Words: Matt Fletcher-Jones @iammfj
Images: Mac Morgan @mac–morgan–70
NEWPORT CITY RISING
WOMEN’S
Location: Newport, Wales
Matt Fletcher-Jones travels to South Wales to meet Newport City Ladies coach Phil Butler - a magnanimous manager on a mission to take his club to the Premier League. Spytty Park, Newport, South Wales. Home to big Tesco, Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales, Dragon Park the FAW’s Development Centre, and Newport City FC. The location of Newport City’s home ground is prescient to their women’s team’s coach and founder Phil Butler. The FAW’s Development Centre is where in 2009 Phil took his UEFA C Licence under the tutelage of a young Development Officer by the name of James Rowberry. As we speak thirteen years later, Phil is manager of the only women’s team in the city, while a few miles away Rowberry has become Newport County’s new manager in EFL League Two. County themselves used to play “down Spytty” when they were battling their way back into the Football League, having been relegated and gone out of business in the late ’80s. Phil and Newport City Ladies share the same fighting spirit. As Phil explains, despite having their home
