Anja’s hoping for ‘home comforts’
United host Saints on ‘Women and Girls Day’
Maidenhead United Women return to York Road this weekend for their FA Women’s National League Division 1 South West fixture with high-flying Southampton Women’s FC, with teenage midfielder Anja Harper and her team-mates hoping to enjoy some home-comforts as the club host their annual ‘Women & Girls Day’.
The Magpies last two home matches were switched to Slough Town and Burnham FC respectively due to concerns regarding the effect of inclement weather on the York Road surface and Anja – one of 12 teenagers to feature for the Magpies this season – admits that the familiarity of York Road is a boost for her and her teammates:
“York Road feels like home and it brings a sense of comfort that playing away or at other home venues doesn’t,” she said.
“It also brings a lot of support and I love playing in front of the Maidenhead stands with people yelling! I am less keen on our other ‘home’ venues because it feels like we’re playing at an away venue and it doesn’t bring those same ‘home advantage’ aspects.”
Anja is hoping to have some strong personal support on Sunday too. “I’m hoping to have family down and my sponsor too, which will be amazing!.”
Anja and her team now look well-placed to retain their status at tier four of the women’s football pyramid after a strong second half of the campaign, and Harper – who won the October ‘Football In Berkshire Goal of the Month’ award for her rocket at Woodley United on debut explains: “This season we have been the underdogs and I absolutely love it! We basically started from a clean slate and the team bonding, performance levels, coaching levels
and sense of family has sky-rocketed since September. We’ve had ups and downs but the way we’ve articulated ourselves in training, after wins and losses has been incredible. Now we’re holding big teams to a very close game.”
The match against eight-time Women’s FA Cup winners Southampton Women’s FC represents another encounter against one of the division’s ‘big’ teams.
Gates at York Road open at 11:30am for the 2pm kick off.
Admission is free for all spectators and there will be plenty of events going on to keep the family entertained, with face painting, football taster sessions, crossbar challenges, prize draws and meetand-greet with the players all planned.
The Magpies will also be producing a bumper match day programme as a souvenir of the day, available at the York Road turnstiles for a minimum cash donation of £2.