Blackpool FC Ladies have continued their strong start to the season, challenging at the top end of the Northwest Women’s Regional League (tier 6) as well as progressing through to the Quarter Finals of the Lancashire County Cup.
It has been a busy few months for the club, with league fixtures, FA Cup fixtures, League Cup fixtures, and County Cup fixtures coming thick and fast!
Andy Aspinall, Blackpool FC Ladies Manager,
“Our squad has been pushed to the limit over the last few months with a lot of injuries to various players and different positions. It has been very pleasing to see the girls all pull together to cover any gaps in the squad. The mindset of the players has improved, and it has been great to see girls playing in unfamiliar positions and still performing consistently well.
“The players are tactically much stronger and can understand the different roles and responsibilities of various positions. We are now training twice a week, so the girls are fitter and faster, and understand expectations of what we are looking for when we are in possession and out of possession. Credit goes to all the players for a huge effort already this season.”
Since narrowly avoiding relegation last season, the Seasiders have made huge improvements this season, currently sitting in second place in the league with two games in hand on the league leaders. A recent 3-1 win in the league over Haslingden Ladies was followed by a 15-1 win in the County Cup over Westbury Sports Club, with striker Worrall scoring hat-tricks in both games.
Andy Aspinall said,
“It is pleasing to have goals being scored from all over the pitch. In the recent game versus Westbury, we had ten different goal scorers! We want to be an attacking team with players who can all contribute in the final third. We have quite a growing fanbase, and we want to reward them with lots of goals.”
Key to Pool’s success this season has been a combination of youth and experience, with the core of the team comprising players in their early to mid-20s, plus a handful of younger girls who have added speed and athleticism to an already talented team. Blackpool FC’s girls and ladies’ junior teams have experienced rapid improvement over the last 12 months, with several teams competing in the Northwest Super League, the highest standard girls’ league in the Northwest.
In addition to this, Blackpool FC Community Trust operates an FA Girls’ Emerging Talent Centre, an elite female football programme funded by the FA and the Premier League for girls aged 9 to 16, aiming to develop players who can progress into the England Lionesses Youth Squads. Pleasingly, several girls in this programme are currently being observed by the England Lionesses, which bodes very well for the future of Blackpool FC Ladies.
Andy Aspinall said,
“We have searched the Northwest of England for the most talented players and are delighted with the standard of girls we have coming through the pathway. We believe that the current squad and the youth players coming through will be capable of taking Blackpool FC Ladies into much higher tiers in the football league. The future is very bright!”
