Loughborough Lightning Football Programme issue 12 by Loughborough University

FOOTBALL LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

FA WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURE SUN 13 MARCH 2022 KO 15:00 ESTABLISHED 1919

WHERE HISTORY BEGINS ISSUE 12

£2

CONTENTS 4

WELCOME FROM ISSY MARTINN

TODAY’S TEAMS

HOME FIXTURES

CHLOE YOUNG CAPTAIN

TODAYS OPPOSITION

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC DEVELOPMENT TEAM HOME FIXTURES

10 THE TEAM 11 MEET THE TEAM 12 SQUAD LIST 14 A BRIEF HISTORY 16 FIXTURES AND RESULTS

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

ISSY MATRIN

HEAD COACH Firstly, a warm Loughborough welcome to our visitors Wolves today. After two Sundays ‘off’ from National League action, the players are raring to go for todays fixture vs Wolves. The team’s momentum shift and fearless performances since the Christmas break have been remarkable. A run of 5 games unbeaten has given the group a reward for all their hard work and lifted us out of the relegation zone. We know there is along way to go with many tests left to face to secure ourselves a spot in Tier 3 for next season. Today will be one of those tests; Wolves are one of the strongest teams in the league. Loughborough Alumni Amber Hughes will be tough to contain as probably Wolves biggest threat. However with the fight shown against the likes of Derby, we’ll be keen to reproduce such team performances today to come away with more points on the board.

Thanks again to all our supporters following our journey this season, your encouragement as our “12th player” is greatly valued! Issy Martin Head Coach

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

TODAY’S TEAMS LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC KIYA WEBB

HOLLY MAYFIELD

EMILY SHARPE

HARRIET PETLY

KATRENA MORRISON

GRACE LOWE

ABBEY HATELEY

WOLVES 01

SHANNON TURNER

LAURA COOPER

REFEREE: GUY THROWER

NATALIE WIDDAL

ANNA PRICE

AR JAMES JOHNSON AR DYLAN COX

EMMA CROSS

MARIE GAUNTLETT

TAMMI GEORGE

LAUREN TAFT

SHANNIE JENNINGS

CHLOE YOUNG

JADE CROSS

MELISSA TURTON BURRELL

AMBER HUGHES

NATALIE TAYLOR

KATE EVANS

ROSTTA TAYLOR

REBECCA THOMAS

ELLA POWELL

AMY DICKEN

EM GUNN

KELLY DARBY

ANNA RENKEN

SUMMER HOLMES

LAURA STEELE

ANNA MORPHET

BETH BURGESS

ALISHA MILLER

ABBIE BENSTED

LOWRI WALKER

NICKI RUSSELL

HELEN DERMODY

ELLIE BUTLER

LEONIE JOYCE

RIA ELSMORE

HAYLEY HOARE

BETHAN MERRICK

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC 2021/2022 SEASON

HOME FIXTURES

DATE

TIME

OPPONENTS

RESULTS 2-2 DRAW

SUN 15/08/2021

KO 14:00

HULL

SUN 22/08/2021

KO 14:00

SHEFFIELD FC

3-0 WIN

SUN 29/08/2021

KO 14:00

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN AFC

1-5 LOSS

SUN 05/09/2021

KO 14:00

STOKE CITY FC

1-5 LOSS

SUN 12/09/2021

KO 14:00

DONCASTER ROVER BELLES

2-1 WIN

THUR 07/10/2021

KO 19:45

DERBY COUNTY FC

0-3 LOSS

SUN 10/10/2021

KO 14:00

MIDDLESBOROUGH WFC

1-2 LOSS

SAT 19/12/2021

KO 14:00

HUDDERSFIELD

3-1 LOSS

SUN 30/01/2022

KO 14:00

BRIGHOUSE

5-4 WIN

SUN 13/02/2022

KO 14:00

WEST BROM

2-1 WIN

SUN 13/03/2022

KO 15:00

WOLVES

THUR 31/03/2022

KO 19:45

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

SUN 01/05/2022

KO 14:00

FYLDE

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

CHLOE YOUNG

CAPTAIN 5 unbeaten and full of confidence. Since the return at Christmas, everything just seems to have clicked with this team. We know that the hard work isn’t done yet and we have many big games ahead but the grit, hard work and performances we’ve shown over the last 5 games is a testament to the progress we have made. Derby was a tough game, physical and difficult weather conditions. We stuck to our task and frustrated our opponents, something we have learnt to get better at as a group. A good point against a team near the top of the table, it’s another step towards where we want to be. We have another tough test today against Wolves but we have learnt how to play different scenarios that we experience so we are ready for the fight. We always feel confident playing at home, the stadium pitch gives us the opportunity to play the football we continue to practice and want to show each week. The support we’ve had over recent months can’t go unnoticed, thank you to everyone that

has been to watch, it really does make a difference.

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

TODAYS OPPOSITION

WOLVES

After entering a new era of closer than ever integration with parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, the Wolves Women’s team are now playing in what is their sixth decade of competitive football. Formed in 1975 as Heathfield Rovers, initially as a West Midlands League second division club, they later became Wolverhampton & Wednesbury Tube and then Wolverhampton Ladies before taking the name Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1993. That final name switch was a good omen as the1993/94 season saw them promoted to the Premier League – which was then the top flight of the English women’s game – where they spent two seasons before relegation. In 1999 the club was incorporated under the Companies Act with several influential business people joining the board, among them BBC presenter Jenny Wilkes (Chair) and former England Women’s cricket team captain Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint. The club evolved a strong youth development programme, several players going on to become senior internationals – Rachel Unitt, Jody Handley and Emily Westwood for England, Kerrie Manley for Wales and Amy McCann for

Northern Ireland Aston Villa’s European Cup-winning captain Dennis Mortimer was appointed manager in 2000 and led the team for three years, narrowly missing out on promotion. In a landmark move in the 2008/09 season the women’s section was taken on board by Wolverhampton Wanderers FC as part of Wolves Community Trust. Recent seasons have seen the club promoted and relegated twice, managers James Astle and Tim Dudding both leading successful promotion campaigns. At junior level the club was awarded a new FA Girls’ Regional Talent Club license in 2016, supporting the identification and development of players with elite potential as part of the England Talent Pathway. Encouragingly, the RTC has seen some talented young players moving through the ranks and making their mark at senior level. Current first team manager Dan McNamara took over at the beginning of 2018 after a poor start to the season and led the battle to avoid the drop, but after a hardfought campaign relegation was confirmed – agonisingly on goal difference. There was further disappointment in the following two seasons, firstly as McNamara’s team finished runners-up and so missed out on

promotion and then, agonisingly in 2019/20, having promotion snatched away as they had all but clinched top place when the season was null and voided due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last term looked like déjà vu as once again, Wolves were riding high only to have another pandemic-enforced end to the campaign. But a deserved promotion was eventually achieved via the FA’s ‘upward movement’ initiative, so ending the team’s three-year break from the National League Northern Premier Division. Onwards and upwards is now the aim as McNamara and his side make the most of benefits derived from the solid support of their parent club. The women’s set-up has become part of the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Academy for the first time, while Jenna Burke-Martin has become the first ever full-time member of staff as head of Women’s and Girls’ Football. These progressive moves have dovetailed with the sharing of the men’s Premier League team’s top class Compton training ground facilities – including sports science, analysis and physiotherapy – as part of Wolves’ ‘one club’ ethos.

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC DEVELOPMENT 2021/2022 SEASON

HOME FIXTURES

DATE

TIME

OPPONENTS

RESULTS

SUN 05/09/2021

KO 14:00

WOLVES RESERVES

7-2 LOSS

SUN 12/09/2021

KO 14:00

SPORTING KHALSA WOMEN DEVELOPMENT

6-0 WIN

SUN 26/09/2021

KO 14:00

BEDWORTH UNITED FC LADIES DEVELOPMENT

22-0 WIN

SUN 24/10/2021

KO 14:00

STOKE CITY FC (WOMEN) RESERVES

4-0 WIN

SUN 31/10/2021

KO 14:00

LEICESTER CITY WOMEN FC RESERVES

4-0 WIN

SUN 28/11/2021

KO 14:00

SOLIHULL MOORS WOMENS DEVELOPMENT

8-2 WIN

SUN 09/01/2022

KO 14:00

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS WFC RESERVES

2-1 LOSS

SUN 16/01/2022

KO 14:00

DONCASTER ROVERS BELLES

1-0 WIN

SUN 27/02/2022

KO 14:00

LINCOLN CITY WOMEN FC RESERVES

4-2 WIN

SUN 20/03/2022

KO 14:00

WEST BROMWICH ALBION LFC RESERVE

SUN 10/04/2022

KO 14:00

NOTTINGHAM FOREST WOMEN F.C. RESERVES

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC

THE TEAM

ISSY MARTIN Head Coach

GARY HASLEY GK Coach

KEVIN LOCK

CIAN WARREN Sports Therapist

RICH ALLEN

Assistant Coach

GEORGIA BRADFORD Sports Science

LOIS GEORGE

Football Operations Support Coordinator

MEET THE TEAM

ELLA POWELL BIRTHDAY

21/07/2003 FOOTBALL CAREER TO DATE

LEICESTER CITY RTC, BIRMINGHAM CITY WOMEN AMBITION

TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?

LOUGHBOROUGH

FAVOURITE FOOTBALL TEAM?

LEICESTER CITY INTERESTING FACT

MADE MY FIRST TEAM DEBUT FOR BIRMINGHAM CITY AT THE AGE OF 16 JOB OR UNI COURSE

HOLLAND AND BARRETT AND APPLIED SPORTS SCIENCE WITH MANAGEMENT

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC

SQUAD LIST GOALKEEPERS

HOLLY MAYFIELD

KIYA WEBB

DEFENDERS

EMILY SHARPE

HARRIET PETLEY

GRACE LOWE

LAUREN TAFT

KATRENA MORRISON

MIDFIELDERS

ABBEY HATELEY

JESSICA RICHARDSON

BETH BURGESS

CHLOE YOUNG

ELLA POWELL

ABBIE BENSTED

MELISSA TURTONBURRELL

NATALIE TAYLOR

ROSETTA TAYLOR

FORWARDS

NICKI RUSSELL

ANNA RENKEN

EM GUNN

LAURA STEELE

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING FC

A BRIEF HISTORY

LOUGHBOROUGH FOXES Gail and Paul Fox founded Loughborough Foxes in 1999, known then as Shepshed Foxes until 2002. For their first 15 years, Foxes played in local leagues, before being promoted to the FA Women’s Northern Premier Division (the 3rd ranked tier of women’s football) in 2015. After the first season they suffered relegation but managed a promotion in 2018 to return to this tier. Winning this Midlands Division One title was actually a club record for Foxes, winning 22 games and drawing just 1.

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY PERFORMANCE TEAM Loughborough Students Women’s Football Club offers many competitive opportunities. The performance team compete in the British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Northern Premier League. When possible, players are also supported to play “external football” alongside the programme, most notably with our partner Loughborough Foxes (Tier 3), but also other Tier 3 and Championship clubs. Each year Loughborough University invests a million pounds in performance sport, and a million pounds in facilities. Thanks to this investment, Director of Football Richard Allen is able to lead a professional programme of coaching and support.

As a first team performance squad member you will receive expert coaching, access to our world class facilities, heavily discounted Powerbase gym membership, strength and conditioning training, nutrition, sports science and sports medicine support. Within the programme players also have access to Performance Lifestyle support and our top athletes can apply for scholarships.

MERGING/ LIGHTNING LAUNCH The University’s performance team and the Loughborough Foxes have officially combined to launch a new Lightning programme that will compete nationally against some of the biggest names in the sport. The clubs have worked in close collaboration for a number of years now with Head Coach Issy Martin overseeing both programmes since her appointment at the University in September 2019.

Lightning will compete in the FA Northern Premier League where it will face teams including Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, and West Bromwich Albion.