Three new faces at Town

There has been a number of changes in the squad over the Summer break. Town have seen names like Georgia Allen, Amanda Crump and Molly Sutherland depart, among others. But the club has also been busy recruiting for a season in a higher tier.

Joe Sheehan has signed 3 new faces to his squad for the upcoming season. We’re taking a look at what they’ll bring to the squad and where they may fit into Joe’s plans.

Credit – Ross Halls

Sarah Quantrill

Joining us from fellow Southern Premier side, London Bees, Sarah has experience playing in the higher tiers. Both of Town’s keepers, Williamson and Runnacles left the club in the Summer, so a Keeper was a big priority. Ipswich relied upon Youngsters Meollo and Jackson during the end of season friendlies, and also, some of pre season, but both players are still playing at u21 level and not ready for the number 1 shirt just yet.

Sarah has signed a 1 year deal with Ipswich and comes with a wealth of experience. She come through the Arsenal Academy before being part of the side that won the 10/11 FA Cup. Sarah has also played for Chelsea, Liverpool and Millwall before joining London Bees. Having someone with such experience join the club will be huge in helping Ipswich move up the leagues.

133 appearances Sarah has arrived in Suffolk with, all spent in the WSL and Championship. This experience will give a huge boost to the team, knowing a Keeper as highly rated as Sarah is behind them.

Credit – Ross Halls

Bonnie Horwood

Another London Bees addition, Bonnie left the club in the Summer following a 2 year spell with the club, but also has experience at the two highest levels of Women’s football with Fulham, Chelsea, Birmingham City , Notts County, Watford and Reading.

130 games spent playing in the two highest levels, means Bonnie will be a big addition to the Ipswich Midfield bringing the experience back following the retirement of Amanda Crump in the Summer.

Ipswich lost a handful of Midfielders in the Summer with some retiring and others leaving for educational purposes, so a midfielder was need to help fill that void. Bonnie is more of a holding player than attacking so will allow the likes of Blue Wilson and Abbie Lafayette to move forward and help with attacking.

Credit – Ross Halls

Olivia Smith

Olivia Smith moved to Suffolk following her departure from Charlton. Olivia has worked under Town Manager Joe Sheehan previously when she was a teenager. Smith come through the Chelsea youth set up before heading to Oklahoma on a Scholarship. On her return to home ground, Oliva joined up with West Ham, before spells with London Bees and, most recently, Charlton Athletic.

Olivia can play anywhere across the back four which will provide cover when needed, but would imagine she will be primarily used at Right Back. Summer Hughes is pushing her way into the First Team and fighting with Eva Hubbard for that Left Back spot. Centre Half is covered by Cooper, Peake, Egan and youngster Abbie Jackson as well as Sara Smith-Walter. Maria Boswell is the only natural Right Back in the team following the Summer departure of Sasha Adamson. Maria Spent a fair amount of last season side-lined due to injuries so having a natural back up for her is a big plus. Although, many will say Smith will start ahead of Boswell given her experience, but this will be seen over the coming weeks.

Interview with Anna Grey

During the Summer, Town have announced a number of players given professional contracts at the club. A move welcomed by fans as Joe Sheehan looks to cement the future talent, and deter any interest from teams in the higher leagues.

Anna Grey was one of the players whose performances and progress has justified her first professional contract. Anna has come through the Youth Academy at Town after leaving Tottenham a few seasons ago, and has made her way onto Joe’s team sheet week in week out ever since, as well as being part of the England Training Camps too.

With Town about to start their first season in the Southern Premier, we caught up with Anna to look ahead to a big season following the clubs promotion.

What team do you support?

The one and only Man United.

What do you do outside of football?

Currently I’m studying strength and conditioning at the university of Suffolk, so when I’m not at training I’m usually doing Uni work.

Which footballer, men’s or women’s, would you love to play alongside?

I’d like to play alongside Jesse Lingard. I think what he has been through recently is something most footballers can relate too. I’d like to pick his brain and learn how he dealt with the dip in his performance and managed to turn it around.

What’s your favourite tv series?

I’m really not a big fan of TV series. I watch a lot of Sporting Documentaries, the last dance on Netflix is something I would recommend.

3 songs from your playlist?

Through Da Storm – Polo G
Bound 2 – Kanye West
Maneater – Nelly Furtado

Do you have any pre match rituals?

I don’t really have any pre match rituals. I like to eat the same Breakfast, 2 Weetabix, Bananas, Strawberries and some Orange Juice.

A footballing memory you’ll never forget?

A Footballing memory I’ll never forget, has to be when we played Chelsea when I was in my first year of the u21s, the score was 2-1 in stoppage time we managed to win 3-2 and I scored the winner. We always had a bit of rivalry between us so it was nice to come out on top and win in that way.

Which team mate would you room share with on an away trip?

It has to be Eloise, I’ve roomed with her a few times at camp as well as Huddersfield and Man City.

Which 4 team mates would you pick in your 5-a-side team?

Eloise, Pesk, Laffy and I’d stick Egan in goal.

Which team mate has the best dance moves?

There’s a few people who THINK they are dancers, but the real ones know it’s me.

Firstly, congratulations on the becoming one of the first players to get a pro contract. How did you react to hearing that news?

It’s something I’ve dreamed of as a little girl, becoming a professional footballer. So naturally I was really happy to be offered a contract.

You’re one of a handful of players to get a deal, it shows how much progress the club is making that we’re in a position to offer pro deals?

The club has been making progress year on year and this is just another example of that.

During the time between the end of the season and pre season, do you use that to look back at videos of yourself and look how you can improve?

During the season we review games on a weekly bases both as a team but also on an Individual bases. So during the off season, I like to take some time to completely rest from football before preparing myself for pre season.

How have you found pre season so far?

Pre season has been really good this year, there’s been a few new faces about and obviously we have the excitement of preparing to compete in a new league, so it’s been a really nice environment to train in.

We’ve signed a couple of new faces, all have experience of playing at the higher levels. How will their experience help the squad?

Their experience will be extremely valuable to the squad, they’ll know what to expect more than us younger members of the squad. It will be a great blend of players and should place us in good stead to perform well as a group.

It got delayed slightly, but we have finally got the promotion we’ve been looking for. How excited are the players to get going in a higher league?

It’s something new and exciting for all of us. Collectively we are looking forward to competing at a higher level and proving ourselves.

What’s the objective this season?

We have to set our targets high, we want to be the best version of ourselves that we can, and ultimately that should help us win as many games as possible.

There’s going to be a massive buzz around the ground for that first home game against Keynsham. As a player, how does that kind of atmosphere carry you through a game?

Naturally there’s always a-bit of adrenaline and nerves before the first game of the season, but every game this season carry’s the same weight, so it’s important we almost park the noise behind that game and go out and put on a performance we can be proud of.

Last season we had some large results such as 10-0 wins. This league is going to be a bit of a different test isn’t it?

We don’t know what to expect this season, it will definitely be tougher, but we want to win as many games as we can and that means scoring as many as we can.

There’s some long away trips season with the likes of Plymouth and Cardiff on the fixture list. How will the team deal with these? I’d imagine there maybe some overnight stays involved?.

Coming through the academy we’ve all experienced long coach journeys, as well as overnight stays with the first team at Huddersfield and City, so this prior experience will help us deal with the longer trips.

Is there any particular away game you’re looking forward to this season?

I’m looking forward to Cardiff, because I think it will an overnight stay, which are always fun, and I’ve never been to Wales.

We played both Southampton and Portsmouth in post season friendlies, so we already have an idea of the quality we’re going to come up against this season. Does that help with the preparation?

As you know, we have had a few additions and so will have they, so you can’t assume or expect to face that same version, which can be hard to prepare for. But it definitely gave us a few ideas of what to expect from this league.

Paige Shorten has returned to the club during pre season, how much of a boost is that for the club?

We all love Paige, so it was a real boost to have her back. She’s a great person and a great coach, she can only help us keep moving in the right direction.

Attracting such a prestigious sponsor in Ed Sheeran shows the desire the club has. What does it mean to the players to have that kind of a backing?

It means a lot to all the players, especially the fact he’s supporting us as well as the men, it really echo’s the meaning of ‘one club’.

What goals have you set for yourself this season?

I just want to perform as-well as I can week in week out. I want to be as consistent as I can this season.

Ipswich Town Women 21/22 – Season Preview

After two very disrupted seasons, and an appeal for promotion granted, Ipswich Town Women finally find themselves preparing for a season in the league above. Joe Sheehan’s side proved on two separate occasions they deserved the move up, now, the girls have the promotion they deserved!.

Ipswich Town will be playing Southern Premier football this season. A tougher league, with tougher opposition. Here, we take an in depth look into the Tractor Girls challengers this season.

Bridgwater United

Bridgwater United, formally known as Bridgwater Town, merged with local side Yeovil United to form their current name. Yeovil, who were the initial side in the Southern Premier, rebranded and become Bridgwater United, taking on some of the Bridgwater players to combine the two clubs.

Yeovil had played 5 games when the last season was cut short by the Pandemic, winning 2, drawing 2 and with 1 loss to their name, they sat 8th in the 12 team league which has now expanded to 14 teams.

Yeovil have had a long spell in the top 3 levels of the women’s game, having spent some time at the top level before being dropped two leagues by the FA in 2019.

Players To Watch

Ann-Marie Heatherson has spent the last 2 seasons with the club. Although, only five games were played last season, she was their main attacking threat. The club have only managed 22 games in the last two seasons due to the stoppages, but Ann-Marie has still managed to bag the goals scoring 11 goals and 3 assists. On average, a goal every other game.

Home Ground – Huish Park, Yeovil, BA22 8YF

Difficulty Rating

It’s a new era for this club after their merging, so they’ll be keen to hit the ground running and fighting to return to the higher divisions where Yeovil once were. I would expect Bridgwater to be fighting for them top places but with so many good clubs doing the same I feel they may fall short. Although, this will be a tough test and give this a 6/10 difficulty rating.

Cardiff Ladies

One of Town’s longest trips next season will see them head over the Seven Bridge into Wales. Although they’re called Cardiff Ladies, they actually play north of Caerphilly at the Centre Of Excellence.

Cardiff only managed 4 games before last season was cut short, but was one of the inform teams having won 3 of them and scoring 17 goals in the process. They were sat in 6th place after their 4 games, but had at least 3 games in hand on all the teams above them. Given their form, they would have found themselves mixing with the leading pack had they played the same amount of games.

Player To Watch

Forward Kylie Nolan, formerly of Bristol City before joining Cardiff in 2018. At just 23, she has already notched up caps for Wales and the stand out player for Cardiff. In her first season with the Welsh club, she scored 17 goals in 26 appearances. Nolan started last season with a bang as she scored 5 goals in Cardiff’s opening 3 games before the season was paused. A player that will need to be watched closely by any opposition defence.

Home Ground – Centre Of Sporting Excellence, Caerphilly Road, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, CF82 7EP

Difficulty Rating

I feel this will be one of our toughest games this season. Cardiff have been fighting for top spot for a few seasons now and narrowly missed out in the last full season (18/19) by 7 points. They finished second to Coventry United who won the league that season. Cardiff started well last season and will want to carry that over. I’m giving them a 7/10.

Chichester & Selsey

Another merged club in the league, Chichester & Selsey come together at the start of last season. Before then, the club was known as Chichester City. Ipswich will already be familiar with this fixture after the two sides faced off in the 19/20 season where Town run away 6-0 winners in the Women’s FA Cup.

The club managed 6 games last season before the stop, finding themselves 7th with 3 wins and 3 losses. 4 of their 6 games were at home, but seemed to struggle keeping the goals out, conceding 10 goals in those 6 games.

Player To Watch

Jane Yeates had one of the best goal records last season scoring 6 goals in 7 games for the club. Although this was hampered by her 2 Sin Bins, which opposition could see as something to play on and take advantage of her competitive streak causing her to pick up a few more along the season.

Home Ground – Selsey FC, The High Street Ground, Chichester, PO20 0QG

Difficulty Rating

Given Town have already faced this side in the Cup a couple of seasons ago and come out 6-0 winners, I feel we will once again have too much for them. Although the club is a decent outfit, Joe Sheehan has strengthened the side with Championship experience. My difficulty rating for these is 6/10

Crawley Wasps

Crawley Wasps are another team the Tractor Girls will be familiar with after they both played in the South East league together a few seasons ago. The West Sussex based side are yet to complete a season in the Southern Premier following their promotion from the South East league in 2019. Last season they found themselves fighting with the top teams in the league after 7 games with 5 wins to their name and only 2 losses. They also had the best defensive record in the league conceding only 5 goals in the process before the season was stopped.

Player To Watch

Naomi Cole has been a stand out player for Crawley Wasps for a number of seasons. In the 18/19 season, when the club was in the same league as Town, Cole clocked up 18 goals in 34 appearances from Midfield. Their first season in the Southern Premier she added another 12 goals in 19 for the club and then 4 in 9 last season.

Home Ground – Horley Town FC, CT Lodge Road, Horley, RH6 8SP

Difficulty Rating

Crawley Wasps will be up there fighting for that promotion spot. I feel this will a tricky fixture for Ipswich, but not one we can’t overcome. We have beaten bigger opposition but a 7/10 seems fitting for this fixture.

Gillingham Ladies

Gillingham gained promotion to the Southern Premier in the 16/17 season and have been there ever since. Now established at this level they have floated in the bottom half of the league for the last 4 seasons, although stayed clear of a relegation battle. Last season they managed 7 games before the stop, winning only 2 and losing 5, conceding 14 goals in the process.

Player To Watch

Maddison Chamney-Farrand has spent the last 4 seasons with the club clocking up 15 goals in 43 games. A lot of her appearances have also been off the bench and used more of an impact sub.

Home Ground – Rochester Sports Ground, Rede Ct Road, Rochester, ME2 3TF

Difficulty Rating

I would expect Ipswich to come past Gillingham. Town travel to Rochester 3 games into the season and many would expect 3 points to return to Suffolk. Given Gillingham’s struggle to move away from the bottom half of the league, I’ll give this a difficulty rating of 5/10

Hounslow Women

Another team yet to complete a season at this level due to the pandemic, and also Ipswich Town’s opening fixture. The London based side struggled with what they faced last season losing all 8 games they played, didn’t score a single goal and conceded 42 goals in them 8 games.

Player To Watch

Sue Kumaning has spent the last 2 seasons with Hounslow after coming through the QPR team. She managed 19 appearances in 2 disrupted seasons since joining the West London side.

Home Ground – Handworth Villa fc, Park Road, Feltham, TW13 6PN

Difficulty Rating

Can never underestimate any team, especially in a new league, but this should be an easy start for Joe Sheehan’s side and the first 3 points on the board. Could we also see Natasha Thomas hit the 100 club?!. Difficulty Rating for me is 4/10

Keynsham Town

Keynsham gained promotion from the South West league in 2019, and another team yet to see a full season at this level. It was a tough start last season for them losing 5 of their 7 games played, winning only 2 with a -2 goal difference and sitting 9th in the 12 team league. Keynsham are the first team to visit the Goldstar this season in Town’s second game.

Player To Watch

Kerry Bartlett has a wealth of experience and goals in her locker. Starting with Cardiff back in 2016, she now has 158 career goals in 106 games. in season 18/19 with Keynsham, she bagged an amazing 63 goals in 32 games. in the recent disrupted seasons, she managed 10 goals in 8 during the 19/20 season and 4 in 7 last season. A goal machine defenders will have nightmares facing.

Home Ground – Keynsham Town FC, Bristol Road, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2BE

Difficulty Rating

Keynsham didn’t really get going last season, despite having a natural goal scorer, they struggled to keep the goals out. I don’t believe their showing last season fully shows what the club is about and think this could be more difficult that early signs suggest. My difficulty rating is 6/10.

London Bees

London Bees dropped down from the Championship last season following a struggle to remain in the second tier. The Bees managed to see out their season but after 20 games, found themselves bottom with 3 wins, 2 draws and 15 losses. They also finished on a -38 goal difference to add to that.

London Bees will be wanting to return at the earliest opportunity and we should expect them to be hitting the ground running to make an early statement of intent on the rest of the league.

Joe Sheehan recently took on 2 players from the Bees in Bonnie Horwood and Sarah Quantrill.

Player To Watch

There’s been a mass change to the Bees squad since their relegation. Although most of the squad we retained, a large portion of the team left for pastures new. London Bees have made 7 new signings including offering pro deals to youth players. Only time will tell who their stand out player will be given the amount of changes.

Home Ground – Barnet FC, The Hive, Camrose Ave, London, HA8 6AG

Difficulty Rating

It’s tricky to determine how difficult a new team to the league will be, but London Bees have been an established club in the higher levels and will need to be respected. They will be looking to return to the Championship with no delay but Town have proven they can fight until the final whistle with anyone. Difficulty rating 7/10

MK Dons

The Dons have been at this level for a few seasons. Although their first season was spent scrapping in the bottom half, they have improved their squad and spent the 8 games last season mixing with the top sides. 5 wins and 3 losses saw them sitting 4th before the stoppage. Although in different leagues, Town faced MK Dons in pre season before the start of last season and come away with a 6-1 win, just 11 months ago. Although the team would have changed since then, the ability in Joe Sheehan’s side has also improved.

Player To Watch

Cherrelle Albert started last season on fire bagging herself 7 goals in the opening 8 games, which saw her sitting second in the goal scorer table. The former QPR player joined MK last season and proved to be a massive player for the team. Team mate and former Cambridge Development player Jade Bell also sat alongside her scoring 5 in 8 games. Two goal scorers that could boost the Dons into a promotion push.

Home Ground – Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, MK1 1ST

Difficulty Rating

MK have some really good potential in their squad and a team that we mustn’t underestimate. Although we have beaten them less than a year ago, I feel this will be a harder game that we initially think. Difficulty rating 7/10

Oxford United

Oxford have spent the last 4 seasons since their promotion trying to gain another. Since their first season at this level, they have finished no lower than 4th.

Last season they were sat 2nd before the stop with a game in hand over top of the league Watford, who eventually got promoted, and only a point between them. Oxford only lost 1 game of their 7 played, winning the other 6 and scored 22 goals in the process.

Player To Watch

Emily Allen joined Oxford from Cardiff back in 2018. Since then she has netted 36 times 51 games for the yellows and will be looking to add to that this season as Oxford push again for that top spot now their main contenders Watford are out of the way.

Home Ground – Oxford City FC, Marsh Lane, Marston, OX3 0NQ

Difficulty Rating

This will be one of the top 3 most difficult games for Town. Oxford won’t be allowing anyone to get in their way of a promotion after missing out last season so we will very much need to be on our guard against this strong outfit. Difficulty rating 8/10

Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth joined the Southern Premier in 2018 and in their first season finished in a solid 6th place. Since then things have gone a different way with the club struggling last season losing all 7 of their games and conceding 42 goals, same as bottom of the league Hounslow. Only difference was Plymouth managed to score 2 goals. They will be wanting to forget that season quickly and move on.

Player To Watch

Natasha Knapman has been a prolific scorer for Plymouth since she joined in 2016. 130 goals in just 84 appearances at the age of 29. Her performances this season will have a big say in Plymouth turning around their chances from last season.

Home Ground – Manadon Sports Centre, St Peters Road, Plymouth, PL5 3DR

Difficulty Rating

Plymouth are a hard team to read, they have the ability to challenge, which they shown in their first season but since then they have struggled to match it. Difficulty rating 5/10

Portsmouth

Ipswich recently faced Portsmouth in a post season friendly at Playford Road and drew 3-3. Both sides rotated the players throughout the game so it was more of a test match more than anything but we got a good idea of what we would face in the coming season.

Portsmouth have been floating around the mid table mark, but more recently started to push the front runners. They managed 8 games last season, winning 5, drawing 1 and losing 2 while scoring 21 goals along the way.

Player To Watch

Rebecca Bath was the stand out player last season sitting top of the scoring table with 14 goals in 10 appearances, including 2 cup games. Bath is a proven goal scorer and Portsmouth will be hoping she continues this into the new season.

Home Ground – Havant & Waterlooville FC, Martin Road, Havant, PO9 5TH

Difficulty Rating

Portsmouth have the ability to be a really strong outfit and, looking at their pre season performances, they will be up there fighting for that top spot. Difficulty rating 7/10

Southampton

Our fellow promotion counterparts will be wanting to push on, just as we will, to make another promotion. Southampton, like Ipswich, were granted promotion through the application process. And again, like Town, Southampton won all 4 of the games they played last season before the stop kicked in and were the strongest side in their division.

Joe Sheehan took his side down to St Mary’s in a post season friendly where Southampton went away with a 4-1 win.

Player To Watch

Striker Ella Pusey has been firing on all barrels since joining Southampton in 2019 scoring 29 goals in as many games. 13 of which come in 7 games last season. Ella is a proven forward and can cause defenders headaches when given space to move the ball.

Home Ground – AFC Totton, Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton, SO40 2RW

Difficulty Rating

I believe Southampton will be another one of tougher tests this season. Past meetings include the post season friendly but also a meeting in the FAWNL Plate competition where Town also lost but did field a weakened side. The Saints will be pushing for promotion this season, along with Ipswich and could see this fixture as a deciding factor in each teams promotion push. Difficulty rating 7/10

Interview with Zoe Barratt

It’s been a massively disrupted season from Ipswich Town Women, with games being halted and started, not just for the First Team, but also the u21s’. Zoe has been banging in goals consistently for the youth side and has been award by Joe Sheehan with games in the First Team. The young Attacker, originally from Cambridge, has really stepped up to the plate when called upon and put in some very encouraging displays, even getting herself on the scoresheet. Zoe has formed a really good partnership with fellow Attacker Maddie Biggs in the u21s’ with both players contributing consistently with Goals and Assists.

We caught up with Zoe to take a look at her progress this season.

What team do you support?
Cambridge Utd!

Which footballer, men’s or women’s, would you love to play alongside?
Phil Foden or Fran Kirby, such good decision makers

Who inspires you?
No one in particular, I’ve been going to watch football since I was 4 and just watching the game inspires me – and all I ever wanted to do was play football. However apart from Cambridge Utd players, my favourite player is Lionel Messi!

Do you have any pre match rituals?
Don’t really have any rituals, but I prepare myself so that I can perform to the best of my ability; e.g. what I eat and drink.

Which 4 team mates would you pick in your 5-a-side?
Paige Peake, Molly Sutherland, Sophie Peskett, Lucy O’Brien

As a Cambridge Utd fan, you must be chuffed with the promotion?
Yes I was buzzing! The last few games were nerve racking, but when we won on the last game and I went to the stadium to celebrate, it was amazing!

Are you going to be Blue and White or Yellow and Black when they play Ipswich in League One next season?
I’ve been a season ticket holder for Cambridge since I was 4, so I’m afraid for that game I’m going to have be to be yellow and black!

It’s been a disrupted season, how have you dealt with the interruptions?
It’s been frustrating to not train and play as much as we normally do, but I used the lockdowns as an opportunity to really work on all areas of my game. Saying that we were fortunate as U21s to return to training in January and managed to play a good number of games in the end.

Although the Academy side has only played 4 league games so far, it’s been a good start with 3 wins on the board?
Whilst we’ve only played 4 league games we have also played a lot of friendlies against some good sides like London Bees and finishing off the season with a win against Arsenal. I see it as a successful season and I feel we have really gelled as a team.

You’ve played a fair bit more for the first team this season, how have you found playing for both First Team and Academy?
I want to play as many games as possible so I can develop as a player, so playing Wednesdays and Sundays is something I enjoy.

We’ve seen you play through the middle and out wide, where do you prefer to play?
I don’t really have a preference, I enjoy playing in any of the attacking positions as I feel it is developing my overall game. I just like to be able to create attacks, finish attacks and link up play.

Lucy O’Brien has been making a name for herself this season. She’s bedded into the team fairly well?
Lucy’s a really good player, I know her well from playing with her at Mk Dons RTC and through school football. We know each other’s game really well so it’s good to play with her.

For you personally, is next season about keeping in Joe’s mind and making more movement into the First Team?
All I’ve ever done is just focus on myself and my development as a player. I will just keep working hard and improve my game to see where it takes me in the future.

Do you look up to the likes of Tash and how others play in your position?
I have a lot of respect for Tash, her goal scoring record speaks for itself and she is a great role model for the younger players. I also like to watch lots of players who play in my positions like Fran Kirby and Ellen White and try to learn from them.

What goals are you setting for yourself for next season?
I feel this season I have really developed as a player, and all I am thinking about at the moment is working hard during off season and pre season. Next season is going to be exciting with hopefully playing in the league above against better opposition and I want to be apart of that.

What part of your game do you feel has most improved this season?
I generally feel more confident as a player this season, and I have really worked hard on improving the consistency of my finishing. I feel that this has shown in games this year for both the U21s and First Team.

How have you found Charlie Baxter since he joined the club?
I think we are lucky at Ipswich that we have such great coaches and staff – and Charlie has added to that. I think he’s a really good coach and I already feel he has helped me improve as a player, and helped us develop as a squad.

Interview with Lucy O’Brien

Lucy joined the Ipswich Town Academy last summer with a handful of other youngsters looking to kick on with their development and hoping to forge their career in the women’s game. It’s been a stop/start season for the young academy players with Covid stopping their season. We are now in April and the academy side have only played 3 league fixtures all season.

While all other football was stopped, the academy fell under Elite Sport as they play in the WSL academy leagues, so they could continue to train. This has no doubt really helped the younger players, Lucy being one of them. She recently made her first team debut in the FA Cup visit to Billericay and also scored 4 goals against Brantham in the Suffolk Cup.

We caught up with the young Midfielder and took a look at her season so far.

What team do you support?

Tottenham!

Which footballer, men’s or women’s, would you love to play alongside?

Harry Kane or Kevin De Bruyne

Who inspires you?

I get most inspiration from my team mates – seeing them work had everyday and seeing the success they earn from it motivates me to constantly be better.

3 songs from your playlist?

I have a very random music taste: She’s casual – The Hunna, Don’t Stop me now – Queen, Glorious – Macklemore

Do you have any pre match rituals?

Not really, but I always try to have a good warm up to get myself ready. Scoring some goals in the warm up is always good too.

It’s been a strange first season at the club with the stop and starts, how have you found it so far?

It’s been really good so far! The standard is so high both in training and games which is a great challenge. It’s been hard to find motivation at times without competitive fixtures but we all helped push each other to keep going and the hard work we’ve put in is now showing in the games we are playing.

You were involved early on playing in some pre season games with the senior side, did that help with bedding into the squad having them early games?

Definitely, it was great to get some experience playing with them early on. Everyone was so welcoming that I had no issues settling in and felt a part of the squad straight away.

Did you know any of the players here before joining?

Yep I knew Zoe Barratt as she goes to my school and we played together at MK Dons. I also knew Molly Sutherland from when we played together at Cambridgeshire ACC and there were some familiar faces within the team who had been to the same regional camps as me in the past.

Some fans have tipped you as the ‘one to watch’ from the academy team recently with your current form. What do you consider to be your strengths?

I have always had an eye for goal, and historically have had a good track record with getting on the scoresheet. I also think I am creative in midfield and find good pockets on the pitch which I then exploit to provide goal scoring opportunities for myself or my teammates.

You recently made your first team debut, how did you feel getting the news you were being called up?

I was really excited! I knew that due to the seniors only just coming back to train, I had a good chance of getting some game time so I was really pleased when I was given the opportunity.

Were you nervous leading up to the game and on game day?

Yes I was – though I always feel nerves before a game! But as soon as the game started, the nerves went and I focused on the football.

We didn’t get the result we wanted at Billericay, but were you happy with your performance personally on your debut?

I was gutted with the result but personally I think I held my own in the midfield. I think I created some good chances but when you lose, you always feel like you could have done more.

What positives did you take away from the game?

It was a great experience and one that I have learnt a lot from. Playing against senior women gave me a proper insight into the physical demands of the senior game. Also, coping with losing such an important match is something that I’m sure will help me in the future.

Now you have made your debut, is the next step to cement your place in Joe’s plans?

Yes definitely, for me this year is all about developing my game and performing as well as I can for the U21’s. However, of course I am going to be striving to play for the seniors as much as I can.

Charlie Baxter has recently joined the club as the new assistant. How have you found him so far?

Charlie is a great coach and has a wealth of experience to bring to our squad. It’s been really good to have his input and I’m sure we’ll all learn a lot from him.

Charlie brings lots of experience with him, which should really help the players grown as-well?

Yep, I think his knowledge of the game is something we can really use to help us develop not only as a team, but also individually.

You seem to enjoy scoring goals from midfield, is this something fans can look forward to as you progress towards more first team games?

Yep, hopefully. I used to play as a striker up until a few seasons ago, so naturally I am always looking to score. It’s a bit more difficult from midfield, but I feel I still have that goal scorers instinct and it is a great feeling to get on the scoresheet.

You have been part of England squads previously, how have you found your experiences playing for the national team?

I always really enjoy every camp I go on and learn so much. It’s an amazing feeling to represent your country and I’ve had moments that I won’t ever forget!

The club has some really good players in your position. Is that extra motivation to keep developing to pressure those ahead of you?

Yes, definitely. There are some unbelievable players in both the U21 and senior squad so there’s always really good competition. It definitely drives us all to work harder as we know that none of us can afford to get complacent.

Now you have your debut under your belt, is it about keeping form and hopefully keeping getting them call ups?

Yep, it was great to make my debut and now I’m excited for the year ahead. I’m going to focus on working hard and playing as well as I can so I can leave Joe with a decision to make!

Pre Match Preview – Billericay – FA Cup Second Round

It seems an absolute age since we were heading to our last Ipswich Town Women’s game, just short of 4 months ago. Since then, we have had the arrival of a new Assistant Manager as Charlie Baxter joins Joe Sheehan in the dugout.

With fans not allowed to attend games yet, we’ll be relaying on the media teams to provide our Tractor Girls fix via streams over the coming rounds, if we see off the Essex side this Sunday at New Lodge.

Pre Match Chat –

All eyes on this result as fans look ahead to a tasty tie against Oxford or Cardiff in the next round and then the possibility of hosting Charlton in the 4th round. The 4th Round brings in elite rules, meaning, if Joe Sheehan’s side make it that far, the game is likely to be played at Portman Road. The downside to this is fans are unlikely to be allowed inside elite stadiums by this point and it will be another no entry for Town followers.

Team Talk –

Town captain Amanda Crump is back in training following her spell on the side-lines after having her 2nd child, although not expected to return to action until pre season. Midfielder Eloise King is 50/50 having picked up a knock in training. Maria Boswell is also out of action while Keeper Meollo is also 50/50. Towns u21s played a midweek league fixture against West Ham at Playford Road which saw Striker Maddie Biggs pick up a brace and continue her push for a start. With King likely to be out of action, this could pave the way for other players to make their mark.

The Opposition –

This will be Towns second appearance at New Lodge this season, having already beaten the Essex side here at the start of the season. It was a tough game but they still managed to grind out all 3 points from their visit. Billericay sat in 11th place in the league when the season was curtailed, having picked up 3 points from 3 games. Not to let that fool you as other teams in the league had played a lot more games than Billericay with some playing 7 by the time the season was stopped. Despite Town beating them in the last visit, Billericay were the better side in the first half and could have go into the break ahead. It’s going to be important the girls go into this game fully focused and not to underestimate the challenge Billericay will pose.

Players To Watch –

Town’s Natasha Thomas is currently sitting on 99 career goals for the club and will have every intention of hitting the big 100 before this cup run comes to an end. Georgia Allen has been the creative spark for Ipswich this season and Billericay will do well to keep tabs on the Midfielder. Georgia changed the game in the first meeting this season and really opened up the middle of the park.

From the Squad –

Looking ahead to this Sundays meeting, we caught up with Midfielder Abbie Lafayette to get her thoughts going into the FA Cup clash.

There’s no more league games this season, does that give you more motivation to give the FA Cup more focus?

AL – Yes Defiantly! we want to do well again this season and it’s something we believe we can do, so hopefully we can show that with a good strong performance on Sunday.

We faced a difficult game against Billericay last time, we’ll have to be on the top of our game to make sure we progress into the next round?

AL – Yeah we know it won’t be an easy game but our main focus is on us and playing well and getting a good result in order to progress into the next round.

Is the key to this game the way the team prepares and approaches it given it’s been some time since we were last in action?

AL – The circumstances have been different this time around but we will prepare for this game like any other game to the best we can and try bring back some normality on match day.

How do you feel about the prospect of coming up against Charlton in two rounds time?

AL – It would be a good opportunity to play against a team who are where we want to be in a few seasons time, also it will give us a good understanding of where we are as a club.

Tractor Girls season curtailed

After months of uncertainty, the FA have announced plans to curtail the seasons of English Women’s football at steps 3-6.

The FA released a statement this afternoon confirming plans for stop the league season and not move forward with it. Albeit, Town sitting top, there will also be no promotion this season again for Joe Sheehan’s side as promotions and relegations have also been scraped.

This will now be the second consecutive season Ipswich Town have sat top of the Women’s National League South East league without being promoted after last season was bull and void.

Among the doom and gloom of this news is a slight positive. Clubs can apply to be moved leagues as long as they meet the criteria. Ipswich Town should easily meet this criteria but won’t be the only team in the 4th step of the pyramid to be looking to apply. Early indications suggest there is a chance the Women’s National League Premier, which is the league Town would have been promoted to, may expand by 2 places, allowing 2 clubs from step 4 to make the move up, although, this is yet to be confirmed and also approved by the FA.

Many would predict Ipswich would be one of the 2 clubs to move up after proving, this and last season, they are more than ready to make that move. Southampton would be a hot tip to join Town but we would assume there will be many teams looking to challenge for that step up.

As this season has been curtailed and not null/void, team and player stats will remain in place and not wiped like they were last season.

We’re keeping everything crossed that town can have a successful application to be moved into the next league. Keep your eyes on the official club social media accounts for future news on this.

Welcome Charlie Baxter

Since the departure of Paige Shorten back in October last year, Ipswich Town Women Manager, Joe Sheehan, has been on the hunt of a replacement Assistant Manager to fill the big gap Paige left. Paige moved on to pastures new to take up a role with the FA.

On Wednesday, Ipswich Town Women announced the appointment of Charlie Baxter as Joe’s new Assistant after a 4 month process, not helped by the Pandemic. Charlie joins the Tractor Girls with a wealth of experience of developing players and coaching at the highest level.

One of Charlie’s first steps into the game was with WPL side West Brom, who sit 2 levels above where Ipswich currently find them selves and 1 level below the top flight. Charlie spent just over a year at the midlands side as a Centre Of Excellence Coach, coaching different age groups from u9’s up to u17’s. Charlie left to join fellow midlands side, Birmingham City, in 2015 who currently reside in the top flight WSL. He initially joined as a Girls Centre Of Excellence Coach, but in 2017 was appointed First Team Coach.

Charlie has also been part of the England Regional Development Programme as a Technical Coach since 2017.

Not only does he have first hand experience in coaching players but also comes with the backing of a Masters in Sports Coaching and also a Bachelors in Coaching and Sports Development.

Joe Sheehan has expressed many times his plan for the club moving forward and how he aims to make Ipswich Town into a WSL club in the near future. Having Charlie on board is huge for the club, and is just another step towards achieving what Joe has planned. Given Charlie has already coached in the WSL, this is a big step forward for Joe’s vision and will really help the players achieve their potential.

Ipswich’s young Right Back, Maria Boswell, will know what to expect from Charlie as she was coached by him in the England Regional Development Programmes. Speaking to Maria briefly about her experience with Charlie, she was really happy he has joined the club.

Maria Boswell – “It’s great to have a coach like Charlie join the club, and after working with him previously at Regional Camps, I know how much every player in the team is going to benefit from his experience”

It shows how well respected Charlie has been in his past roles. Following the clubs announcement of the appointment, Birmingham City u14 player Amelie Curtis posted “You’re very lucky to have him. He’s brilliant”.

We’re really looking forward to seeing the girls back in action once the restrictions are lifted, even more so with Charlie joining us. We welcome him to the club and look forward to see what he brings.

Interview with Blue Wilson

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Since joining up with Joe Sheehan for the second time in her career, Town Midfielder Blue Wilson has been ever present in the Ipswich Midfield. Blue previously played under Joe during her time at the Essex RTC and joined up with him again last season when she joined Ipswich from Manchester City.

Not only has Blue cemented her place in the Town side, but also gets regular call ups to England Training Camps. Blue has recently become appointed the Player Ambassador at the club and helping lead the charge with the club’s True Blue membership, where fans can get benefits such as free entry to all Ipswich Town Women home games for a minimum cost of £5 a month.

Blue is currently on the road to returning from a spell on the sideline after picking up a nasty injury during an England Training Camp at the back end of last year. We caught up with her as she approaches a return to action.

Which footballer, men’s or women’s, would you love to play alongside?

Steven Gerrard, Thiago or Caroline Weir.

What team do you support?

You can probably tell from the previous question… Liverpool.

Who inspires you?

Jordan Henderson. Great leader and works incredibly hard, it makes a real difference to the Liverpool team when he isn’t playing.

Do you have any pre match rituals?

No I don’t, I normally just relax and make sure I have a lot of touches in the warm up. I try and boost my confidence as much as possible going into the game.

A footballing memory you’ll never forget?

Huddersfield away, FA Cup, 2019-20 season. 4-0 up in 20 minutes. Unbelievable!

Which team mate would you room share with on an away trip?

Emma Wallis, Rehab club sticks together

Which 4 team mates would you pick on your 5-a-side?

Paige Peake at the back, Peskett out wide, Kevin playing 10 pulling the strings and Lauren our physio playing up front – she has an unreal left foot.

Questions

Firstly, how is the injury?

I am definitely getting closer to being back on the pitch. My fitness is building back up and hopefully I should be back soon if Covid allows! The process has been more difficult because of the lockdowns but Lauren and Kevin have been great at supporting me remotely.

Another pause to the season, how does the team deal with the stopping and starting?

Although all of us would much rather be playing, collectively we try and use the time productively and move forwards to hit the ground running when the league does start again. Seeing the stop-starts as an opportunity to improve other elements of the game, I think, is crucial. We would not have had time to look at if lockdown hadn’t happened.

From a players perspective, and taking the current problem into account, what would you consider the best cause of action for the remainder of the season?

From a player’s perspective I think points per game seems a good option. From our point of view we would love there to be a result of this season and avoid another null and void result but some things are bigger than football. I think there are a lot of factors as players we don’t see, one thing is for sure I am not jealous of the people making the decisions! I’m sure the league will make the right decision considering the ever-changing circumstances.

This is your second season with the club, how have you found it so far?

I have loved it so far. Of course last season has been the highlight and was definitely the most exciting season of my footballing career. It had everything possible thrown in and to experience it all with a great group of people really topped it off. The squad and coaching team are fun to be around whilst having a balance of working hard to be a successful team, which hopefully, will continue in years to come.

You’ve recently been appointed the player ambassador, how did that come about? 

It was an idea that came about in the first lockdown when brainstorming how ITFC Women could get from Tier 4 to the WSL (4to1). I then approached the club with the True Blue proposal and they decided to back it! From there we set up the website and launched the scheme which has been a great success with so many fans buying into the vision.

How did the idea of True Blue come about?

Last season a group of players and staff met regularly to research further what it would take for a Tier 4 team to reach the WSL, these conversations sparked 4to1. From 4to1 True Blue was born after more  brainstorming and ideas in lockdown.

The club’s membership, True Blue, has had a good start with many fans signing up. That must be encouraging?

True Blue has been fantastic in terms of the support we have received from so many supporters. It’s really encouraging to know this is just the start and, hopefully, there will be lots more to come. It had been a really strong start, a great shame that there have not been many games to attend due to COVID-19.

What were the goals of setting up the True Blue membership? 

The main aim was to share the team’s vision and offer an opportunity for anyone to become part of the journey from Tier 4 to Tier 1. It has got the ball rolling and encouraged further thinking and ideas into how the 4to1 dream can be made possible.

How does the money from memberships help the club?

The money from memberships pays for staff such as a physio, strength and conditioning coach and technical coaches. It also helps on away trips to provide transport for players to venues further afield and occasionally overnight stays. The money from memberships is so crucial to allow us to continue being successful and striving for the 4to1 vision. As a whole we are hugely grateful for every penny received, it means we get to do what we love and build something which should be entertaining, inspiring and exciting to watch.

Are there plans for future events for True Blue members? When it’s safe to do so of course.

Yes. We can’t wait to welcome True Blue members back into the grounds when allowed to do so. There are definitely exciting prospects in the pipeline!.

How important is True Blue to the future and what the club has planned moving forward?

True Blues are so crucial to our plans moving forwards, the support we receive at games and on social media is unreal. We couldn’t ask for a better, more supportive fanbase. My aim of starting True Blue was to incorporate the fans into being part of the journey. We hope to make lots more history that we want to share with the people who support us most.

Are there plans for more initiatives and benefits for True Blue members?

We are always brainstorming ideas for True Blues, a lot of which will come into play when we restart matches. I think the addition of livestream access has been great, thanks to Kieren, Ross and Tom for their persistence!

How have you found the England camps you’ve been part of?

They’re a great environment showcasing the top talents in the country which is amazing to be a part of. They are normally intense but enjoyable and provide lots of opportunity to progress and develop as a player.

Does having players from the same club help when going on the England camps?

It’s great. It’s comforting to see familiar faces around camp, especially when there are so many of us. Proportionately we normally take over a quarter of the U19’s camps – the highest number of players from one club on camp. It shows how aspirational ITFC Women are as a club and has definitely turned a few heads.

How did you feel when we drew your former club Man City in the FA Cup last season?

I could not believe it to be honest. It took me 3 or 4 days to actually comprehend what it meant, a real shock. I was hoping we’d get a big team (preferably City) but wanted the game to be at home. Although we had so many fans travel up it almost felt like a home game!.

Did you catch up with any former team mates at Man City?

I know a few of them were watching in the stands. Emma Bissell who was in the U21 squad with me 2 years ago came on in the second half which was good to see. It was definitely a strange feeling going back!

You don’t usually stay overnight for away games. We did it twice last season with Huddersfield and City, how did you find the experience of having the overnight stay and preparing on match day?

It doesn’t really affect me that much, it’s definitely beneficial to not travel 3 hours + on the day of a game. It’s something I have got used to through England camps and doesn’t phase me now. It’s good fun to spend more time with the team than normal and chill in the hotel.

What personal goals have you set yourself for this season?

My goals have definitely changed from the start of the season! The main goal is to get back match fit without any recurring issues or injuries. I have just done my first session of non-contact training this week with the U21 Academy, so it’s looking good so far, but of course I am prepared for more hiccups.

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Pre Match Preview – AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town

Sunday 20th December – 2pm KO – No fans allowed.

True Blue members will receive an exclusive livestream of the game. Get signed up here https://www.itfcwomen.co.uk/true-blue.html

And just like that, we’re back to square one!. Unfortunately we won’t be attending this weekends League fixture as Ipswich head into London to face AFC Wimbledon due to the tier 3 restriction in the area. The club are looking to provide True Blue members with a stream of the game, but this depends if the ground can provide the facilities to make this happen such as internet ect.

This will be a tough fixture for the Tractor Girls, and Joe Sheehan’s side will most certainly be gunning for revenge after last season’s visit ended in Ipswich’s first loss of the season, and not forgetting THAT shocking refereeing display that was on show.

Pre-Match Chat –

Disappointment at the fact no one can attend this fixture, which Wimbledon will see as a big positive considering the good following Town usually attract!. This weeks FA Cup Draw which handed Ipswich with another away trip to Billericay has also caused conversation after most of Essex has been moved into tier 3 also!.

Team Talk –

Blue Wilson is on the road to recovery along with Emma Wallis, but this fixture will come too soon for them. Apart from them, Joe Sheehan has a fresh side to select from. Youngsters Maddie Biggs and Zoe Barratt both appeared in the 9-2 win at Harlow last weekend and will both be hoping to be part of the squad at Wimbledon given their recent goals in u21 games. Joe named a strong side at Harlow last weekend and would expect pretty much the same side to appear this Sunday too.

The Opposition –

Lets not be fooled by the table!. Wimbledon currently sit 6th in the league and have played 1 more game than Town, but this is one of the toughest teams we faced last season and were up there with us when the season was stopped.

Jessica Lewry and Katie Stanley currently sit as Wimbledon’s top scorers with 4 goals each this season in their opening 5 games. They also, just like Ipswich, have goals from all over the pitch and not just reliant on their strikers, so the Town defence will need to be on their toes to keep the Dons at bay.

Players To Watch –

Georgia Allen’s hat-trick at Harlow will have given the midfielder a massive boost after recovering from a knee injury at the start of the season. Anna Grey has attracted the attention of the fans with her recent performances and assists. And Sophie Peskett, who scored a brilliant goal at Harlow and has been pivotal in the Tractor Girls wins this season will certainly be looking to add to her goal tally.

Milestone –

Town Striker, Natasha Thomas, is 1 goal away from entering the 100 club. Her next goal will be her 100th Ipswich Town goal. The girl loves to see the net bulge!!.

From The Squad –

Town winger, Sophie Peskett, spoke to Media Manger Kieren Standley before this weekend’s meeting.

“We know it’s a big game and we’ve got to respect them a lot”

“We can’t underestimate anyone”

“Last year we were really disappointed with that result. We’ve been looking to get back at it and we’ll be looking to get back at them”