After a highest ever points tally and position last season, the Hampshire League Division 2 club are aiming for promotion this term.
How did the club and particularly your team get started?
Kingsclere have always had girls’ teams with players from ages 9 to 16 playing in the Peter Houseman Youth Leagues. These were started by our Chairwoman, Mary Davis, so that her daughter could keep playing when she was too old to continue playing mixed football. The Ladies team was founded in 2011 so that players that came through the youth ranks would have somewhere to play when they were too old to play youth football, rather than just give up the game.
Tell us some of your top nicknames and why players have them and why some maybe don’t?
Most nicknames within the squad are based on surnames like Snowy (Rachel Snow) and Scrippsy (Gemma Scripps). However, the best nickname belongs to Amelia Davis who goes by either ‘Mills’ or ‘Millsey’, due to her admiration of ex-Leeds United right back Danny Mills.
Do you have a fairly settled team?
We have a core of players who have come through the Kingsclere youth system but we have made changes to the squad as our ambitions have grown and the need for a larger squad has emerged.
How did the 2012/13 season go for you, what do you expect from 2013/14 and who are your biggest rivals?
The 2012/13 season saw the club accumulate a record points tally and best league position. We also made it to the semi-final of the Hampshire Junior Cup but we were unable to make it into the final to defend our title. In the 2013/14 season we are hoping to regain our Junior Cup crown as well as gain promotion and get the club one step closer to the Southern Regional League. We did not have a local rival last season but this season will see the emergence of Tadley Calleva and Basingstoke Town Colts, who are both just down the A339.
Tell us a top fact about your team:
Kingsclere scored in all but one of their games last season, accumulating 85 goals throughout the course of the campaign.
Who is your captain and tell us a bit about her?
Our captain last season was Safia Whiteham but ‘Saf’ has just finished at University at Southampton and is about to set off around the world and to help out certain causes in Africa. As a captain, she is good at motivational speeches and picking players up when their heads drop.
What about your coach/manager – are they serious, funny, good/bad and why?
Ashley Davis is a Level 2 Coach but only a couple of years older than most of the squad and even younger than some. He is generally quite serious about what he does but will never shy away from the banter that gets thrown around the dressing room. He has recently turned down several offers to manage at bigger clubs in order to help take Kingsclere higher.
Tell us a funny moment the team shared:
Striker Alice Hill brought her new boyfriend along to our Presentation Evening and he was subjected to individual interrogations from most of the staff, players and supporters. With Alice herself of course getting redder and redder by the minute.
Who is the team’s jock (the fittest) and who is the joker?
The fittest player on the team is probably central midfielder Penelope Hall, who is going to be playing in America next season. The joker of the team is Kelly Rutledge, she always has something to get the team laughing.
Does the team/club have an unsung hero?
Unsung hero is probably Treasurer Alan Davis. He not only keeps the books in fantastic detail but also helps out with training and runs the line every week without fail.
Who is always first to the bar on a team/club night out?
There are a few people who are quick to the bar, most notably Kelly Rutledge. She is always closely followed by Rachael Snow, Amelia Davis and Gemma Fonda though.
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