Palace Women v Bristol City matchday programme 2223 publication

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Anna FILBEY

Jamie

Aimee EVERETT Impact Sponsorship

Rianna DEAN Alan Dean

Annabel BLANCHARD Eagle Eye View

Kirsten REILLY Andy Davis

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Leigh NICOL The Brand Masters London Ltd

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Fran KITCHING (GK)

Natalia NEGRI (GK)

Hope SMITH (GK)

CPFC USA

Grubb

Good afternoon, and welcome back to Hayes Lane for today’s Women’s Championship fixture against title contenders Bristol City.

I’d like to welcome Bristol City’s players, staff and supporters, and hope they have safe journey back to the South West after the game. Well, what a difference four weeks can make in football!

Confidence is high once again within the group after we gained our second consecutive win last week against Sheffield United.

Although it was not our greatest performance, I was impressed with the way we persisted and went on to win the game, with two fantastic goals by Hollie Olding and Coral Haines. Both goals were high in quality and worthy winners of any football match, and I was really pleased for both the players on the pitch, and the squad as a whole.

you

fans who braved the bitterly cold weather at Hayes Lane last week! You really all did help to push the team push towards our win

League Cup – we will need to be at our best if we are to get anything out of the game.

Today’s game against Bristol City will once again be a tough encounter. The visitors are second in the Championship table and, after already losing twice to them earlier this season – once in the league and once in the manager

‘At our best’ means starting on the front foot. It means forgetting past games, and it means having that belief that we can get something out of the game by sticking to our gameplan.

Lastly, a massive thank you to all the fans who braved the bitterly cold weather at Hayes Lane last week! You really all did help to push the team push towards our win. The noise you generated was fantastic – and will be muchneeded again this afternoon. Enjoy the game! Dean .

a massive thank

to all the

cpfc women cpfc women

Crystal Palace Women broke club records in 2021/22, and are looking to do the same this season. In each edition, we hear directly from one of the squad, with Natalia Negri reflecting on a first six months at Crystal Palace and a first taste of international duty.

Natalia negri

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Growing up as an outfield player, Negri is confident with her feet and more than happy to round an onrushing attacker under immense pressure.

I joined Palace at the beginning of the season, after spending the last six months on loan at Charlton. I was at Arsenal from 2013-17, but I joined Charlton at Christmas last year.

Moving from north London to south London was a big change. I’m still young, but I had to move out because the travel was just too far. It was an hour and 45 minutes every day, which was too much. But moving out has been a good experience: I’ve moved in with a teammate which is nice and I’ve got a lot more independence now.

It was actually quite good knowing there were a lot of other new players coming in at the same time. It made me feel like I wasn’t the only ‘new kid on the block,’ per se. It was nice having a lot of new players together all at once and being amongst some familiar faces. I knew a few of the new signings from my time at Charlton, so it was great to have a few familiar faces around amidst all the new signings. .

Fran Kitching, another new goalkeeper, also joined at the same time so it didn’t feel like there was a set goalkeeper when I came in. It was nice to get to know someone who was in the same position as me, and

we started at the exact same time. We’ve been on the same wavelength ever since.

As a goalkeeper, I would say I’m quite good with my feet. I have quick feet and I like to use a few different skills when strikers are coming at me in training. It probably helped that I played outfield when I was younger. It meant I gained quite a lot of confidence, and when I have the ball at my feet with players coming at me I like to take them on.

This season has been quite up and down for us. We’ve been at the top of the league, we’ve dropped and it’s been very back and forth. Some days we turn up to games and we look unbeatable, other days we turn up and we don’t quite stick to our process as much. We’re definitely working towards a certain way of playing and now it’s just about all the players trusting the coaches and each other. It’s also about making sure that we’re not just outcome focused, we’re trying to make sure that we’re developing as a team for next season. Nothing comes in a few months.

In the summer just before joining Palace, I was with England Under19s as part of the UEFA Women’s Under-19 European Championships, which was in the Czech Republic. That was probably my best experience of my career so far. I was playing up an age group, which not a lot of people get the opportunity to do. That was the last major tournament I was at, so hopefully we can get there this year.

I absolutely love playing for England. It’s a very different environment to club football, but it’s nice because you get different

opinions from coaches and you get different types of coaching. I love being a part of an England camp, it’s one of my favourite things to do.

Structurally it’s different as you’re almost working towards a set month at international level. For example, we’re now working towards the 2022 UEFA Women’s

Under-19 European Championships, so we have camps leading up to it, whereas at club level you’re working towards every weekend. I didn’t get the opportunity to play in the finals, but it was nice to be in the environment, getting the experience and being exposed to tournament football.

Being a young player, it’s hard to be in an environment where you’re not playing as much as everyone else, either domestically or internationally, but you know that you’re young and you’ve got a long career ahead of you. You have to slowly get used to the environment you’re in. Being a professional footballer is not an easy job to do –you need to have the right mindset and trust in the process.

Some days we turn up to games and we look unbeatable, other days we turn up and we don’t quite stick to our process as much

You have to slowly get used to the environment you’re in. being a professional footballer is not an easy job to do

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.

Encouraging and rewarding people to live healthier lives is at the heart of what we do.

We partner with sports people, teams and communities to inspire more people to get physically active and enjoy the benefits of healthy living.

Taking small steps today can dramatically improve your wellbeing tomorrow, adding more life to your years. And, it’s never too late to start.

Visit vitality.co.uk for support on starting your wellbeing journey and to find out more on how Vitality rewards its members for being active.

Sport is our passion, making people healthier is our purpose.

Crystal palace f.c.

Fran KITCHING (GK)

Annabel JOHNSON

Fliss GIBBONS

Chloe ARTHUR

Anna FILBEY

Aimee EVERETT

Molly SHARPE

Rianna DEAN

Annabel BLANCHARD

Kirsten REILLY

Lizzie WALDIE

Natalia NEGRI (GK)

Hollie OLDING

Ellie NOBEL

Issy SIBLEY

Elise HUGHES

Polly DORAN

Shauna GUYATT

Hope SMITH (GK)

Coral HAINES

Leigh NICOL

bristol city f.c.

Elysia BODDY

Brooke ASPIN

Emily SYME

Fran BENTLEY

Jaz BULL

Lia CATALDO

Shania HAYLES

Vicky BRUCE

Chloe MUSTAKI

Erin FOLEY

Lily GREENSLADE

Abi HARRISON

Liv CLARK

Jodie HUTTON

Naomi LAYZELL

Ffion MORGAN

Tianna TIESAR

Chloe BULL

Aimee PALMER

Ella POWELL

Maddie WILDE

Jess WOOLLEY

Gracie PEARSE

Grace CLINTON

Rachel FURNESS

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