Vale kick-off ‘new era’ of women’s football
This weekend marks the start of a new era at Port Vale as the new senior women’s football team kicks off their season for the very first time this Sunday.
We basically had two months to create a new football team from scratch and it’s been a real challenge at times…
Hamil Road Ladies were formed on 30th July 2013 by the Port Vale Community Trust to provide playing opportunities for women and girls in the local community. The project is delivered by experienced FA qualified coaches and aims to provide players with a high standard of coaching in a safe and enjoyable environment.
Manager Martyn Cooke admits that it has been a challenge but states that he is very proud of the work done so far: “We basically had two months to create a new football team from scratch and it’s been a real challenge at times. But we’ve managed to pull together a group of players that are full of enthusiasm, are willing to work hard and that have some real quality as well. They’ve been a fantastic group to work with and just within the two months that we’ve been together the players have already made massive strides. I’m extremely proud of what we have done so far and I’m sure that we will continue to improve and make progress throughout the season”
The team have played two friendly matches in pre-season, a 5-3 loss to Wilmslow Town and a 7-5 win over Wallasey Athletic, and Cooke admits that an interesting season lies ahead: “We certainly won’t be boring that’s for sure! But in truth the two friendly matches don’t really carry much significance. At the end of the day it was the first time that the girls have played together and we were trying out different ideas on the pitch. The main positive is that we play decent football, we look like scoring plenty of goals and of course it’s always nice to get a win. But it’s up to us to find the right balance and I’m sure we will do that”
Hamil Road Ladies will compete in the Staffordshire County Women’s League and start their season with a trip to Stafford Town LFC this Sunday. Cooke says that the team are looking forward to the season ahead.
“There is a real buzz and excitement amongst the girls now that the season is so close. They’ve worked so hard and put so much effort in over pre-season that I think they just want to get out on the pitch now! Stafford will be a tough match but we will go there and do our very best. If we play to our potential then I’m sure that we can come away with a positive result”
If you want to know more about Hamil Road Ladies or are interested in getting involved then contact Martyn Cooke on the details below.
07855955942