Our Ladies side have experienced somewhat of a resurgence since Manager Kevin Jacklin’s appointment in the close season. At the time of writing his side sit in pole position with the Cambridgeshire Women’s and Girls’ League, Division One having completed 8 of their 18 league fixtures, dropping just 3 points in the process with a narrow loss suffered at Leverington Sports. With a League Cup Semi-Final to look forward to, the latter stages of the season look set to be exciting for The Stutes. We sat down with Jacklin to discuss how he has transformed the side that was struggling 12 months ago, to one that hopes to gain promotion back to the Eastern Region League.
Kevin, since your appointment to Bridge Road the change in fortunes for the side have been quite dramatic. What has been key to the success that you are currently experiencing?
“This side is still in its infancy with a number of new players joining at the start of the season. We have started the season well due to the fact that we have managed to bring in players of good ability who have played at a higher level and bringing with them a good mixture of experience and youth. The players who played at Histon last season and who still remain, have been very welcoming and this has helped to generate a good team spirit within the squad. Everyone is on the same page, knowing this is a project with the aim of establishing Histon Ladies as a leading light in the Eastern Region for many years to come.”
That spirit has clearly shown it rewards so far, having only suffered one league defeat to date. Despite that recent set back, is there a belief within the squad that the end goal of promotion is achievable this term?
“The recent loss was disappointing, but we did have a number of players either injured or unavailable for that game. We were able to take away some good learning points and if anything this has focused our minds even more to achieving our goal for promotion this season. We have some tough looking fixtures ahead and February could prove to be a crucial month with one of the games against our title rivals who remain unbeaten so far.”
Looking ahead to that clash you eluded to, you face title challengers Cardea at Bridge Road on Sunday February 19th, Kick Off 2PM. How would you sell the game to those who may consider supporting your side and what difference can any extra support add?
“We need as many supporters as possible for the home game on the 19th Feb. This is a top of the league clash. Both sides like to play football so should be a very entertaining game for supporters of any age to watch. Admission is free and the game should be a great advertisement for Ladies football. For all those supporters who watched the Lionesses win the Euros but perhaps haven’t seen any ladies football, this will be a great opportunity to experience what the female game has to offer and hopefully they will want to come back again and be part of Histon’s progression in the coming seasons. To date we haven’t seen a lot of support from the local community so it will be fantastic for the girls to have the village and everyone behind them.”
“If there are any women out there either hoping to get back into the game or looking for a new challenge, why should they choose Histon Ladies and how can they make contact with you?
Anybody interested in playing for Histon Ladies can contact me direct via email keja1960@hotmail.com or by phone on 07791 525410.
Histon Ladies are looking to have a development team next season in addition to our first team and we will be looking for new players who have played at Eastern Region level or above and indeed those that want to challenge themselves at a higher level. We are also looking for young players starting out in ladies football or players looking to get back into the game. Histon is a family club with great potential and fantastic facilities. This is the perfect time to join Histon and be part of their journey.”
This Sunday, February 12th sees the Ladies next action. The side make the short hop to Fitzwilliam College Sports Ground to take on Cambridge University 2nd Team with Kick Off set for 2PM. Your support would be greatly appreciated!
The remaining fixtures for the side can be found here: Ladies – Histon FC
