Chorley Ladies vs Leeds Ladies 10th January 2016.

Yesterday, the Leeds Ladies Barmy Army got to Chorley in high spirits after last week's terrific win and we anticipated another win. However the mood changed from the moment we kicked off. We weren't playing our usual passing game and we just seemed disinterested. However the referee made a howler when he awarded a goal even though it hadn't gone over or anywhere near the line. The Barmy Army were absolutely fuming and the Bearded One (Gareth Metcalf) stood there utterly shocked. He would go on to mock the referee for the rest of the game. Nice one Gareth! 

We started gaining more possession when the second half resumed and we all went nuts when Rachael Ackroyd hit a beauty of a shot which went over the goalkeeper into the back of the net. And we would continue to keep the possession for the remainder of the game but not before we got stung by a second goal from Chorley. We desperately tried to get back into the game but through a combination of dire refereeing decisions and some questionable challenges from Chorley, we just couldn't find a way through.

Woman of the Match goes to Jodie Hunter for ensuring that Chorley couldn't get more goals past us and looking solid throughout the game. Emma Bentley gets permanent Awesome Captain of the Week as she got a bit upset for not getting the Player of the Match from me! 

Funny tale to end the post, I had bought Bridie Hannon a bag of Haribos as her award from the game last week where she scooped Player of the Match. She looked at me and said "You didn't need to do that!" I swear she called me a daft bugger! But she's saving them and I'm very glad she appreciated them.

Onwards and upwards as they say! We are #WhiteWinners! 

Morecambe Ladies vs Leeds Ladies 3rd January 2016.

After pulling myself through Christmas and the New Year, desperately willing time to pass so I could get my Leeds Ladies gear on and go support the girls, the day came when the LLFC barmy army travelled to Morecambe for a game which we were very confident of winning. We did not however anticipate the weather to be quite disgusting and Arctic-like! We headed inside for about half an hour before kick-off. We went back outside and took our positions outside the fenced 4G pitch which the girls took to like a duck to water (quite a fitting pun to use!) Kick-off came and we started passing the ball beautifully, creating some good chances and it almost warmed me up as it had a Brazil feel to the passing game. I shall thank Em Starkie for that! I can't quite remember what minute it was in, but I do remember the goal very well. Rachael Ackroyd got played onside with a delightful ball through and she clinically finished the move with a sublime goal to make it 0-1 to the girls. Not long afterwards, a brilliant strike from Bridie Hannon gave us a two goal cushion and it's fair to say, we all went mental over the goal. She then hit the crossbar with a beautiful long range shot and she was extremely unlucky not to see it go in. The rest of the first hal was all Leeds but we got caught out right at the end of the first half when Morecambe pushed forward and pulled one back to give them some hope.

Second half, we started brightly but again we got caught out when Morecambe got their equalizer which left the girls feeling deflated. We then found some fighting spirit thanks to our new centre back Jodie Hunter who can I say, played brilliantly and commanded the defence fantastically. We took the game to Morecambe for the majority of the second half until an unbelievable second goal from Bridie sent us Leeds lot delirious. I wish I had videoed it as it truly was magnificent.  The girls surrounded her and there was passion and belief that oozed out again as has been the case this season. The rest of the game ended in a scrappy fashion and I can say that some of the referee's decisions were very questionable. Two stonewall penalties were turned down. 

Player of the match for me was Bridie Hannon, in a new holding midfielder role and scoring two unbelievable goals, I can see her absolutely nailing it for us for the rest of the season. A special mention goes to Georgia Wattam as she was absolutely brave in every goalkeeping decision she made, especially when taking a blow to the ribs. She's going to be a future number 1 for England! 

On a personal note, I didn't get chance to give Bentz her birthday/Christmas present due to a game being called off so I took the chancw after the game and she was very appreciative which is completely down to earth of her (as usual). She did give me a giggle when she said "I'll be drinking these on the way home...er no I can't, I'm driving!". Brilliant from her!


 Next week's game against Chorley shall be another fun filled day for the LLSFC Barmy Arny and the girls I believe will get another win. The u16's and development teams are also playing too.



Me and Gary Cooper getting a much more human-looking photo after the tragically hilarious photo from before!















And the girls in action.

 

The Passionate Captain.

 I haven't really known Emma Bentley for very long but in the short space of time that I have known her she always has been lovely to me.

What I really like about her is her brutal honesty both on and off the pitch. She's not afraid to express her opinion verbally (which at times has caused her to get booked!) but she also uses her footballing skills to express an opinion. She pushes the team to play to the best of their abilities and never allows them to drop their heads even when losing heavily. We've never given in but sometimes the luck just doesn't fall our way.

Sponsoring Emma is a dream come true. She knows how much I care and how I want to do my utmost best not just for her, but for the team in general.
We have had conversations where I offer to sponsor her boots and she's insisted I've done more than enough.
I feel I haven't, I feel like I have to give much more to make this club one of the best not only in Yorkshire, but in the country overall. One day, Bentz will eventually give in and let me help out with the boots!

A personal message from me to Emma. Thank you for being so welcoming and open with me and actually giving me some confidence and belief in myself. All you need to do now is follow me back on Twitter and life will be sweet!

 

To the man that has changed my life.

Supporting Leeds Ladies has been a very smooth going journey for me so far. However there's a man who I must thank for making things possible for me and changing my life for the better. Mr Gary Cooper, not only have you done things for me that no one else would, you make sure I'm alright when I'm having a crap day by giving me something to chuckle about. It's easy to say that I'm being soppy (yeah I am!!) BUT I am getting the opportunity to be hands on with Leeds Ladies and it's all down to Gary.

He's always worn his heart on his sleeve and always been truthful when the situation needs it. That's what I love about this geezer. He never leaves any stone unturned and he always strives to include everyone. Even my sister, he was trying desperately to get her into the fold and at first she said she wasn't sure. Two days later, she turned around and said to me she wanted to support Leeds Ladies. Magic Gary!!!

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you Gary and I hope you know you are a lifelong friend now and I love you to bits. :)

P.S. Sorry for the unflattering photo Gary but it makes me laugh!! :)

 

A heartfelt plea from a fan.

Hello, my name is Mariette Brown. When I first started supporting Leeds Ladies, which was a fair few months ago, I didn't realise just how this club was running. This was until I visited their website and I soon discovered that they not only need player sponsors but also club sponsors as they need to sustain an income that would enable the club to continue season after season. I have now become a part of the Leeds Ladies FC Supporters Trust which aims to find the best ways to support and maintain the club. However, the reason I am writing this is that we are still in need of a shirt sponsor for the girls and as a proud and passionate fan, I would urge you to seriously consider taking a look at our team and see how they pride themselves on putting every ounce of effort into each game with a steely grit and determination. The captain Emma Bentley is a true leader on and off the pitch, she inspires and encourages everyone to put their all into every aspect of their game. This is the sort of attitude I see at every game I go to. If you are the owner of a local business and might be in a position to offer shirt sponsorship or any other help to the club, we would be extremely grateful. The reward of course would be involved in an exciting club who are really going places and would provide promotion of your business in the local area and elsewhere during away games. Any help would be gratefully received. I would welcome any queries anyone has and I can direct you onto the chairman Gary Cooper if you require further information. As a passionate fan I am writing this from the bottom of my heart and I direct this plea to anyone who may be able to help, no matter how small. Thank you.

Leeds Ladies vs Republica Internationale.

Me and my friend Adam decided to embark on our first away game for Leeds Ladies although it was a cup game. The weather looked murky and miserable but that was NOT going to put us off. We got to the place where the game would be held and as it was a cricket ground club, the actual match would be taking place over the road on a field. We sat inside the cricket clubhouse and we chatted to a man who was working there. We then decided to take ourselves off over to the field where we stood at the pitch side with Gary and his little crew. We then got ourselves comfortable and the game kicked off and right from the off, Leeds Ladies controlled proceedings. I was encouraging them to keep up the pace and we started scoring for fun! The goal-scorers were Rachael Ackroyd, Rachel Landricombe x2, Emma Bentley, Zoe Doherty, Shelbey Morris and Nicolle Jepson. It was an entertaining game and me and Adam felt the girls could have had more goals. The star players for me were Rachel L and Emma who bossed the game and kept the girls ticking. Bridie Hannon was also on top form encouraging the girls to keep up the tempo. Me and Adam went home very happy and it's only whetted my appetite for more games. My next away game will be Chorley and I cannot wait for it!

 

Leeds Ladies Night.

Not long after the Stockport County game, I ventured upon an poster on the official Leeds Ladies Facebook site detailing there was a fundraising night going on to raise funds for the club. So I thought to myself, hang on I WANT to be there. So me and a friend went over to the club where it was held and to be honest, I was very nervous at the start as we had just left halfway through watching the Rhinos vs Wigan Grand Final game and I was absolutely dying to know who had won. Fortunately, Emma the captain had just been introduced to me by the LLFCSC founder Brendan so she asked me "Do you want to know who won?" I was like oh yes please and she told me. I had to hide the euphoria that was riding through my entire body. We chatted for a while and then me and my friend just sat and chatted and listened to the entertainer that was on in the evening. In hindsight, I wish I had more confidence to talk to the players but my anxiety was absolutely high that night so I knew if I had stayed longer than 2 hours, I'd be close to tears. So we decided to make our exit but before we left I asked Emma if I could have a photo with her and she was so lovely and obliged. She joked she would have to kneel down cos she'd look like a 10 ft giant next to me! We got the photo and I thanked her again and we left.

One day I will actually just be able to talk to the players without getting myself worked up over it.