From everyone at Bristol Rovers Women’s FC, we’d like to wish you all a Happy New Year and we hope that you have enjoyed your Christmas break.
The Festive period has given us an opportunity to take a look back on our very first season as a club, as well as recovering
from our Christmas party. Compared to most of my own half-term school reports, the red pen is put to one-side for the ‘Gas Girls’. Overall, it’s been outstanding.
With a 100% record in the League for the first team and 8 wins out of 9 for the development team, we can certainly look
back on an incredibly encouraging start.
The girls continue to deliver, even if we’re not quite on the pace, which in my eye’s is a sign of a good team. Grinding out those 3 points requires a great character and resilience and this was certainly needed last time out against Longwell Green. This “away fixture that” was reversed back to Lockleaze Sports Centre due to the heavy downpours affecting the pitch at Longwell
Green. It was an injury time header by Development Team player Shannon Francis that finally rewarded the girls for their
constant pressure in the second half.
Despite the win, we are not oblivious to the work that we need to do, to continue our run and our development as a club.
The success of our Development Team has given 7 players from their squad, the opportunity to gain some first team experience. It’s important for us to be able to offer these chances when they arise but I still feel that more needs to be done to make the transition from one squad to the next, that little bit smoother.
Regardless of this, the ‘Magnificent Seven’ have quite frankly, well they’ve been magnificent. For a large chunk of our players, this is their first season in seniors women’s football and they’ve taken to it brilliantly. More squad rotation is expected from now until the end of the season but we also need to be aware of the 5 game rule that will stop players from playing for our Development Team once they hit 5 appearances for the first team. An unfortunate but understandable regulation.
In the Cups, both teams have the opportunity to pick up silverware at the end of the season. After an emphatic 12-0 victory away to Cotswold Rangers, the first team will take on Longwell Green away in the Gordon Perrett League Cup Quarter Final. Progress in the GFA Trophy came to an end after the girls fell to 3-0 defeat against the leaders of the league above, Frampton Rangers. A scoreline that didn’t reflect what was a positive performance against a well established team.
The Development team will be looking to challenge in the GFA Cup but a tie away to Tytherington Rocks stands in the way of
progress into the semi-final. None of this progress would be possible if it wasn’t for our sponsors and partners. Bristol
Rovers Supporters Club, Brunel Group, Lockleaze Sports Centre, Bristol 24/7, Crossed Swords 1883 & Ahmisha Yoga have been paramount to our success as a club. Their support has not only helped us to launch the club but to make plans for our future.
The club has already given many of our girls more self confidence, an improvement in their health & fitness and a sense of belonging. It’s these attributes that really adds substance to what this club is all about and to have established this within the few Months, makes me very proud of everyone involved.
As previously mentioned in other articles, we are now working behind the scenes on a plan for us to climb through the leagues, help to recruit more girls onto BTEC course, establish more links in our community and improve our fan engagment with fellow ‘Gasheads’ and young supporters.
So, stick with us, trust the process and join us on the journey! UTGG! MD
Reproduced with the kind permission of Bristol Rovers Womens FC
