MFC Ladies
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| Full name | Middlesbrough Football Club Ladies | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Boro | ||
| Ground | Teesdale Park, Thornaby | ||
| Manager | Lindsey Stephenson | ||
| League | FA Premier League Northern | ||
| 10th | |||
| Website | Club home page | ||
|
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Middlesbrough Football Club Ladies are the women's side of Middlesbrough FC. They play their games in the FA Premier Division 1 with home games played at Thornaby's Teesdale Park ground.[1]
The club has close links with Middlesbrough College[2] who are the team's away sponsors this season and also Teesside University. Over the last couple of seasons the team has been able to attract support from Sarah Borwell, Comedian Patrick Monahan and also Jason Steele (footballer) [3] .[4][5]
Middlesbrough Ladies FC have been around since the late seventies but it wasn't until recent times that Middlesbrough FC gave the side their support to the ladies side.
In 2001–02, Middlesbrough carried off the Northern Combination title for the first time and were promoted to the Northern Division of the Premier League, where they remained for four seasons. Since being back at Combination level, their best season came in 2010–11 when they finished third. Last season saw Sammie Leigh's[6] managed team finish mid-table.
Lindsey Stephenson is currently in her first season in charge of the team and a football coach. She has over ten years experience in the women's game. Previous to Sammie, Middlesbrough Ladies manager was UEFA A qualified, Middlesbrough born, Gemma Grainger who progressed to work with the national England Women's set-up for The Football Association as U20's assistant coach .
Marrie Wieczorek was welcomed back as chairman of the side for the 2014/2015 season [7]
Jenni Duffy[8] is captain of the side and is a sports coach and plays left back/centre midfield and Sarah Manning[9] is the longest serving member of the current team who has been at the club since joining as a youngster back in 1997. Sarah is a determined, strong and tall player with a fantastic ability to control midfield.
Sarah first joined Middlesbrough Ladies FC at age 13 but wasn't allowed to play until reaching 14 years old due to the FA rules that were in place. Marrie Wieczorek – Boro Ladies' long serving manager – saw her play at Boldon Girls FC and invited her to go training. Sarah made her debut for the first team just before her 16th birthday and once completing her undergraduate degree at Liverpool John Moores University, Sarah returned home and rejoined in 2008. A year later she was made captain!
A strengthened team for this season meant several new faces for the Boro as the squad almost doubled in since allowing the team different options and true competition for the players place in the squad for the first time.[10] Norton and Stockton Ancients are a neighbouring team to Middlesbrough Ladies and compete in the same league this season for the first time following their double promotion and new structure of the women's leagues.
The team will face Kader as part of this years Semi Final Draw of the North Riding Cup in a repeat of last years fixture where the team won 6–0 to reach the final against York. The winning team from the match on Sun 15 February 2015 will play either Fishburn or Stokesley as York are no longer in the competition.
References
- ↑ Thornaby F.C.
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/articles/140925-mbrocollege.html
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/articles/140206_sarahborwell.html
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/articles/140124_patrick.html
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/articles/140219_becks_rockliffe.html
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/1415squad/sammie_leigh.html
- ↑ http://www.mfcladies.co.uk/articles/140818_marrie.html
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/1415squad/jenni_duffy.html/
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/1415squad/sarah_manning.html
- ↑ http://mfcladies.co.uk/team.html