A new era for the Wiltshire Senior League begins this coming Sunday, 1st September when the two new Ladies’ Divisions kick off.
The Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League has taken on the administration of Ladies’ football from the former Wiltshire County Women’s and Girls’ League and the new season kicks off this coming Sunday.
Numbers of teams participating have increased and, for the first time since Season 2016-17, there will be two Divisions for Ladies’ football in the county.
The Ladies’ Premier Division will mainly consist of teams who played in the Wiltshire County Women’s and Girls’ League last season whilst the Development Division (Division 1) comprises mostly newly formed teams who’ve not played in a league before, plus a couple of younger teams who were playing in the Girls’ Division last season.
Last season’s champions of the Wiltshire County Women’s and Girl’s League, Corsham Town have been promoted to the South West Regional Women’s Football League, whilst Bath Athena are not participating in the league this season. AFC Brislington from just over the border will be playing in the Premier Division which will comprise ten teams in total. The Development Division will be made up of nine teams and includes some newly formed teams from traditionally men’s clubs such as Blunsdon, Ferndale Rodbourne, and Malmesbury. Marlborough Town return after a season’s absence from Ladies football and are joined by teams such as South Newton and Barford and Staverton Rangers, who have moved up from last season’s Girl’s’ League.
The Management Committee has been enhanced by the addition of a Ladies’ Division Club Secretary and a ladies’ player has been elected as a Club Representative for the Ladies’ Divisions. In the next few days the league will announce two very well-known personalities from the world of ladies’ football in Wiltshire to strengthen their committee.
Sunday’s action in the Premier Division sees Bemerton Heath Harlequins, who finished second in the table last season, entertain Westbury Youth. Last season Bemerton did the double over Westbury in the league and also defeated them in the semi final of the League cup and will start as favourites this coming Sunday.
FC Chippenham Youth, who finished third last season, are not in league action this weekend but play in the First Qualifying Round of the Women’s FA Cup away at Frome Town who last season finished second from bottom of the Eastern Division of the South West Regional Women’s Football League and dropped back down to the Somerset County Women’s League for this season. Hopefully FC Chippenham can fly the flag for the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League along with Bemerton Heath Harlequins who have also entered the Women’s FA Cup but have a bye to the Second Qualifying Round.
Last season Durrington finished in fourth place whilst Sunday’s opponents Swindon Supermarine finished in sixth spot. The one meeting between the two sides last season was a close affair that Durrington edged by the odd goal in five so expect another close game on Sunday.
Highworth Town, who finished just below Swindon Supermarine last season, open with a home game against Kingsdown who last season lost all but one of their games but will be hoping for a much better season in 2024-25 having now had one season’s experience of Ladies football and also had sufficient new players join to be able to also run a team in the Development Division.
The final game in the Premier Division on Sunday sees new side AFC Brislington travel to Beversbrook to take on Calne Town as something on an unknown quantity and it will be interesting to see how they get on against a side who finished eighth last season with seven wins and five draws from their 22 games. Melksham Town are without a game this Sunday due to FC Chippenham being otherwise engaged with that FA Cup fixture.
The four games in the Development Division see Blunsdon entertain Marlborough Town whilst Ferndale Rodbourne host Malmesbury Vics in a meeting between two newly formed sides.
Two sides who have traditionally had Ladies sides, but have struggled in recent seasons, meet at Lambrok Playing Field, Trowbridge.
Trowbridge Wanderers, who finished ninth last season, but have seen an exodus of players from last season’s squad, take on
Salisbury who have reformed after a season’s absence from Ladies football. The final game in the Development Division sees
Kingsdown Development
at home to
Staverton Rangers.
South Newton & Barford Hornets are without a fixture this weekend due to the odd number of teams in the division.
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29 August 2024
