Chichester City opened their Premier League account with a 3-0 victory over Shanklin on Sunday and look forward to further successes with Liam Greenfield and Dick Semark taking charge of first team and development squad respectively.
The first team had a disappointing season last year under the guidance of Matt Wright but the club say Greenfield (pictured top) is philosophical of how that will have a positive impact on their new campaign in the FA Premier League Division One [South West].
‘It was a season of huge transition, several players leaving the club and several coming in, we ended the season with a strong core of players which we have managed to keep’.
In addition to this nucleus of players Greenfield has made several new exciting signings including Jade Widdows, who has recently returned from a stint in the USA, Shannon Albuery from Hampshire Centre of Excellence and Tammy Waine, the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion player. Along with the promise of ex-captain and club stalwart Jade Widdowson returning to fitness, Greenfield is more than happy with the squad, saying: ‘in my opinion we now how the best squad of players I have seen in my four years at the club’.
The Development Squad have a little longer to organise themselves as they start in early September but Semark is clear on the main objectives of the team that fall in line with the clubs philosophy ‘Our main aim is to back our first team and to give our young squad more confidence and to improve their individual games’. 
Behind the scenes the newly formed committee, chaired by previous managers Matt Wright and Caroline Henry Evans, is working hard to develop the structure required to meet the clubs long term ambitions. He is clear on the way the club needs to move forward: ‘We have two fantastic managers in Liam and Dick and it is essential we give them everything they need to support them and their coaching staff. We want our club to operate with a high level of professionalism and reach a standard that has never been achieved before by a female team in this city’.
More details about the club and future fixtures can be found at www.chichesterfemalefootball.co.uk
Meanwhile. Matt Wright and player Lucy Standbridge have used their time in the close season to volunteer in an extremely under privileged part of Kenya. The pair travelled, as a part of a larger group from Chichester College, with the intention of using football as a tool to increase cultural awareness alongside undertaking a major construction project within a local school.
Many of the children and adults within the town of Nakuru survive in what most would consider extreme conditions and are often poorly nourished and clothed. Regardless of this they constantly find opportunity to play the beautiful game. On the most part their football is played with balls made from plastic bags, bear feet and sports kit is a rarity. Thus the donations from Chichester City Ladies FC were greatly appreciated. Matt and Lucy took several of the Ladies sides football kits and footballs donate to people in the local area. Lucy said: ‘it was incredible to see the excitement on their faces when we gave out the Chichester Ladies kit and footballs, to have my manager Matt there with me made it an even more special experience’.
It became starkly evident in a short period of time the existing school cannot cope with the demand for free places therefore the project lead, Lisa Humpries along with Matt, Lucy and other members of Chichester College have vowed to raise the £80,000 required to build the new facility. Anyone wanting to support the fund raising should contact Matt on [email protected]
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