AFC Sudbury has spent the last five years quietly developing, supporting and rooting for our Women’s section; and now that cautious, judicious investment has eclipse our expectations. On Sunday, the Women’s First Team won promotion to the Women’s National League, just three levels down from the Women’s Super League. Then on Monday, our U21 Girls won the National Football Youth League Cup by beating Northampton Town 7-1 at Loftus Road, with many of that team having been in the winning team the previous day.

At the start of this 22/23 season, and having been newly promoted, the agreed objective for Luke Mallett’s Woman’s First Team Squad was, clearly and simply, to ‘avoid relegation’ – also known, in Football Boardroom speak, as ‘consolidation’.

Under the ever-watchful, shrewd mentorship of Adrian Goodwin, the Head of our Woman’s section, our tight squad of players smashed that target. Promotion sees us facing QPR, AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge United and others in this league, and within touching distance of even bigger clubs at the next level. Opposition next season will also include Norwich City whose Women’s First Team have played in front of crowds of up to 9,000 spectators at Carrow Road this season. This is a real step change.

Team Captain, Ronni Harrison explains the mood in the camp. “To be honest, we have barely dared to believe. After each of our wins, we have come off the pitch absolutely buzzing, but we soon get back down to earth and have taken nothing for granted. We are such a tight group of friends; we belong together and that is the magic ingredient. We play for the love of the game and for each other, and as CEO Patrick puts it, ‘our togetherness is what makes our team much bigger and better than the sum of its parts’.”

Adrian Goodwin concludes “I cannot say that the last five years have been easy. Women’s Football across the planet, including at our club, has faced numerous growing pains. But we are winning! Our team has been winning and punching above its weight all season, and will find ways to do the same next year. Our Board of Directors has backed us all the way and will do going forward, as do our sponsors.”

“As Gabby Logan emotionally expressed in her closing link at the end of the 2022 European Cup, we don’t think it’s all over - this is just the start! It is up to progressive clubs like us to drive Women’s Football forward from the grass roots up. Our Suffolk market town may be sleepy in most respects, but we are proud to be ripping up the rule book and helping to reinvent the football hierarchy.”

If you have not seen our Women’s First Team in action, you are missing out on some of the finest talent and most entertaining matches that AFC Sudbury produces. Ash Webb, one of our Men’s First Team’s most ardent supporters, frames it perfectly. ‘A few of my friends and me had heard a bit about our Women’s First Team do we thought we’d amble along one Sunday a few weeks back; hopeful, but with limited expectations. We were blown away within minutes! The quality of the play was fantastic and entertainment value as good as any we have seen all season. The Women are awesome!”

Real football, up close and personal. Reinvent your Sundays next season and come along and reignite your faith in the beautiful game!