This coming Sunday, 3rd September, sees all ten teams in the Greater London Women's Football League (GLWFL) Premier Division start their league campaigns. Games mostly kick off at 2pm on Sundays, the opening day's fixture are as follows:
Comets (Putney) VS Regents Park Rangers
Headstone Manor (Harrow) VS Hammersmith
Islington Borough VS Camden Town
Leyton Orient VS Richmond & Kew
Tooting Bec VS London Academicals (UCL team who play at Clapham)
The website has new links and a menu page (Click on the three horizontal lines to navigate around).
As usual, go to LOFCwomen.com for as much info, facts and figures as we can find plus a little bit of history about Richmond & Kew I'm hoping for a team sheet before kick off on Sunday. You'll also find some info about getting to the ground at Buckhurst Hill. Enjoy!
The official website has announced the Women's FA cup round against Cheshunt on 10th September will be played at Brisbane Road. I guess that answers the question whether or not our ladies will get access to our stadium when it is available. That's excellent news for us and I'm sure the Cheshunt team will be dead chuffed to be playing there. Kick off is at 2pm and entrance is free. You know what to do....
Stop press... Today features a video with Development Officer Olivia Worsfield and last season's top scorer Jordan Feldman talk about the build up to the big game.
First game of the new season today. A 2pm kick off in the Greater London Premier Division at Myrak Park, Buckhurst Hill against last season's mid-table finishing Richmond and Kew.
It's a nice day for it and maybe it'll help drive away yesterday's blues! if you go, take a few pics and send them in here or to info@lofcwomen.com.
2 mins: Bates takes a shot at goal and finds the bar. The O’s are straight on the attack. 8 mins: The O’s have another shot on target but the opposition keeper saves the shot. 13 mins: Bates takes another shot at goal but the keeper gets her finger tips to it. 25 mins: O’s captain, Grace Alexander, clears the ball off the line from a Richmond and Kew shot. 34 mins: GOAL!!! Leanne Bates scores from the penalty spot. 1-0 40 mins: There is a break in play due to an Orient player down. 45 mins: GOAL!!! SHONA SCORES FROM THE HALF WAY LINE!!! The O’s are two goals up just ahead of the break! Half Time: Goals from Shona Samuriwo and Leanne Bates see the O’s two goals up. 46 mins: Richmond and Kew get the 2nd half under way.
All the Premier Division results are now in. View them at lofcwomen.com
The updated league table is also there (we're equal second). We'll be in that position for two weeks now, next week sees the first round of the Women's FA Cup and we're at home at Brisbane Road on Sunday 10th September (Kick of at 2pm) against Cheshunt. More about that later.
We have some quotes from both players and staff arising from yesterday's 2-0 opening day win against Richmond and Kew. It appears our striker Leanne Bates got a nasty injury and needed to go to hospital to get things checked over. The GLWFL operate an ice-hockey style "sin bin" system which saw the Richmond keeper suspended from the game. I'm guessing that, Leanne's injury and Shona's 40 yarder were all connected.
We have comments from: Louise Roberts, Chief official from the Richmond and Kew women's team, Grace Alexander our team captain, Danny Martin the head women's team coach, Shona "Shosho" Chitate with her contender for goal-of-the-season and an update from the club about Leanne Bates.
l think it's also true that 8ft high by 8 yards wide goals are not designed with the average female height in mind. Golf clubs, tennis racquets, shot puts, bowling balls etc., are all available at different scales - but not goal posts.
Perhaps a little light relief is in order. Here's a short YouTube clip of our own Grace Alexander and Katie Hunt at a recent interview at the Myrak Park ground in Buckhurst Hill, they get to talk briefly about the pre-season and the link with Buckhurst Hill F.C.
A preview of Sunday's 1st round of the women's FA cup match against Cheshunt Ladies
Much to the delight of everyone, the game on Sunday 10th September will be played in the stadium at Brisbane Road. The kick-off is at 2pm, entrance (west stand) is free.
Currently there's no news about star striker Leanne Bates who needed hospital treatment after a clash whilst playing last Sunday's season opener against league opponents Richmond & Kew. Here's hoping she will be able to play on the hallowed (and semi synthetic) turf at Brisbane Road. That game ended in a 2-0 win for the Os who start the season with 3 points and a clean sheet.
We have invited the Cheshunt FC people to add their comments about Sunday's game but, as yet, we've not heard from them. The best info we have is from a Youtube video from a few months ago when they played fellow Eastern Region side St. Ives and lost 5-3. Video link is below. It may give an idea as to the general ability level achieved by the ladies in yellow.
For more news, views and details, check out the latest news etc., at: lofcwomen.com
There's a national scheme behind the FA's women's football pyramid called 'Junior Premier League', known as the JPL. The JPL is the top national organisation which administers the biggest of the girl's football leagues for teams of Under 18s, Under 16s, 14s and 12s. Leyton Orient have joined the JPL by entering a team of U18s who start their season today (Sat 9th Sept) with an away match against Hayward's Heath. LOFC have appointed a specialist coaching crew for the U18 side headed up by David Madell ('X' name is @madell_david). A few of the youngsters have spent time training during the off season with LOFC Women's first team and, as head coach Danny Martin put it.... "Best of luck to our new u18s JPL squad who start their season today. This is a very talented squad which has seen 2-3 players already get involved with our @lofcwomen pre season games." Clearly, we already have a budding supply line of youngsters heading for the first team. However, so does nearly every other EFL club so we're not leading the way - but we are in there with the best of them.
Here's David and the girls. Sorry I don't have names yet.
The JPL exists for boys teams as well. The main criteria is facilities as that's a key ingredient in improving players abilities. You wouldn't just put any team in as you will get ripped to shreds and that's pointless.
I tried to get my team in this season, but the club was too late in its submission, but the amount of players who wanted to play for me cos of it was unreal and I never advertised it either, just word of mouth got out.
We actually played a semi pro club in the National League and whilst we lost - just - you would have been hard pressed to know who was attached a semi pro club or just a kids club.
Next season that's where I want my team to be.
So in closing it good for the girls, it's going to be good facilities, good coaches as you have to be a minimum UEFA C, surrounded by like minded people who want to develop, improve and do well.
This is a big positive and I'm impressed this is what we are doing. Good luck to all the girls and I hope it proves progressive for you all.
Leyton Orient Women play their first ever FA Cup tie today.
Arising from the LOFC Women's promotion to the Greater London Women's Football League (GLWFL) Premier league, they now get to participate in the biggest national cup competition - The Women's FA Cup. Today's first round match up is against Cheshunt Women from the Eastern Counties league, one tier above the O's. The higher league team would normally start as favourites but it is doubtful that the various regional leagues can be compared to each other as can be done in the EFL. We'll see later today.
The match will kick off at 2pm and will be played at Brisbane Road on the famed hybrid playing surface - probably the best stadium and pitch combination of all the hundreds of women's games being played up and down the country. The Justin Edinburgh stand will be open via the main entrance and admission is free.
You know what's coming next..... Go along, with family and friends if you can, have fun and give support to the ladies who work so hard to achieve top fitness and high quality playing skills. If you do, why not send us a report of your day at the O's women - mail at info@lofcwomen.com It would be great to hear from you.
Here's Shona Chitate Samuriwo (famed for her 40 yarder last week) explaining what it means to the ladies to see you at the match.....
Leyton Orient Women vs Cheshunt Women. FA Cup 1st qualifying round
The good news is that Leanne Bates is fit to take her place in the starting line-up after suffering a heavy impact last Sunday in the opening day 2-0 victory against Richmond and Kew at the Myrak in buckhurst Hill. However, there's no sign of last season's top scorer Jordan Feldman. It looks loike a very strong bench for today's match against the side who play in the Eastern Counties league. Liliana Almeida steps from the bench to a starting berth as Madelene Wright moves onto the subs list.
Live updates on lofcwomen.com if we can find a feed.
