ACraig
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7-Feb-2008
11:52 PM
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Bangor Ladies Training Starts February 17th
ENGLISH SET TO
VISIT ULSTER
The Irish Football Association has confirmed the visit to Belfast of top ten FIFA World ranked side England Ladies, who will face Northern Ireland in a 2009 European Championship Qualifier in early March.
Ladies football continues to enjoy a meteoric rise in popularity, with the numbers of players competing in affiliated clubs and cup competitions soaring above 133,000. A relevant study has proved that a staggering 1.5 million females under the age of 15 have played some form of football in the past 12 months, confirming the sport as the fastest growing sport on the planet.
The cross channel visitors will be packed with some of the most talented and well known women footballers, bringing with them, among others, Kelly Smith and Faye White of English double winners Arsenal. The English team enjoyed creditable success in the Women's World Cup held in China last September, reaching the quarter finals of the tournament.
Bangor F.C. promoting Ladies Football
In contrast Northern Ireland are currently ranked in the top 80s after a recent disappointing run of international results. The side will obviously start this eagerly awaited fixture as huge underdogs, although the NIWFA, the sports governing body will be hoping that with a sizeable local support and recent history favouring the home side, the ladies can emulate the unbelievable success of David Healy and co. over their English counterparts. Before the English Northern Ireland are away to Spain in Madrid in a important Euro Qualifier next week.
The womens annual football season will then be getting under way in April, with over fifty senior teams, spread geographically across the length and breath of the Province, returning to action for another six months of competitive ladies football.
Bangor Ladies, the only local ladies football club to be affiliated to an Irish League side, are pleased to be receiving the support of League side Bangor Football Club under the guidance of chairman Trevor Best. The Seasiders are looking forward to playing their home games at the Carnegie Irish League sides base - Clandeboye Park.
The Seasiders will be returning to training in just over a fortnight on Sunday 17th February, the seniors starting their preparations for the young sides second season in the NIWFA.
The ladies will be looking forward to starting their Intermediate ‘B’ divisional campaign in April, as the only ladies football club representing the Borough of North Down and with a full compliment of registered players.
Plans are in place where the club will be playing a few tough warm up games in early March. While the results here are not significant, it will give the side the opportunity to participate in some competitive football and improve some key match sharpness.
All players will get the opportunity to feature in this series pre season games before the Club’s management will be flying out to Reykjavik to renew their relationship with Icelandic Premier side Fylkir.
However, with a few welcome additions to the squad, the Seasiders have a reasonably stable foundation on which to start their pre-season schedule, providing their new ‘keeper can stay reasonably healthy over the summer campaign.
The club have currently 18 registered seniors, under the management of Andy Craig. Affiliation to the Bangor side only costs £10, and new and old players will be welcome to train with the side. The first session will take place at The Valentine Playing Fields on February 17.
Incidently Bangor Ladies are one of the few clubs in Northern Ireland who have an active website, where you can keep up to date with league tables, the latest results and numerous photo’s from across the whole Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association network.
England - World Cup Quarter Finalists - in Belfast in March
Last Edited on 8-Feb-2008 9:05 AM
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