What a way to celebrate 10 years of Garston Ladies Football Club

By Andy Roads

Garston Ladies Football Club have come a long way in a short space of time and it is perhaps fitting that at the same time as they celebrate 10 years of ladies/ girls football that they should also celebrate their most successful season so far. At Senior level our 1st team were Greater London League Division 1 champions, and now move on into the London and South East Regional league, as well as winning the Greater London League Cup and our Reserve Team also won The Greater London League Reserve Division. At junior level our Under 15’s were league champions, our Under 14 Purples were league runners-up, both in the Herts Girls League and our Under 12’s were County Cup winners.

The original club “Garston Girls” was formed in 1996 at Lea Farm School, Garston, and was the concept of Kevin and Gill Webb and they along with a few willing parents started an Under 11 age group, seven a side team, and that was the start of what today comprises of some six junior girls teams and two senior ladies teams as well as development squads for the very young and in fact several of the girls that made up that original team are still playing for the senior section of the club to this day. In May 2002, at the end of the season, we were delighted to join forces with Everett Ladies FC to form Garston Ladies FC and become one of the biggest female only clubs in Hertfordshire.

The growth of girl’s football has been unprecedented in the club and we now have around 150 playing members with the numbers growing each week, however we are always looking to expand and welcome all new players regardless of ability - our one acceptance criteria is that you want to play football. We have been affiliated to the Hertfordshire FA since the club was founded and our youth teams play in the Hertfordshire Girls Football League, with the Ladies playing in the Greater London Women’s Football League.

The club boasts a number of Herts FA qualified referee’s and a large number of qualified coaches. Garston Ladies FC is certainly moving forward and in 2006 became an FA Charter Status club and we intend to continue growing and improving in order to provide an ongoing excellent service to girl’s and ladies football in the Watford and surrounding areas.

Next season we intend to be running three senior ladies teams and junior teams in all age groups up to Under 15’s. In order to achieve this we need to recruit new players and we are especially looking for experienced senior players for our 1st XI who will unfortunately lose several of this years successful squad to University (Any interested players aged 15 upwards should contact Andy Roads on 01923 675382 or e-mail andyandgerri@tiscali.co.uk) . In addition we would welcome junior players of all age groups and they should contact Ray Smith on 01923 226739 or emailray@garstonladiesfc.uk

We are continuously looking to improve the facilities we can offer our players and next season we hope that all of our teams will be able to enjoy astro-turf training facilities during the winter months however this will hugely increase our financial outgoings and we would therefore be very interested in talking to any companies, organisations or individuals that would be interested in helping to sponsor an independently run girls and ladies football club. Interested parties should contact one of the numbers shown above.
There's a long way to go yet but we will succeed, achieving our raison d'etre in providing football for all girls/ ladies regardless of background, creed, religion, ability or ethnic origin why not have a look at garstonladiesfc.uk and GET INVOLVED – THE FUTURES PURPLE.