced<br />

into a smart save and Paige Crosby having to<br />

make a last ditch tackle.<br />

Town flew out of the blocks in the second<br />

20


Last time out: <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 1-0 Huddersfield Town<br />

half too, and it looked like the nerves were<br />

back, replacing the confidence.<br />

However, that wasn't to be the case. The Bantams<br />

let their opponents have their five<br />

minutes, and they came back at them ten<br />

times as dangerous.<br />

Abi Lee's 30-yard free-kick was tipped onto<br />

the bar, Sowerby's snapshot effort was<br />

palmed over, Charlotte Stuart's strike landed<br />

on the roof of the net, and then, finally, it was<br />

1-0.<br />

Fizzing the ball from the right into the middle<br />

and back out wide with short, sharp passes,<br />

<strong>City</strong> quickly made their way into the final third<br />

and Shauna Legge picked out Sowerby to finish<br />

coolly.<br />

The scorer came close to adding a second<br />

shortly after, clearly in the mood now, while<br />

Jess Graham was only denied by some brave<br />

goalkeeping in the closing stages.<br />

Lee came close with another free-kick too, but<br />

there was no need to double the lead. Surviving<br />

Town's rallied final moments, they battled<br />

to victory, with each and every player giving<br />

their all in both the eye-catching and the<br />

gritty spells.<br />

And with that first win out of the way, it's<br />

time for <strong>City</strong> to kickstart their season.<br />

The football that has been played so far has<br />

been brilliant, but the results haven't. Now<br />

that the two have come hand-in-hand, the<br />

pressure is off and the only way is up for this<br />

spirited side.<br />

<strong>City</strong> XI <strong>vs</strong> Huddersfield Town<br />

Oates<br />

Stokes<br />

Crosby<br />

Boshell<br />

Roberts<br />

Lee<br />

Sowerby<br />

Stuart<br />

Graham<br />

Legge<br />

Campbell<br />

<strong>City</strong> earn themselves a rest after grafting to beat Huddersfield 1-0 on Wednesday.<br />

21


McCall’s men: Emptying injury table another positive<br />

There have been so many positives for <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> since the start of the season.<br />

Going the first seven games unbeaten whilst playing attractive and attacking football, there<br />

has been little to moan about for fans since Stuart McCall’s return.<br />

However, the feeling remains that more can still be achieved. The disappointment at away<br />

draws with Millwall and Gillingham show the ambition of this side, and with a handful of injured<br />

players returning to fitness, the squad is only going to improve as the season goes on.<br />

Rory McArdle returned to action in a <strong>City</strong> shirt this week, playing 90 minutes for the reserves<br />

as they took on Hartlepool United. (Photo: Telegraph & Argus)<br />

Speaking ahead of yesterday’s clash with Bristol <strong>Rovers</strong>, McCall emphasised how much of an<br />

impact getting players back from injury will be.<br />

“We can do a lot more now with the players available to us. We had 20 outfield players training<br />

[on Thursday], which is terrific,” he told the club’s official website.<br />

Tony McMahon, James Hanson and Rory McArdle are all on the cusp of full fitness, while Nathan<br />

Clarke has also returned to training. All four played key roles in last season’s run to the<br />

play-offs, so having them back can only aid <strong>City</strong> as they bid to go one better under McCall.<br />

The competition that this brings to the team will only bring the best out of them too, and the<br />

manager is relishing the selection headaches he will be having.<br />

“The lads only have to look around them to know the standard they’ve got to be at to get a<br />

shirt and keep it,” McCall said.<br />

With everyone being pushed to their very best now, and <strong>City</strong> already third in the table, it’s an<br />

exciting time to be a Bantam.<br />

22


2016-17: Fixtures and Results<br />

COMP DATE TIME HOME SIDE AWAY SIDE VENUE<br />

L 21/08/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 0 2 Derby County Eccleshill United<br />

L 28/08/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 0 2 Middlesbrough Eccleshill United<br />

LCUP 04/09/16 14:00 West Brom Albion 2 1 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Rushall Olympic<br />

L 11/09/16 14:00 Fylde 3 2 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Fylde <strong>LFC</strong><br />

L 14/09/16 19:45 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 1 0 Huddersfield Town Eccleshill United<br />

L 18/09/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> Eccleshull United<br />

L 02/10/16 14:00 Derby County <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Mickleover Sports<br />

L 05/10/16 19:45 Huddersfield Town <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Shelley FC<br />

L 09/10/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Leicester <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> Eccleshill United<br />

L 16/10/16 14:00 West Brom Albion <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Rushall Olympic<br />

L 30/10/16 14:00 <strong>Blackburn</strong> <strong>Rovers</strong> <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> STF Stadium<br />

L 06/11/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Fylde Eccleshill United<br />

L 20/11/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> West Brom Albion Eccleshill United<br />

L 27/11/16 14:00 Stoke <strong>City</strong> <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Norton United<br />

L 11/12/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Newcastle United Eccleshill United<br />

L 18/12/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Nottingham Forest Eccleshill United<br />

L 08/01/17 14:00 Leicester <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Riverside<br />

L 15/01/17 14:00 Newcastle United <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> SportNorthumbria<br />

L 12/02/17 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Stoke <strong>City</strong> Eccleshill United<br />

L 26/02/17 14:00 Middlesbrough <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Thornaby FC<br />

L 26/03/17 14:00 Nottingham Forest <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Basford United<br />

/BC<strong>WFC</strong><br />

BC<strong>WFC</strong>.co.uk<br />

@BC<strong>WFC</strong><br />

@BC<strong>WFC</strong><br />

23


24

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!