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!
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!! :)
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.
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!
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.
Going to my first Leeds Ladies game was quite an exciting and slightly daunting visit to be frankly honest. I'd previously got in touch with one of the players, Nicolle Jepson who I offered to help out with her boots which she had been after for a while. My friend Adam saw that I couldn't say hello straight away so he said hello to her and she came over and the rest is history as to this day I am still continuing to help her and we have become friends. ANYWAY back to the main point, I met the chairman Gary Cooper and we had a brief but fantastic chat and me and Adam then went to take our seats in the stand at Garforth Town Football Club. We sat there freezing and then I got a tad over-excited when the girls came out to train. We were a bit confused as to why they were training outside of the ground on the field behind it but we just thought maybe they do that on a regular basis. We then prepared ourselves for the game which unfolded before our eyes. The first thought that came into my head 10-20 minutes in was "These girls have more bloody passion and pride than the men!". A few minutes later I was shouting my head off as Emma Bentley the captain had just been tackled and she was on the floor in agony! But amazingly she managed to get up and within a few minutes of that tackle Leeds had been awarded a penalty and with no hesitation Emma slotted it home and we were cheering and I was deafening poor Adam's ears! The second half came and we had plenty more chances to extend our lead but Stockport were using their dirty bloody tactics to get at us and it worked for them in some way cos they scored two sure fire goals to leave the Leeds Ladies with a loss and angry. We went to the bar afterwards and I got chatting to Nicolle who said she wasn't pleased with how the Stockport ladies were playing against us. She and Gary managed to hook me up with two signed photos which are taking pride of place in my bedroom :D.
P.S I'm sorry I didn't take more photos, my camera on my phone is awful!
