Red & White Issue 10: SAFC Women vs Sheffield United Women

RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24 RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24 RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24
RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24 RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24
VS SHEFFIELD UNITED FC WOMEN
Sunday 21 January 2024 • KO 2.00pm
Issue 10
RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24 RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24
RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24 RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24 RED & WHITE SEASON 2023-24

f survival.
I’ve donated to someone to give them a
second chance of life. I would do it again,
every day of the week if I could.
SAFC WOMEN All it takes to join the register is a quick
HONOURS mouth swab and filling out a form with your
FA Women’s details, Premier League and you’ll only donate if you’re
National Division: 2010/11,
ng his
2011/12, 2012/13 absolutely needed. Who could say no to that?
FA Women’s Premier League
Northern Perry, Division: 1999/00*, stem cell donor, Newcastle
2004/05, 2008/09
FA WSL 2: 2013/14
FA Women’s Premier League
Cup: 2011/12
*As Blyth Spartans Kestrels
an is the charity that matches stem cell donors to
DIRECTORS
ed. We are saving lives right now – three lives a day,
e could be doing so much more with your help.
Chairman: Kyril Louis-Dreyfus
Director: Maurice Louis-Dreyfus
Director: Juan Sartori
Director: Igor Levin
Director: Patrick Treuer
Director: Simon Vumbaca
Non-Executive Director:
David JonesChief Operating
Officer:
Steve Davison
Sporting Director:
Kristjaan Speakman
No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means or stored
in any retrievable system of any
nature without the prior written
permission of Sunderland Association
Football Club except for permitted
fair dealing under the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Applications for permission for other
use of copyright material should
be made to Sunderland AFC. Full
acknowledgement of publisher and
source must be given at all times. The
views expressed within are the views
of the individual authors and not
necessarily those of Sunderland AFC.
WELCOME TO
EPPLETON COLLIERY
cell register today and you can help to give someone
nce of life.
nd in good health? You can sign up right here, right now:
n.org/TheLasses
u can help us to unlock more ways to treat every
lping to fund our groundbreaking research:
n.org/GiveLife
5
9
8827
12
RED & WHITE >> 3

HEAD COACH
MEL REAY
Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to Eppleton for
our first league game of 2024 against Sheffield United Women
in the Barclays Women’s Championship.
I would like to wish a warm welcome
to all the Sheffield United staff, players
and supporters.
We’ve got a big squad and there’s
competition for places. We have to find
the winning formula and we want to
maintain standards to have a good go in
the league.
Sheffield had a good performance at the
weekend against Tottenham, and there’s
no easy games, that’s the competition
that we’re playing in and what everyone
wants to be a part of.
We’ve got aspirations within the squad
to go higher again so we need to dust
ourselves down and not feel sorry for
ourselves. We need to make sure we’re at
the races on Sunday or we’ll be punished.
We’re still up there and we’re well aware
that that’s two on the bounce so we need
to use this as a springboard to make sure
we remain competitive in the division.
Overall, I think we need to not just
reflect on the last two games but also the
season as a whole, comparing it to where
we were last season, we’re in a totally
different place, but the job’s not done and
we need to make sure we’re up there at
the end of the season.
Enjoy the game,
MEL
4

RED & WHITE >> 5

FROM THE
DRESSING ROOM
MOLLIE ROUSE
Sunderland Women midfielder Mollie
Rouse looked to ahead to our first
league game of 2024 as Sheffield United
make the trip to Eppleton.
The Lasses midfielder joined on deadline
day in the summer, and has become a
regular in the team in recent months.
“It’s been great to be back in England and
being a part of this Club”, Rouse said.
“I’m really happy to be able to contribute
more on the pitch now.
“I’m surrounded by great players,
especially the midfield unit, we have
experienced players in there, but all
around the pitch we have such a strong
squad that I’m happy to be a part of it.
“For me it’s just about pushing on,
bringing the performances and the
competitiveness each week.
“Each week you have to prove yourself.
As a footballer, you want to earn your
shirt because that makes you ultimately
better.”
The 25-year-old highlighted the
togetherness around the whole Club,
a sentiment she has felt immediately
since joining.
“I joined later than most people but
since the get-go, everyone has been so
welcoming. I feel like I’ve come into a
family environment, between the staff
and players and even the men’s team as
well, everyone has that togetherness
about them.
“I’m happy to be contributing now, and
I feel like I’m growing in confidence
each week. That comes from the players
helping me and the staff making me feel
that belief.
“In Germany, there were some great
times but there were also tough times.
The one thing that stood out for me is
that I wanted to be somewhere where
there was a good connection between
staff and players, and an environment
where I feel I can push on and improve.
6

“Every session I’ve been in I enjoy and if
you’re in that, you automatically start
to feel more yourself.
“I’m a lot happier than I was and hopefully
that translates on the pitch.”
Finally, the Rouse looked ahead to the
match, with Sheffield United the first
league opponents of 2024.
“Sheffield had a great performance in
the FA Cup, they lost but they showed
that they could compete with one of the
best in the WSL so it’s not going to be an
easy game.
“It’s important to know that we need
to come with our A-game but that when
teams come to us, they realise we’re
not the underdogs that they may have
anticipated at the start of the season, and
they’ll start bringing their best.
“We have to be ready for that.”
RED & WHITE >> 7

CLUB NEWS
WATSON, YOUNG
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Katy Watson has been voted Women’s
Young Player of the Year in the North
East Football Writers Player of the Year
Awards for 2023.
The youngster is the first winner of this
particular award following an impressive
year on Wearside.
THE YOUNGSTER IS
THE FIRST WINNER
OF THIS PARTICULAR
AWARD
The 18-year-old is a product of the
successful Lasses academy, rising through
the youth ranks, and signed her first
professional contract in September on
her 18th birthday.
Watson made her senior debut for the
Club in February 2022 against Liverpool,
and has since racked up nearly 50
appearances for the Club.
The young forward scored many
important goals last year, including a
winner in a 3-2 River Wear Derby victory
over Durham, a last-minute equaliser
against Charlton at the Valley, and
an opener against Rugby Borough,
formerly Coventry United, in a 3-0 win
on home soil.
Durham’s Sarah Robson claimed the
senior Women’s award, while Newcastle’s
Kieran Trippier won the Men’s Player of
the Year, and Hayden Hackney received
Men’s Young Player of the Year.
The North East Football Writers
Association player of the year annual
awards dinner will be held on Sunday,
March 3 at the Ramside Hall Hotel and
Golf Club.
RED & WHITE >> 9

FIXTURES & RESULTS
2023-24
MONTH DATE OPPOSITION SCORE
AUGUST Sun 27 London City Lionesses D 0-0
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
Sun 3 Sheffield United W 0-1
Sun 10 Southampton W 0-1
Sun 17 Crystal Palace D 1-1
Sun 1 Watford W 2-1
Sun 8 Birmingham City D 1-1
Sun 15 Reading W 3-1
Sun 22 Lewes W 0-2
Sun 5 Durham W 0-1
Sun 12 Blackburn L 0-1
Sun 19 Charlton D 1-1
DECEMBER Sun 17 Birmingham L 0-3
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
Sun 21
Sat 27
Sun 4
Sun 18
Sun 3
Sun 17
Sun 24
Sun 31
Sun 21
Sun 28
Sheffield United
Blackburn Rovers
Reading
Lewes
Southampton
London City Lionesses
Durham
Watford
Charlton
Crystal Palace
10

There are 4.36 million of us and we are
tomorrow’s female future.
We’re part of every community and come from all social backgrounds, cultures
and religions with different skills and abilities. We’re an unstoppable force for
good if we’re given the chance. The chance to play football.
We want to play in the school curriculum, at breaktime, after school, at local clubs
wherever, whenever we want.
NO barriers, NO stereotypes
LET US PLAY.
Find out more at: www.EnglandFootball.com/LetGirlsPlay

90 minutes on the pitch.
10 minutes to save a life.
For someone with blood cancer or a blood disorder,
a stem cell transplant from a matching donor could be their
last chance of survival.
Perry, donating his
stem cells
I’ve donated to someone to give them a
second chance of life. I would do it again,
every day of the week if I could.
All it takes to join the register is a quick
mouth swab and filling out a form with your
details, and you’ll only donate if you’re
absolutely needed. Who could say no to that?
Perry, stem cell donor, Newcastle
Anthony Nolan is the charity that matches stem cell donors to
patients in need. We are saving lives right now – three lives a day,
in fact. But we could be doing so much more with your help.
Join the stem cell register today and you can help to give someone
a second chance of life.
Aged 16-30 and in good health? You can sign up right here, right now:
anthonynolan.org/TheLasses
Aged 31+? You can help us to unlock more ways to treat every
patient by helping to fund our groundbreaking research:
anthonynolan.org/GiveLife
Reg charity no 803716/SC038827
3165MC 10/23

HEAD COACH: MELANIE REAY
MANAGER: JONATHAN MORGAN
SUNDERLAND AFC
1 CLAUDIA MOAN GK
4 FAYE MULLEN
5 GRACE MCCATTY
6 LOUISE GRIFFITHS
7 KEIRA RAMSHAW
8 EMILY SCARR
9 MARY MCATEER
10 KATIE KITCHING
11 JESSICA BROWN
14 NATASHA FENTON
15 AMY GODDARD
16 GRACE EDE
17 MOLLIE ROUSE
18 LIBBI MCINNES
19 MEGAN BEER
20 ELLEN JONES
22 MEGAN BORTHWICK GK
23 JENNA DEAR
25 KATY WATSON
27 BRIANNA WESTRUP
37 LIZ EJUPI
SHEFFIELD UNITED FC
1 FRAN STENSON
2 CHARLEY DOCHERTY
3 CHARLOTTE NEWSHAM
4 SOPHIE BARKER
5 MOLLY GRAHAM
6 TARA BOURNE
7 JESS SIGSWORTH
9 BEX RAYNER
9 KATIE WILKINSON
10 ISOBEL GOODWIN
11 ASHLEY HODSON
12 JODIE HUTTON
13 OLIVIA PAGE
14 ELLIE MAY
15 TAMARA WILCOCK
16 CHENE MUIR
17 SOPHIE HAYWOOD
18 ELLA KINZETT
19 ALANTA BROWN
24 RACHEL BROWN
29 FALLON CONNOLLY-JACKSON
32 JULIET ADEBOWALE-ARIMORO
33 BETHAN DAVIES
REFEREE: MAGDALENA GOLBA
ASSISTANT REFEREES: JOSHUA DEAR, JASON SMITH
FOURTH OFFICIAL: DAVID MITCHELL