Chronicle Summer 2023

67 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Girls’ Football This year saw the introduction of a

development squad to bolster the well established girls’ 1st XI. In preseason, the team played in a local stadium, heard more about the Club’s philosophy, learnt football theory and looked at video analysis, and emerged hungry to get stuck into some competitive fixtures and showcase what they could do. Securing fixtures was arguably the toughest test the 1st team faced this season. With an immaculate record in 11-a-side fixtures, the larger format really suited the athleticism and technical quality of the team who were undefeated all season, scoring 20 goals in four games, conceding only three. There were 7-a-side tournaments hosted by Bradfield and Charterhouse, which allowed us to line-up potential competitors for next season. After a narrow victory for Cheltenham at the Bradfield tournament (they beat Teddies 1-0), they came to play on Upper 1 in what became a showcase game to draw the season to a close, with St Edward’s finishing 7-0 winners. There were certainly standout moments throughout the season and Izzie Brown provided these on a regular basis as she brought fear to defenders and goalkeepers across the land. She scored an incredible 19 goals in nine games, setting a brilliant standard for the Golden Boot Award. Other awards handed out to the 1st

The Girls’ 1st XI

team included the Coaches’ Player of the Season, which went to Gemma Wright, for her performance as the midfield general and Players’ Player, which was won by goalkeeper Kelly Lin who had an outstanding season despite being new to the position. Special recognition should also go to ‘captain fantastic’, Florence Spackman, a.k.a the midfield terrier, who led by example in every game, setting the work rate, bravery and desire to win that proved infectious to the rest of the team.

The developing girls’ 2nd XI benefitted from the standards set by their peers, with many Shell players making appearances for both squads. The 2nd XI were able to play fixtures against Shiplake, where they won convincingly, and against Rugby’s 1st XI, where, despite not securing the win, they competed with many strong performances amongst the squad. With talent at every age group, the future of girls’ football looks in no doubt and St Edward’s will be looking to set new standards in competition next season.

Rosie Bartlett and Mallory Ross

Florence Spackman