In the second of our weekly women and girls round ups see what’s been going on at the club over the past seven days.
GILLS LADIES PAY RESPECT
Gillingham Ladies travelled to Brighton and Hove Albion during the Bank Holiday weekend. Whilst an objective was to progress to the next round of the FA Women’s Premier League Cup, the primary motive was to be part of the memorial tribute game to those who lost their lives in the Shoreham Air Show disaster which happened in close proximity to where the club played their fixture.
The Gills stood stand by stand with Albion to hold a minute of silence and Club Captain Lauren Williams also presented a wreath to the hosts which were delivered to the bridge where thousands of local people have been paying their respect.
GILLS KNOCKED OUT OF CUP
Gillingham Ladies were knocked out of the FA WPL Cup after falling to a 4-0 defeat at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre on Sunday afternoon.
The team put on a solid display for the opening 30 minutes of the match but a first half goal from Kirsty Barton unlocked the Gills. Brighton produced an accomplished second half performance and secured victory with further goals from Kim Stenning, Kate Natkiel and former Gills Ladies striker Charlotte Gurr.
Joint Manager Jack Wheeler oversaw the fixture and praised his team for their endeavour: ““There were some really good periods for us in the game and plenty of positives for us to reflect on and take forward and into our league performances. We’ve got a busy week coming up and I know everyone at the club is excited to see how we can keep developing and pushing forward.”
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE GIRLS GET BACK TO TRAINING
Gillingham Ladies Centre of Excellence resumed after the summer break with dozens of players from across the counter eagerly awaiting their return back to football.
The girls have been enjoying training at the club’s first team facilities at Beechings Cross as they prepare for games against Arsenal and Chelsea in the upcoming weeks.
SEASON TICKETS SELLING FAST
Following last week’s news that Gills fans can now purchase season tickets for the ladies team, a number of fans have snapped up the offer and have yet to be disappointed!
Gills fan Catherine Flack tweeted, “Great start to the season @gillsladiesfc Super performance and what a score line 9-0 #gills #roaruson”
Whilst Charlie Wallace said, “Great performance from @gillinghamladies yesterday and great goal by Chelsea.”
Frank Oshaughnessy even told us “I’ve just dislocated my finger by pressing the like button so many times” following Gills 9-0 victory over Bedford Town.
Season tickets for adults will cost just £25 and enable Gills Ladies fans access to all league home games and half price tickets for cup fixtures.
Season tickets will be available to purchase from the club’s ticket office, as well as at match days. You can also buy online here.
If you’d like to show your support for Kent’s best women’s team and support their further growth and development, why not pick up a season ticket today?
GIRLS ACADEMY ENJOY INDUCTION
The club’s growing Girls Academy at Gillingham FC enjoyed some induction day fun at Kicks Soccer Centre in Strood.
The day started with team building exercises which saw the girls have to make their way from one side of a football court to the other, only being able to step off flat discs and having to pick up and carry a variety of equipment, such as American footballs, bibs and benches.
As part of the day the girls competed in a game called Archery Tag. The activity consisted of having to fire arrows at one another.
This became competitive very quickly as the girls had spare arrows hidden down their back as they rolled to avoid oncoming ammunition and set themselves up for the perfect shot.
As the day drew closer to an end the girls were treated to Bubble Football, an increasingly popular exercise.
Once a truce was called the games moved towards last man standing and bulldog which saw the playground antics emerge in our Girls Academy students.
When everyone had finished they wiped the sweat from their brows and made their way inside in search of water, ready to say their goodbyes until the start of our second academic year within the Girls Academy.
GILLS REACH LANDMARK
A huge thanks to the Gills fans who helped the Ladies reach a significant landmark this week. Over 3,500 of you now follow the women’s team on Twitter – if you’re not yet please follow @gillsladiesfc