All the latest movement in the Women's Championship Back Women's Championship Latest News All the latest movement in the Women's Championship NUFC Women 16 July 2024 By Paul Donegan Newcastle United have completed the signing of Demi Stokes. The defender left Manchester City at the end of last season where she had won the WSL once and the FA and League Cups three times each during her nine years with the club. The 32-year-old has won 69 caps for England and was part of the Euros winning squad in 2022. Stokes said “I am thrilled to be joining Newcastle United and returning home to the North East. I still have so much to give on the pitch and I’m excited to bring my experience to a club with such big ambitions”. Remi Allen has been appointed as Southampton’s new head coach. The 33-year-old joins the Saints after taking charge of London City Lionesses from March until the end of the 2023/24 season. She has also been assistant coach for England’s under-23s as part of the England Elite Coach Programme. On joining Southampton, Allen remarked, “I am absolutely delighted to be on board with such an incredible football club. It’s such an exciting time to be here, the club has huge ambition and the group of players here are such a talented group. I can’t wait to get started on the journey, it’s going to be an exciting season ahead.” Goalkeeper Claudia Moan has joined Newcastle United after recently leaving Sunderland. The current Championship Player of the Season and Golden Glove winner joins after helping Newcastle’s local rivals to a third-place finish in the league last season and only conceding 18 goals in 22 games. After signing, Moan said, “I am delighted to be joining Newcastle United, who have shown in the past two seasons that they are a very ambitious club”. New Zealand international Hannah Blake has signed a professional contract with Durham the club have announced. The 24-year-old forward has played for the University of Michigan Wolverines in the US college football system and then Perth Glory and Adelaide United in Australia’s top league. After joining the Wildcats, Blake expressed her delight saying, “I’m really excited to be playing in England. Playing in the Championship has been an aspiration of mine for a while now and I’m excited to take that next step”. Maddi Wilde has returned to London City Lionesses after signing a permanent two-year contract, with the option of a further season. The full-back spent last season on loan at the Pride from Bristol City and she made 25 appearances in all competitions. After signing permanently, 20-year-old Wilde commented, “after last season, I could see the steps that were being taken behind the scenes, with Michele (Kang) pushing standards forward, and I knew I wanted to be part of this environment again”. Bristol City have completed the signing of Lexi Lloyd-Smith on a two-year contract. The 21-year-old winger recently left Southampton after spending two seasons with them in the Championship. After joining the Robins, Lloyd-Smith said, “I can’t wait to get started. The facilities are amazing, and I can’t wait to get out on the pitch to show everyone what I can do. “I enjoyed meeting the girls too and I love the energy and the vibe at the club. It feels like a big family.” Centre-back Tara Bourne has joined Southampton. The 20-year-old recently left fellow Championship side Sheffield United where she made 17 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign. Bourne has also played Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City and has represented England’s youth sides. “Having conversations with the staff here, my plans aligned with theirs. I feel like together we can work towards big things, I am excited for this season” Bourne commented after signing. Durham have announced the signing of Carly Johns from Watford. With the Hornets last season, the striker scored eight goals in the Championship and nine in total. Before that, she had scored 52 goals in 76 appearances whilst at Oxford United in the FA Women’s National League. After joining the Wildcats, 21-year-old Johns said, “I’m buzzing to be here. I played against Durham last season and they were a really tough challenge, so it’s good to get to know all the girls and the staff and I’m really happy to be here”. Katie Bradley has joined Charlton Athletic from Blackburn Rovers, signing a two-year deal. The 22-year-old midfielder joined Rovers in January after completing her studies in the United States. Bradley expressed some of her reasons for joining the club, saying, “I think the personal development and being able to work with Karen (Hills) was important for me as I think we will be a really good match together. The style of football is attacking and that is something I want to be playing in. In my position as well I want to be keeping the ball and retaining possession.” Charlton Athletic have signed Gracie Pearse permanently on a two-year contract. The defender spent the second half of last season on loan at the club and made four appearances for them. Pearse left Tottenham Hotspur in June and has also had loan spells at Bristol City and Crystal Palace in the Championship. Explaining her reasons for signing, Pearse said, “I think how close we came to being promoted is a big part of it and how the team is together. I feel most happy here and that’s why I made the decision to come back.” England youth international goalkeeper Fran Stenson has signed for Southampton after leaving Sheffield United. Stenson made 25 appearances for the Blades across two seasons. The 23-year-old had previously had spells at Birmingham, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Arenal and Brighton. Stenson commented after joining the Saints, “I’m really happy to get the deal done. I feel like the club has high ambitions which align with mine and I think it’s going to be a very exciting season”. Mel Filis has joined Charlton Athletic permanently after spending the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan with them from West Ham United. The midfielder has signed a two-year contract with the Addicks. During her spell with the club last season, she made 10 appearances and scored three goals. 21-year-old Filis said she was motivated to help the team and, “the league is very competitive, playing in the games on the back end of last season was really nice to be playing to win something and fighting for promotion”. London City Lionesses have signed 18-year-old Gesa Marashi on a two-year contract. The midfielder joins the Pride from Arsenal’s Professional Game Academy following a short-term loan spell at Reading last season. After signing, Marashi said, “I could see that the project is building and that there would be opportunities here to help the team try to win promotion from the Championship”. Goalkeeper Lucy Thomas has signed a new one-year contract with Birmingham City. In her two seasons with the Blues, Thomas has made 54 appearances in all competitions, not missed a minute of Championship games and kept 21 clean sheets in total. The 24-year-old was recently called up to the senior Lionesses squad for the first time. Thomas remarked, “I’m really pleased. This place feels like home, and I absolutely love it here. I really believe in what Amy (Merricks) is trying to build here and I feel like I’ve got unfinished business”. Portsmouth have announced that Annie Rolf and Ella Humphrey have both signed one-year professional contracts with the club. Midfielder Rolf has made 53 appearances and scored 10 goals for Pompey since joining them in January 2022. Humphrey joined on dual-registration terms in October 2022 before making the move permanent the following summer. The forward has made 36 appearances for Portsmouth and scored eight goals in 22 games as they got promoted to the Championship. Charlton Athletic’s Karin Muya has signed a new contract with the club until 2025. In her first season with the Addicks, Muya scored three goals in 17 appearances. After signing her new deal, the forward said, “It feels great and a sigh of relief. I feel excited to get going with pre-season and to start working. Last season we were so close, so this season it feels like we can learn some lessons and push on that step further.” Defenders Izzy Collins, Scarlett Williams and Nicole Barrett have all signed one-year professional contracts with Portsmouth. Collins joined the south coast club at the start of the 2022/23 season and has since made 45 appearances for them. Williams joined towards the end of the 2023/24 season and made three appearances as Pompey got promoted. Barrett has made 61 appearances and scored 12 goals since joining Portsmouth in 2022. Kiera Skeels and Beth Roe have both signed new one-year contracts with Charlton Athletic. Defender Skeels has played for the Addicks in 62 Championship games and scored four goals since she joined them in 2021 after leaving Reading. Roe joined initially on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion during the 2020/21 before making the move permanent at the end of the season. The full-back has gone onto make 71 league appearances for the club and has scored three goals. London City Lionesses have announced that New Zealand international Grace Neville has signed a new one-year contract with the club. This will be Neville’s sixth season with the Pride where she scored their first ever goal in 2019 and has made 74 appearances for them. After confirming she was staying on, the 24-year-old stated, “I can’t wait to get started because it feels like this kind of opportunity has been a long time coming. The club is in a brilliant position and I’m really proud and excited to be a part of it”. Portsmouth’s Emma Jones has signed a two-year professional contract with the club. The forward joined Pompey in 2021 and has since made 64 appearances and scored 32 goals for them. Last season, Jones found the net 18 times and assisted another 23. Those impressive stats saw her finish top scorer and win the Players’ Player and Player of the Season awards as Portsmouth won the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division title. Ava Rowbotham has signed a one-year professional contract with Portsmouth. The midfielder joined the club in 2020 and was named vice-captain in 2023. Rowbotham has made 106 appearances and scored 18 goals during her four years with Pompey. Durham have confirmed that Mollie Lambert has signed a contract for a fifth season with the club. Megan Borthwick, Jessica Brown, Libbi McInnes, Emily Scarr, Mary McAteer, Grace Ede, Katy Watson, Louise Griffiths, Natasha Fenton, Megan Beer, Jenna Dear, Brianna Westrup, Katie Kitching, Amy Goddard and Ellen Jones have all been retained by Sunderland the club have announced. Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah has agreed a new one-year contract with London City Lionesses. Boye-Hlorkah joined the club in 2023 from Aston Villa and made 23 appearances in all competitions in her first season with the Pride, scoring eight goals and assisting two. Explaining her decision to sign a new deal, the 28-year-old forward remarked, “the club’s ambition and where it wants to be is a huge positive and aligns with where I want to take my career. We’re aiming for promotion to the WSL and to put London City on the map”. Charlton Athletic’s Mia Ross and Elisha N’Dow have both signed new one-year contracts with the club. On signing her new deal with the Addicks, Ross remarked, “I’m grateful for the opportunities and development I’ve had here, and looking forward to pushing on again this year.” Meanwhile, N’Dow said, “it feels great to have signed a new contract with the club. Since I joined two seasons ago, I feel like we have built something good and after coming so close last year, there is some unfinished business.” Charlton Athletic have announced that Mel Johnson has left the club at end of her contract. Johnson has gone onto sign for FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division side Nottingham Forest. News

Tottenham Hotspur boss signs new contract Back Rehanne Skinner sticks with Spurs Tottenham Hotspur boss signs new contract Getty Images 7 May 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Tottenham head coach Rehanne Skinner has signed a new deal and will remain in North London until at least the summer of 2024. Skinner first joined the club in November 2020, succeeding long term coaches Karen Hills and Juan Amoros, and is on course to lead Spurs to their highest table placing and highest number of league points in the competition this season. News

Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Jackie Burns and winger Lauren Wade have made moves to Women's Super League side Reading Back Reading snap up Northern Ireland international duo Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Jackie Burns and winger Lauren Wade have made moves to Women's Super League side Reading Reading Twitter 5 August 2022 By Josh Bunting The Royals who start their season against newly promoted Liverpool on September 11 have acted swiftly following Burns impressing at Euro 2022. Burns went into the tournament as a free agent after mutually agreeing her release from a two-year contract at Swedish club BK Hacken that was only signed in March of this year. Burns came through the ranks at Cookstown Youth and Mid-Ulster Ladies before securing a scholarship with Carson-Newman University in 2016. In 2017 she was part of the Eagles team that made it to the national championship game in the US for the first time in the university's history. Burns made her international debut in 2013 at the age of 16 in a friendly against the Netherlands and was the number one as Northern Ireland reached this summers Euro 2022 tournament in England. Lauren Wade Photo: Reading Twitter Wade aged 28 makes the move from Glentoran to Reading only the second player to make a transfer from an Irish League club to a WSL club. Wade has played in Sweden, USA and Scotland before playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League scoring for Glasgow City against German giants Wolfsburg. The winger made a positive impact at Euro 2022 against Norway, Austria and England nearly opening the scoring against the eventual winners as she forced a good save from Mary Earps. It now takes Northern Ireland’s quota in the WSL to four after Rachel Furness won promotion with Liverpool, joining Simone Magill who has moved from Everton to Aston Villa earlier this summer. The Berkshire Club finished eighth in the WSL last season. News

Leicester City boss Willie Kirk is positive heading into the final game of the season Back “We want to be history makers" says Kirk ahead of WSL's final weekend Leicester City boss Willie Kirk is positive heading into the final game of the season LCFC Women 25 May 2023 By Paul Donegan Willie Kirk spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon ahead of Leicester’s crunch final day WSL match against Brighton on Saturday. A win for the Foxes will mean they are guaranteed safety whilst any other result leaves them relying on the Reading not winning. Kirk started by confirming there are no fresh injuries and Georgia Eaton-Collins is back in the squad. Ruby Mace is suspended for this match after getting sent off last week against West Ham. “Everyone is feeling the same sense of frustration” after the loss to the Hammers in a match Leicester dominated Kirk admitted. He continued by saying “it looked a little bit desperate, a little but nervy, it meant we were a yard off things, we took shots from distance which I thought we had managed to eradicate from our game”. “It was a little bit frustrating we didn’t believe in ourselves a little bit more and play our normal game” remarked the Leicester manager. On reflection he believes if Reading had beaten Spurs the day before or if the matches had been going on at the same time then Leicester would have won their game. Kirk believes they “let something external to us dictate our emotions” last weekend. The Foxes boss said the players have been on it in training during the week and everyone wants to be in the team on Saturday to prove a point. “We got to the stage where we were proving everybody wrong and then it almost flipped on its head and last week they were almost scared to let people down” noted Kirk. He said they want to stay away from the mentality of all they need to do is match Reading’s result to stay in the division. “We want win the game because for us it would mean beating last years points tally, scoring more goals than last year, climbing a spot more than last year” Kirk carried onto say. He then pointed out that finishing tenth would be a remarkable achievement considering where they were sitting five months ago. Kirk admitted it has been tough analysing Brighton ahead of the match as they have had a number of different managers and played different styles during the season. He added that even last weekend they played a style they hadn’t used before, and they have been prepping against two different ways of them setting up. “The players play better when we focus on us” Kirk said. The Leicester manager said he doesn’t want his side to be complacent on Saturday, adding ”it is a huge incentive to finish tenth.” “We want to be history makers, no team has ever turned around a seven point deficit at the bottom in WSL history, we want to be the first team to do that." Brighton & Hove Albion v Leicester City will be shown live on the FA Player with a 2:30pm (BST) kick-off on Saturday. News

Ben Gilby discusses changes England could potentially adopt alongside the rise of the Matildas Time to switch it up? What might come next for the Lionesses Back Ben Gilby discusses changes England could potentially adopt alongside the rise of the Matildas Adam Mitten Thursday, 11 April 2024 By Ben Gilby When the Lionesses drawn in a fiendishly tough group for Euro 2025 qualifying, a collective “wow” was let out by fans up and down the country. However, the draw was influenced by teams’ performances in the prior Europa League, and with England missing out on the semi-finals of the tournament, they were always likely to do it tough when the balls were drawn out of the pot for this one. International football is tough gig – it has massive rewards in the good times, but slightest deviations from consistent wins come with longer term consequences. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it’s something that benefits all – including the England coaching staff who will be well aware of the moment when the first signs first began to show that the team were not quite hitting the heights they were in the Euros and during World Cup qualification. The Lionesses coaching staff and players will now be thinking about what comes next and how they continue to ensure they are at the top of the pile both in Europe and globally. The roots of the current study of the side’s need to evolve can be traced back to the World Cup. England were warmly welcomed in Australia. They were heralded out there as footballing giants who would sweep all before them. However, just a few days into the competition and group stage performances that were not at the level of the team’s previous all-encompassing joyous attacking football and defensive solidity – there were murmurs of “hang on…” Photo: Adam Mitten The Lionesses were being pressed to death, they were unable to get their midfield attacking weapons on the ball, and defensive errors were occasionally creeping in. As the tournament was full of bigger nations being rocked by developing women’s football nations, this was, by some largely written off as a case of the opposition stepping up. England’s greatest performance in the World Cup came in the semi-final against the hosts Australia at a raucous Stadium Australia in Sydney. The Matildas are renowned as a fast pressing team themselves, looking to create space out wide with pace to deliver the ball for the picture painters in midfield of Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry. That played into the hands of Sarina Wiegman’s team who produced a professional performance of know-how to strike when it most mattered and take their place in the World Cup Final. That final once more saw England pressed all over the place and passed to death by the all-conquering Spanish. Since then, the Lionesses’ opponents both in the UEFA Nations League and the opening games of the Euro 2025 qualifiers have largely copied the tactics that the likes of Haiti, Denmark, Nigeria, and Colombia employed in Australia with success. Therefore, there is a question worth posing. Is it time for England to both amend their style, and be that bit more experimental with player selection? Let’s look at the example of the Australian national team. They have just come off the back of finishing fourth at the last Olympics and World Cup – their greatest ever achievements. Rather than concluding that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, head coach Tony Gustavsson and his assistant Mel Andreatta spent months analysing his team’s World Cup performances, coming to the conclusion that they needed to evolve and be that bit smarter. Photo: Girls on the Ball The Matildas still have attacking weapons across the midfield and up front that many nations would deeply desire, but Gustavsson is moulding his team to be more pragmatic with a growing emphasis on solidity at the back. Yes, they still love to attack and shift the ball quickly, particularly along the flanks, and using the guile of the central midfield talent, but it’s not all about attacking opponents. They are now choosing when to go and when to be patient – looking at their opponents tactical set up once the game is underway and looking to shift through a raft of potential options. Gustavsson himself told the media after their 2-0 win over Mexico this week that: “ We probably had eight to 10 different variations in formations today in our attacking game. Everything from inverted outside backs to six dropping into the back three to overloading one side and isolating another – there was a lot of different tactics.” There are answers for his players of what to do when faced by a rapid press and physical battles. The team’s Achilles heel in previous years has been struggling to break down the massed defences of teams, who were on paper, far weaker than them. The new tactical fluidity that Gustavsson has introduced since the World Cup is making that a thing of the past There have been teething issues – the two games in Canada back in December when the new plans were first unveiled a case in point – but, as Ellie Carpenter said to me during this international window, “ I think it nearly has clicked…come mid-July…I’m really thinking forward with this team for the Olympics, and I really think we can achieve something special.” Performances since Christmas would suggest that this is the case. So do the Lionesses need to take a leaf out of the Matildas’ book? Is it time for Sarina Wiegman’s team to develop an approach to manage the oppressive press that opponents are continually applying to them with success? Let’s look at Europe’s other most successful nations over the past 10 years. Sweden have consistently made the semi-finals of World Cups, European Championships and Olympic Games. Peter Gerhardsson’s side have done it with an exceptionally well organised defence allied with a physical, defensive press style of game which has them patiently waiting for the right moment before clinically taking advantage. Spain are outrageously talented and comfortable on the ball, dominating possession – but let’s be honest, England have supreme talent and great ball players who are tactically astute as well – they just need to find ways to amend those weapons to dissect the most constrictive opposition. Photo: Adam Mitten Is it time for Sarina Wiegman to cast the net that bit wide? Defensive issues have occurred again in recent games, albeit in a side still without talismanic captain Leah Williamson – but even with the Arsenal star back in the starting line-up, it feels that the time is right to experiment that bit more with personnel and playing style. There needs to be a Plan B, C, and D that the team can switch between – the best nations in the world can do so – and England are definitely one of those. They have the quality coaching staff and players to drive this sort of approach. England will qualify for the Euros, even if they don’t finish as an automatic qualifier in the top two of their group, they will go on to the play-offs to face the likes of Romania, Slovenia or Luxembourg in round one and then potentially nations such as Portugal and Wales in the deciding round. They have scope to try things out and evolve their style and personnel – they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Get to know every member of the current Lionesses squad. Lionesses Squad Laura Coombs Laura Coombs has been out of the international fold for quite some time, having last been called up to camp in November 2020. However, the midfielder has deservedly earned her place after pulling out a string of notable performances for Manchester City this season. Coombs, by nature, is a grafter. It is this custom of hers that has seen her rise to the top and re-assert herself as one of the most productive midfielders in the country. With a definitive “keep your head down and get on with it” attitude, Coombs showcases her willingness to tidy up and do the less glamourous work. Whilst she may not offer the creative flair others possess, what she guarantees is key defensive and offensive runs and an off-the ball work rate that is second to none. Coombs is also a known goal-scorer and can hit the net from range. Photograph courtesy of the FA.

Bethany England Position Centre Forward D.O.B 03/06/1994 Club Chelsea via Chelsea Women FC

Arsenal's newest recruit Jodie Taylor she is fit and ready to help the team in any way that she can Back “I am absolutely thrilled to be here" says Arsenal forward Taylor Arsenal's newest recruit Jodie Taylor she is fit and ready to help the team in any way that she can Getty 27 March 2023 By Paul Donegan Jodie Taylor recently joined Arsenal for a second spell at the club, signing until the end of the 2022/23 season. The forward had previously played for the Gunners between 2016 and 2017. Since then, she has played in Australia, the United States and France. Taylor has also been capped 51 times and scored 19 goals for the Lionesses. She left San Diego Wave in February after their first season in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Taylor came on to make her second debut for Arsenal in the 82nd minute of their recent 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby. After that match, she spoke to the media. Taylor was asked how surreal the last few weeks have been. She answered by saying it has been a “very surreal and crazy 10 days” and that she was just “chilling in LA [like] a month ago”. She added that anything can happen in football and you have to be ready for it, and that “I am absolutely thrilled to be here, so happy to be part of the team”. She felt the North London derby felt like “a real football game” and said that she has been keeping an eye on the league since she left. Taylor noted the Women’s Super League (WSL) has “gone from strength to strength each season, and it is great to see the growth of the game especially off the back of the Euros success”. Taylor thinks Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall just wants her to play her game and settle in. She added she only landed back in London 10 days ago so it “has been a crazy time” . She continued by saying that “however the team needs me, I am here for it and a great opportunity for me to come in back on home soil”. Taylor noted she is still fit, healthy and capable of playing at this level, and she is there to help the team win trophies. With it being the NWSL off-season, Taylor has been working with a personal coach. She said she has been staying fit and this has involved doing “a lot of running, a lot of conditioning, a lot of gym, a lot of individual training and small group stuff” . She mentioned it was about getting her body right and hopes what she has been doing has prepared her. Taylor said she can use her experience and “pass it on to other players” . She noted that she likes that role and got into the later stages of her career by “helping the young ones coming through” . She added that she is a team player. She continued by saying that “it is an important message for older players, it is not over till it’s over, and I am still going”. Taylor finished by saying “I am happy to be here, really happy with how the squad have welcomed me”, and observed that she has played with Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley before and there are a handful of girls that are still with the Gunners from her previous time at the club. News

Ground Guide Tottenham Hotspur By Paul Donegan This guide is based on going to the Tottenham match against Manchester United on 7th November 2021. I had been there for another match earlier this season and only the indoor food kiosk was open for that one so a reminder that things might be different if you ever decide to have a visit to the Hive to watch Tottenham play. Address Camrose Ave, London HA8 6AG Location and Ground History The Hive is in north west London near to Stanmore and Edgware. The complex was built as Barnet FCs training centre before they moved into the stadium there in 2013. London Broncos rugby league team shared the ground from 2014 to 2015 and London Bees, who now play in the FA Women’s National League, also played at the ground but now it seems they play their home matches on one of the outside pitches. Tottenham have played at The Hive since 2019 when they got promoted to the WSL. Getting There The Jubilee line (the grey coloured tube line), towards Stanmore if going from central London (takes about 30 mins from there), runs right behind the stadium with Canons Park being the closest station to the ground, being about a 10 minute walk. Most of the walk from Canons Park station is along a path through The Hive complex past other pitches/5 a side pitches. Queensbury about a 15 minute walk in the opposite direction. A number of buses go along Camrose Avenue (288) and Whitchurch Lane (79, 86 and 340) at either end of complex. There is car parking available at the ground behind the south end but there is a charge for this (looks like £8 on matchdays). The entrance into the complex if driving is off Camrose Avenue. Tickets Tickets can be bought online and the ticket comes on the confirmation email, as well as the same thing on an attachment, which you need to print off and take with you to the match which you scan at the turnstiles to get in. Tickets can be bought on the day, if available, from the ticket office at the ground (on the corner of east and south stands, near the car park) but there is an increase in price if bought on the day (£8 for adults instead of £6.50 if bought beforehand) and it is card payment only. Buy Tickets https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/tickets/buy-tickets/women/match-tickets/ The Stadium There are 4 separate covered stands with gaps in the corners of the ground with a total capacity of 6,500. The only stand open for Tottenham matches is the west stand (The Legends Stand) which is an all seater and runs the whole length of the pitch. It is also the stadiums largest stand with a capacity of 2,686 and it is all unreserved seating. There is a small scoreboard at the back of the stand which shows the score and how many minutes have been played along with the TV gantry. The seats are in Barnet’s colours of orange and black (the seats in the other stands are the same colours). The Jubilee line passes right behind this stand. The north stand (Stand 66) is a seated stand behind the goal and at the south end, there is a terracing (Bees Terrace) which had Tottenham banners over it. The east stand (The Hive Stand) has a few rows of seats and is where the dugouts are, press seating and VIPs sit. The tunnel is at the north end of this stand. The turnstiles that are open for Tottenham matches are in the south west corner of the ground, at the far end of the car park, near the tube line and merchandise kiosk. There was a bag search before going in. There are toilets at the back of the stand between the food kiosk and bar entrance. Food and Drink There is a spacious bar (Legends Bar) under the stand which can be entered from behind the stand or through 2 entrances in the stand from pitchside. Alcohol is not allowed to be taken outside. There were 2 food kiosks open, one at the back of the stand between the turnstiles and bar entrance and another inside at the far end of the bar where there are some tables and chairs if you want to eat/drink there. On the east stand side, there is another bar which includes a Starbucks, but this can only be entered from outside the ground. Seemed to be card payment only for food and drink at the ground. Merchandise There is a merchandise kiosk outside the ground, near the turnstiles, which sells lots of different things such as shirts, baseball caps, hats, pens, mugs, keyrings, the list could go on! Paper programmes can be bought from here as well. Again, seemed to be card payment only. At the Manchester United match, there was a freestyle footballer and beatboxer going along the front of the stand keeping the crowd entertained before the match and at half time.

Jordan Nobbs praises team spirit and thanks fans in post-match reaction to Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham Back Jordan Nobbs reacts to Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham Jordan Nobbs praises team spirit and thanks fans in post-match reaction to Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham Girls on the Ball 31 October 2022 By Paul Donegan Arsenal midfielder Jordan Nobbs spoke to the media after the Gunners 3-1 win over West Ham in the WSL on Sunday. Nobbs has won the Arsenal Women Supporter Club’s player of the match in the last two matches, she has scored in both of those games against FC Zurich and West Ham. Here is what she had to say…. How has it felt waiting for you chance this season? “I don’t know, obviously I love this club so much and I’ve absolutely trained my bum off for the past five/six months. I think eventually just them little moments of things come, whether that’s something happening and I’ve got to be ready but, I am a little bit proud of myself just staying in it. And what a set of girls we have. Like it is hard to get in to the team and I think that is what makes it so special when you get chances on the pitch because you know you are playing up against a top, top talent.” How much inspiration have you drawn from other players (Lotte Wubben-Moy and Frida Maanum) that have had to wait to take their chance? “I think it just shows what talent we have with some of the players. Frida came in and had a fantastic game against Lyon and obviously me and Frida were on the bench a lot. We kept pulling each other through when we are going out for training. Because sometimes you have to keep saying ‘right we do the training again, we go again’, and it brings the team together because at the end of the day we all have to play a part. You have seen how may people over the last two weeks have played minutes in this squad and put in a great performance, so it is all credit to people’s mentality and staying focused for what’s best for the team.” Jordan Nobbs alongside Steph Catley and Beth Mead in Arsenal's UWCL tie against FC Zurich Photo: Girls on the Ball You came on in the number 8 position tonight, do you think that is your best position and how nice was it to get a lot of minutes in the position tonight? “It was nice. Obviously, I haven’t had much chance to show that over the last few years that 8 has been my role for the last ten years, but I love that role. I think I am one of them players that wants to get on the ball and everything like that, so yeah, it is a position I have always loved. I mean right now I am just thinking about being on the pitch and playing, but I definitely think it is something I enjoy - to start deep and go high.” The reception from the crowd…. (there were lots of cheers for Nobbs throughout) “I cannot thank the fans enough. I mean anytime I’ve stepped foot on that pitch they’ve been there, such a boost for myself and how, hopefully, I’ve shown myself towards this club and they make me feel such a part of it. And I want to play well and score for them because without them… yeah, it is the best part of football.” News

Get to know every member of the current Lionesses squad. Lionesses Squad Millie Bright No-nonsense centre-back Millie Bright is possibly England’s most ‘traditional’ defender. Bright is a staple figure in the Lionesses line-up and has been named as vice-captain after displaying desirable leadership qualities across the previous few seasons with Chelsea. Bright is assertive and aggressive and uses her physicality, as much as her feet, to escort attacking threats away from goal. Usually the last woman standing, Bright is unafraid to put her body on the line to block or intercept in timely fashion. Bright has a keen eye for a cross ball and her launched passes often act as catalysts for attacking phases of play further up field. Standing at 5ft 9, Bright also provides a serious aerial threat at set-pieces. Further than this, Bright boasts a killer strike and has been known to hit the target from distance. Photograph courtesy of the FA.

Get to know every member of the current Lionesses squad. Lionesses Squad Ebony Salmon Since her move to the States, Ebony Salmon has been tearing up football pitches and making defences squirm with the Houston Dash. Domestically, the centre forward is in illustrious form and will hoping to begin to carry this over to the international stage. Salmon is an out and out no. 9 with that instinctive eye to pounce on any mistake or opening an opponent might leave. As well as being a constant threat in the box, Salmon is also willing to track back to support by ‘defending from the front’. More often than not makes good on the service provided and is a proven clinical finisher. With Ellen White’s retirement, Wiegman is in need of rotational options upfront to balance out Alessia Russo’s workload and Ebony Salmon readily fits the bill here. Photograph courtesy of the FA.