Ladies football first for Drogheda Town

LAST Saturday afternoon Blackstone Motors Marian Park saw a little bit of history made as Drogheda Town held training sessions for their first ever female teams.

The club has started a Girls Under-8 side and a senior women’s team who will contest the forthcoming NEFL Women’s League.

The man behind the new teams is Philip O’Connor, who has been involved in the club for the last decade. Supported by the board, he has lobbied for a women’s team and his hard work came to fruition on Saturday.

‘We’ve never had a women’s team in the club and I just felt that with the focus on women’s football both nationally and internationally and the size of the town and surrounding area, there had to be a be an interest,’ began O’Connor.

‘While Albion Rovers have a senior ladies team, this will be the first team in the town, if not the first team ever then certainly the first in a long time.

‘I know Grove Rangers had a girls team some years ago, but I can’t think of any senior ladies in recent memory, so we will be a unique club in that respect.’

So far they have 16 players who have committed to the squad for the 2020 season and O’Connor is hoping to boost that number before the season is due to start - it is pencilled in for March 23rd.

The short turnaround will help focus players, believes O’Connor, as they look to arrange friendlies and gell as a team.

‘I think if we had a longer wait things might be a bit more relaxed, but the fact we know the season is starting soon will focus us,’ he said.

The club will have a slightly continental feel as former semipro player Sara Terricabres Polo, who hails from Barcelona where she played in Spain’s Preferene league, has agreed to play and coach their underage and senior teams.

‘Sara came up to the club one day and walked in to enquire about where she could play football.

‘This was at a time when we were talking about the women’s team, so she was delighted to help us coach and play.’

While the club are starting with two teams, O’Connor says the plan over the next five to six years will be to start filling in the gaps in age groups, and this is a long-term project which the Drogheda native is keen to push forward.

While the club held their first training session on Saturday, O’Connor says that they will move to Wednesdays between 9 and 10pm as that seems to be the preferred time for players.

‘We’ll have training on a Wednesday night and games will be on a Monday night,’ he explained.

Not only has O’Connor gotten support from the board, but Blackstone Motors are also sponsoring the team. Anyone interested in joining up is asked to contact Philip directly on 0861506784.