The Genero Adran League awards for 2021-22 included Player of the Season for Cardiff City FC’s Ffion Price and Cardiff Met’s Izzy Taylor winning the Manager’s honour.
Although Price is a set-piece specialist and scored some Goal of the Season contenders herself, that actual award went to Chloe Chivers of Swansea City.
Manager of the Season is Izzy Taylor, who guided Cardiff Met to a Trophy final triumph, while Young Player of the Season went to Wales U-17 international Lily Billingham of Cardiff City FC.
Annaliese Lewis is the Genero Adran South Player of the Season, Craig Morgan-Hill Manager of the Season after leading Abergavenny to the top spot, Emily Freeman of Swansea University taking the Young Player award.
As many as 36 league goals from Wrexham’s prolific Rosie Hughes saw her honoured as Player of the Season in the Adran South Division. Steve Dale was given the managerial honour for transforming Wrexham’s fortunes, while Llandudno Wales U-17 international Madison Williams lifted the Young Player trophy.
Adran League increasing in popularity
Independent research among the adult population has shown interest in Wales’ top women’s league to have steadily increased from 9% in 2016, to 15% in 2022. For those describing themselves as football fans, the change in interest is almost 10%, at 24% this year from the original 15% in 2016 (this figure dropped in 2019 to 14%).
Those attending matches is also encouraging, with 19% of football fans saying that they attend matches each season and 5% coming to ‘most games’ and 8% seeing ‘some games’, all of these figures are 2-3% above the European benchmarks.
Meanwhile, perceptions of the league have become more positive among adults and fans, with significant numbers now describing the Genero Adran Premier as ‘successful’ and having a ‘great atmosphere’.
Adran Premier General Manager, Ianthe Mumford, told adranleagues.cymru: “It’s fantastic to see the hard work of the clubs and league to raise the standards and profile of the Genero Adran Premier paying off.
“To be described as ‘competitive’, ‘entertaining’ and ‘family friendly’, demonstrates the core values of the Adran Leagues.”