Brentwood Sport
Ladies ready for new season
11:55am Thursday 22nd July 2010
FOOTBALL: Brentwood Town Ladies will start the 2010/11 season where they ended the previous campaign – at Arlesey Town's Armadillo Stadium.
Both Blues and Arlesey gained promotion to the Eastern Region Women’s Football League premier division last season, with Brentwood defeating their Bedfordshire opponents 2-1 at home before a goalless draw on the final day of the season, and the rivalry will be revisited when the two clubs meet on August 15.
The clash is the first of four consecutive away games for Town as a consequence of their switch to the Society of Old Brentwoods Ground in Ashwells Road, with further familiar opposition seven days later as Town make the trip to Peterborough.
Ian Bent’s side lost a League Cup second round clash against ‘Boro last season, despite matching higher-ranked opposition until the final ten minutes.
The opening home encounter sees the third promoted side in the division, Kettering Town, visit Ashwells Road before they are swiftly followed by Stevenage Borough, Bedford and Hethersett Athletic.
The season is currently scheduled to end on January 30, 2011, at home to Cambridge University, although draws for the early stages of the FA Women’s Cup, Essex Women’s Cup and League Cup are yet to be unveiled.
Meanwhile, the dates for the eagerly-anticipated Essex derby fixtures against Chelmsford City are similarly unknown, with both the home and away matches pencilled in to be played at night.
Speaking after the publication of the fixture list, boss Bent said: “It’s great to finally get the fixtures for the start of the season and it is so typical of football that we begin where we ended last season, at Arlesey.
“This match will give us an early chance to see what progression we’ve made over the summer.
“It will be a tough start with four away games to begin with, as a result of our move to a new ground and we have to make sure we are ready for the challenge.
“The release of the fixtures makes our promotion seem real now and personally I can’t wait to get started and get my teeth stuck into this division.
“It will be a challenge, but I am confident we will be ready for it.”
The squad begins their preparations for the new campaign with their first pre-season friendly, away to ERWFL Division One South newcomers Hutton, on Sunday.
Opening fixtures: * Aug 15: Arlesey Town (away) – league.
* Aug 22: Peterborough (away) – league.
* Aug 29: Haringey Borough (away) – league.
* Sep 5: Barking (away) – league.
* Sep 19: Kettering Town (home) – league.
* Sep 26: Stevenage Borough (home) – league.