Midfielder Lindsey Morgan hoping West Ham Ladies' hard work on training ground will be rewarded on the pitch

Midfielder Lindsey Morgan hopes the West Ham Ladies’ hard work on the training pitch will see them climb up the table once they return to FA Women’s Premier League South.

The Hammers haven’t played a league game since they beat Chesham United 3-1 on December 8 because of the wet weather conditions so far this winter and might not play another league game until March.

The Ladies currently sit fourth from bottom having picked up 12 points from their opening 12 games and Lindsey believes the prolonged winter break has been a positive.

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"I think to a certain extent having a break from games has worked in our favour," the 33 year old said. "It has enabled us to regroup and given us the opportunity to work together as a squad to improve in some areas.

"I can't really see any issues arising as a result of the backlog of games. It will obviously prolong our season but for me this will only become an issue if we suffer any injuries because we don't have the biggest squad this season in comparison to previous years."

Lindsey rejoined West Ham United in 2011 from Millwall Lionesses and has impressed so far this season with one player of the match award and a goal in 12 appearances.

"My hope moving forward is that we put in some good solid team performances and pick up some momentum,’ she continued. "It is important that we pull together and work for each other and hopefully the results will start to reflect the hard work we are putting in on the training pitch.

"As a senior player I look forward to continuing to nurture the young talent at the club and will pass on my experience to the other players in the squad whenever possible."

The midfielder had planned to hang up her boots at the end of the 2011/12 campaign but admits she now has no plans to retire. "I have spoken previously about retirement but while I'm fit and injury free hanging up my boots couldn't be further from my mind," she said.

As for the departures of fellow senior players, forward Becky Merritt and goalkeeper Toni Anne Wayne, she added: "It is the nature of football that there will be a natural turnover of players at the club. However, that being said it is always disappointing to lose experienced players. On a positive note we have a lot of good young talent at the club and perhaps this will give them the opportunity that they need to break through into the first team."

The Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Grays, Essex, RM19 1YN.

Captain Becky Merritt quits West Ham Ladies for Women’s Super League hopefuls Brighton and Hove Albion

West Ham Ladies captain Becky Merritt has followed goalkeeper Toni-Anne Wayne in quitting the club to join Women’s Super League hopefuls Brighton and Hove Albion.

 The 27-year-old, who joined the Hammers in 2009, had been made captain following the arrival of Mark Saunderson as Ladies manager in the summer. But in an exclusive interview with Blowing Bubbles, the forward admitted the move to the south coast side – on standby to join the Women’s Super League (WSL) – was one she couldn’t turn down.

“I am extremely sad to be leaving the club because ultimately I am a West Ham fan and it was such great feeling pulling on that shirt every week,” she said. “Being captain ensured the decision was even more difficult because I would never want to let down the players, management or the club. I have invested so much time and effort behind the scenes in recent years to try and help take the club forward and this just reinforced my love for the Hammers.”

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

Becky, whose only goal of the season came at home against Chesham United in the league in December, said the decision to quit wasn’t one she took lightly.

 “I can honestly say this has been the hardest decision in my football career,” she continued. “Ultimately I had two choices; stay where I was or move to face a new challenge. The offer from Brighton was too good to turn down.

"The club has an amazing vision so it is exciting to be a part of this ambition. Due to the nature of the approach, coupled with the fact that Brighton are keen to strengthen ready for potential WSL status, my decision had to be made within a certain time frame.

"I utilised every possible day to make the decision because I was so torn. But having experienced my first few training sessions as a Brighton player, I do feel as though I have the buzz back again, and therefore from a personal perspective, have made the right decision.”

The former Crystal Palace and Gravesend & Northfleet player announced her decision to the squad at the end of last month.

“Everyone has been supportive of the move, from the players right through to the management and even the fans,” Becky explained. “Everyone seems to understand the opportunity is a good one, especially with the WSL expansion, and have wished me lots of luck in my new challenge.

"I have made some great friends throughout my West Ham journey and hope to remain in contact with them. I personally contacted players, staff and supporters individually to explain my decision because as captain I felt I owed them all an explanation and I wanted to wish each and every one of them luck for the remaining season.”

The West Ham Ladies have endured a difficult season so far and currently sit fourth from bottom in the FA Womens Premier League South.

Becky continued: “The season has been a tough one as West Ham Ladies are a team very much in transition. There have been moments of frustration but also moments of sheer joy. The club has massive potential with a mix of experience and youth within the ranks.

“The club was obviously disappointed in not gaining WSL status and this makes for a nervous time for most managers within the league, as the bigger clubs look to take their pick of players. With this in mind I have no doubt that the Ladies will survive the hardships and continue to be a success in the women's game.

“The weather is proving to be disruptive but I know that once the girls have a run of games they will surprise a few teams. You cannot underestimate the passion and belief of some of these players, combined with the experience of others and therefore may become the dark horse.

“I sincerely hope that the club continues to grow into a sustainable and successful club. Hopefully they will be considered in the next WSL applications and can really kick on. The club has some amazing people working behind the scenes, and in women's football, these people are gold dust”

Reflecting on her time at the club, she added: “There have been so many highlights during my four years here. Being a fan, pulling the shirt on every week was an immense feeling and that passion was transferred into my game. Scoring a hat-trick on my full debut against Fulham was pretty special, as was my goal in the County Cup final.

"But the overwhelming highlight has to be the captaincy. There aren't enough words to explain my pride at that appointment. My only disappointment is not winning any silverware in claret and blue.”

Becky is, however, “extremely excited” by Brighton’s ambitions as a club. She concluded: “In my first conversation with the club's officials it was clear to see they were going somewhere. There is a real intent in their actions and beliefs, and this inevitably transfers to the players who demand such high standards themselves.

"The opportunity to play in the WSL was an obvious attraction but the real swaying point was the knowledge and expertise of the staff, I realised immediately that I will only improve as a player and the staff can help add longevity to my career.”

Blowing Bubbles would like to thank Becky for her amazing efforts in helping us build our excellent relationship with the Ladies.

Determination of West Ham Ladies rewarded with positive start says manager Mark Saunderson

West Ham Ladies manager Mark Saunderson is in confident mood after his side’s promising start to the season, racking up seven points in their first four games of the league campaign.

Saunderson, having been appointed the Hammers first team manager earlier this summer, has done much to stamp his own mark upon the club.

“I tend not to say too much to the team before the game as I believe that this is the time where the players will go through their own rituals to ensure that are physically & mentally ready for the game ahead,” he said.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“The majority of the information that the players require for the game will have been communicated in the squad briefing during the last training session and the players will have worked on this aspects during the session.

“I may reinforce some of information points from the briefing prior to the game but I tend to leave the squad to prepare themselves which usually involves some slightly dodgy music choices and ear shattering volume levels!”

Reflecting on preseason and the campaign so far, he continued: “I have been impressed by the way in which the squad has embraced the direction and objectives that the management team have set.
The squad and coaching staff undertook an off-season and pre-season schedule that focused on ensuring that each individual was at their optimum performance level going into the opening fixture.

“The coaching staff also focused on the detail and when combined with the squad’s work ethic and eagerness to learn, has resulted in the progress that we have collectively made. The pre-season friendly schedule was designed to pose different scenarios and questions to the squad whilst providing a platform to progressively improve team performance and the squad have overcome each challenge with confidence.

“The squad have over achieved the pre-season objectives set for them but without losing focus or drive on the task in hand.”

Last season, West Ham Ladies didn’t reach their full potential and failed in their bid to win the league title. Since taking the job, Saunderson is determined to improve the squad, identifying four key areas.

“The squad has focused on the four main areas of performance: technical, tactical, fitness and psychological,” he continued. “I have seen major improvements, both on individual and collective levels, in each of the elements. From a management perspective, we have refocused on the detail and brought in the right people to support the players both on and off the pitch whilst providing the right environment for the players to excel within.

“I also believe that we have captured players during the summer that have enhanced the playing squad in all areas whilst increasing the squad depth. I have also been impressed by the progress of players in the development squad and this is providing a valuable competitive element in training.
“I am expecting several players from the development squad to progress into the first team fold over the course of the season and strongly believe that we have the foundations of an extremely competitive team.”

Over the summer, women’s football has gone through a restructuring stage which has pitted West Ham up against several higher placed teams this season, but Saunderson thinks that their league opposition shouldn’t underestimate his team.

“Because of the league restructuring this season, we will be coming up against teams that believe that they have greater resources at their disposal then us, whether it be players or financial due to their involvement in the national league last year.

“For me, this has the added pressure of increasing expectations of players, managers and supporters alike whilst they will come up against teams who will naturally raise their game for these fixtures. I also believe that the league restructuring has also impacted upon player movement in our league as players are looking to secure moves to teams involved in the Super Leagues.

“I feel that we were sensible to secure the services of the majority of squad from last season from day one whilst conducting the majority of our transfer business early. We have introduced the right support functions for the squad in the background and when combined with the other factors, I am confident that we will be competitive this season.”

Earlier this month, Saunderson announced that Bex Merritt will take over as the club’s new first team captain from defender Rosey Sullivan, believing that Merritt can take his mind-set on onto the pitch.

He added: “Firstly, I have to recognise the performance of Rosey Sullivan whilst in the role of first team captain over the last few seasons.For someone of such a young age, she has displayed great leadership qualities and has represented the club in the true spirit of West Ham United.

“I did, however, feel that Rosey, whilst undertaking the role of captaincy and looking after other player interests, sometimes neglected her own to a certain extent and it was impacting upon her development as a player.The captaincy of any team should be used by the manager to be an extension of themselves upon the pitch.

“The captain should understand the playing philosophy, the game plan and the objectives of the team and be able to inspire those players around her to achieve these elements without distracting from their own individual performance.

“They should also shape and drive the team spirit, work ethic and mentality of the squad whilst embodying the spirit of the club and represent the club with the class that it deserves. Finally, they should be able to balance and enhance the unity of the playing squad by their leadership style regardless if the individual player is a senior player or a member of the junior teams.

“I considered several individuals over the course of preseason and took my time with the decision. Upon reflection, Becky Merritt demonstrated all of these elements and I am confident that she will excel in this role because of the support of not only the management team but the playing squad.”

West Ham Ladies take on Keynsham Town in the League Cup tomorrow. The game kicks off at 2pm at Thurrock FC. The postcode for the stadium is RM19 1YN.

West Ham Ladies forward Bex Merritt thriving in new roles

As a West Ham fan, Bex Merritt always speaks of her pride at pulling on the claret and blue every Sunday to play for the West Ham Ladies.

So it was little surprise the forward beaming from ear to ear when she met Blowing Bubbles editor David Blackmore after it was announced she was to captain her side this season.

She said: “It was a great feeling when I was told I was going to be captain. It’s massive for me as a West Ham fan to be given the chance to captain the side and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and for the new boss putting faith in me.”

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

As well as continuing to lead by example on the pitch, Bex hopes her new role will further encourage the younger members of the squad to come to her with their problems.

Bex continued: “I have always had a few of girls come to me about things off the pitch too and I think because I am one of the older players they come to me naturally for advice so I hope this continues now I’m captain.”

As for pre-season, things didn’t quite go to plan for the 27-year-old despite the fact she started her training a few weeks before the squad first met.

She said: “From my point of view it wasn’t the best because I missed a couple of games during pre-season –one was because I was ill and the other was with the development squad to try and get my fitness back – so the friendly against Nottingham Forest earlier this month, which we won 3-0, was massive for me.

“It was great to get 90 minutes under my belt before the Charlton game and It was a great game against Forest because I haven’t played them before and I’m not sure how long it has been since the club has either – if we even have.

“Northern teams are always tough to play against because they are more physical and play a completely different style of football so it was good to play in that game.”

She added: “Overall, I think it was a really good pre-season for the club. With the changes in management there were a lot of new faces about and we now have a great medical staff but everyone has settled in well.

“Mark [Sanderson, West Ham Ladies manager] has been setting standards for us all pre-season and then when we hit them, he ups it again. We have had some good signings and the squad is really beginning to gel now and we are all beginning to understand how we all play.”

As well as her new role as captain, Bex has also been given the task of adapting to a new role - a challenge she is thriving on.

She continued: “I haven’t been given a goals target this season but personally I would like to at least equal my goal tally from last year – I think I got 15 in all competitions.I am, however, playing a slightly different role this season which will allow me to wander a bit so I won’t be playing right up top which could impact the amount of goals I score.

“But I’m really looking forward to the season because I think this role suites my game better rather than playing as the top striker.”

The Ladies didn’t get off to the new season off to the best start last weekend - losing 2-1 away at Charlton Athletic. But with games at home against Portsmouth and Lewes, the Ladies will feel they have a chance to kick their season into full gear.

Bex continued: “After Charlton we do have a few tough games coming up but there are no games in this league that are easy anymore because of the introduction of the Women’s Super League 2 has meant a greater range of teams have been brought into one league which I think will be better for us.

“I think we play our best stuff when we are playing against tougher opposition rather than games where we are expected to win. It will be frustrating if we win the league this season and can’t get promoted to the WSL until the following year but we have a plan as a club which goes beyond this season.

“We will very much be taking this season week by week and see how we go.If at the end of the year we are picking up medals for winning the league and a cup competition than that will be brilliant and it’ll do wonders for attracting more players.

“The cups are always great to take part in because it gives us the chance to see how far we can go and it’s brilliant for the squad to travel together and play teams above us or in a strong position. It also gives us a test to see where we are individually and as a team.”

And reflecting on how last season’s squad compares to thie season’s, she continued: “The difference is we have got a lot of strength in depth which a lot of other women’s teams don’t have. At the moment there is a brilliant vibe at the club and everyone is fighting for the shirt.”

The West Ham Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Aveley, Essex, EM19 1YN. They play Portsmouth on September 1 and Lewes on September 8, both at home with kick off at 2pm.

Becky sees Merritt in West Ham Ladies Academy

West Ham Ladies are opening an Academy for September and are recruiting now. Writing for Blowing Bubbles, forward Becky Merritt explains how the Academy happened, how tough it has been and what it means for the club.

After losing our under 19 development squad to lack of funding a couple of  seasons ago, there has been  limited opportunities for our under 16 graduates to progress into senior football and some have found the jump to reserves and first team a little too daunting.

With this in mind, we wanted to create an opportunity where we could bridge the gap for our young stars and the Academy seemed to be an excellent opportunity for this.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

Seeing that I already work in football academies with a company called Soccer Coaching Limited, I had the best people around me to start this exciting venture.

With the expertise of SCL and the passion of the management at West Ham, we have formed a strong partnership and aim to propel West Ham Ladies into the spotlight and be the best that we can be.

Starting anything from scratch is never easy, but we have the best people on board to make our ideas reality.

We have managed to secure a state-of-the-art venue for training and education as well as employing excellent coaching staff.

We have also been lucky to have the support of many people to help with our recruitment process and our hard work is paying off.

We have a number of girls applying for trials from well-established teams and we hope this interest grows.

The Academy, first and foremost, will allow us to have more coaching time with our players where our excellent coaching staff can develop the young girls into better players.

Training every day and playing at least one game a week will ensure our players develop far quicker. These players can hopefully progress to represent our first team, who have recently submitted a bid to join the
Women’s Super League.

As a self-sustaining club, our funding will allow the club as a whole to develop and grow. With a regular source of funding into the club we can help make our ambitions more achievable.

Women’s football has grown substantially over the last few years. There is a real buzz around the game at the moment and, with the success of Team GB in the Olympics and the current WSL, this is only set to grow.

As clubs are creating their own centre of excellence or academies this ensures that more young females are receiving regular coaching at a high level and therefore meaning, that as a nation, we are developing potential stars for the future.

Also, as clubs continue to provide these opportunities it will allow them to retain these players and lower the risk of losing excellent talents to big named teams.

Any current year 11 females interested in combining a college education with the professional football training lifestyle should register for trials on www.scl-online.co.uk

Our first trial will be taking place on Wednesday April 10from 3 to 5 pm and will be held at the West Ham Community Trust, Beckton.

Frustration as weather halts West Ham Ladies promotion bid

As the West Ham Ladies prepare to take to the pitch again after their Christmas break, there is an air of frustration amongst the squad still hoping to secure promotion this season.

The Ladies resume their season on Sunday in a cup game against London Corinthians but they will have to wait until the following week to return to league action.

The Ladies are currently fifth in the Premier League Southern Division but have only played seven games so far this season while their promotion rivals have all played more.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

Their four wins, one draw and two defeats means they are currently eight points adrift from leaders Reading but the Ladies can cut this to two points by winning their games in hand.

Their last league outing on November 18 saw them thrash Tottenham Hotspur Ladies 3-0 but the bad weather saw the rest of their games for 2012 called off and prevented them continuing their unbeaten run heading into Christmas.

Speaking exclusively to Blowing Bubbles, centre back Danica Revell said: “It has been really annoying to not have played since November. We thought all the games were going to go ahead on the day and got all ready to go only to then get the call to say the game was off.

“It has been very frustrating for all of us because we want to be out there winning games. Despite this, we’ve still been training hard and doing a lot of fitness but it isn’t the same as actually playing games and having match fitness.”

She added: “We’re still fighting for promotion and, I believe, we will get it if we keep putting in the hard effort and ensure we play to the high standards we know we are capable of.”

Meanwhile forward Becky Merritt added: “We are currently sitting in fifth but we’ve only played seven games while others have played like 10 or 12. So providing we capitalize on these games in hand, our bid for promotion is still on course.

“It’s been massively frustrating to not play but we were quite lucky that over the Christmas period we were able to train indoors at Chadwell Health which which I hope will give us a huge advantage when we start playing again in the New Year.

“We hit a good run of form before the games started being called off so I am now hoping we can hit the ground running in the New Year and start getting the wins we need.”

She added: “The positives from the first half of the season have to be the youngsters coming through and the signings we have made.

“The negatives, for me, were the lack of games and our loss against Millwall on the opening game of the season.

“The latter is something which has bugged me all season and something I hope to put right when we play them again.”

“I’ll fight for my place” vows West Ham Ladies winger Zoe Lipley-Hinton

When re-joining the West Ham Ladies in the summer, young winger Zoe Lipley-Hinton thought she would spend most of the season in the reserves.

But after impressing in pre-season, the 18-yearold was promoted to the first team and given her chance in the starting line-up.

Following several solid performances, which also saw her score against Colchester United in the League Cup, her teammates were full of praise for Zoe and a regular spot in the starting XI looked certain.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

But during the Ladies thumping victory against Spurs last month, Zoe twisted her knee and now faces a couple of weeks on the sidelines while others get a chance to shine.

“There are a lot of players in the team who are good enough to step in and take my place so I will have to do my best to get back into the team,” she said. But to be honest I’ve really enjoyed playing with the first team and apart from my goal, my highlight this season has just been starting games.

“I honestly didn’t think I would get this chance because I had just come up from the reserves and thought I’d be on the bench but I was delighted to be able to show what I can do and start matches.”

It looks unlikely the teenager will play competitively for the Ladies this year with their final game of 2012 being Reading away on December 16 but that’s not something she is too worried about.

Zoe continued: “I thought the step up to the first team was difficult because it was much faster but I didn’t have anything to lose or anything to prove so I just gave everything I could in every game.

“I have also been lucky in that players like Bex [Merritt] give me a lot of advice. Her runs are very good and that is one thing I am working on and she helps me with this part of my game.”

She added: “I feel like I bring good work rate to the team and that I always want to put in a good shift.”

West Ham Ladies are next playing at home on Sunday, December 9 against Queen’s Park Rangers in the FA Womens’ Premier League Southern Division. The game kicks off at 2pm.

The Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Grays, Essex, RM19 1YN.

West Ham Ladies striker April Bowers hoping for a shower of goals

West Ham Ladies striker April Bowers has vowed to fire her side towards promotion this season.

The 18-year-old bagged the winner in the Ladies’ league game against Tottenham Hotspur which was also her first game back from an ankle injury.

And with her fitness picking up all the time, she has now set herself a goals target and hopes to make strides into that this weekend.

She said: “I wouldn’t say I’m 100pc fit at the moment but I’m getting there and my ankle feels good so I can’t wait to play this Sunday.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“It was annoying to have been out so early in the season particularly as I felt my fitness was good and I was happy with how I was playing.

“We’ve been playing a 4-3-3 system this season and I’ve been playing out wide, up top – like an old school winger – and I love it because I love scoring goals. “I have set myself a target of getting at least 15 goals this season and help us really challenge for promotion.”

But she continued: “I wouldn’t say there is pressure on any one person to score all the goals and at the minute we are all chipping in with goals.

“Bex [Merritt] has got a few goals already, as has Lindsay [Morgan], and although I love scoring, it is nice when one of the other girls scores too.

“To be honest it doesn’t really matter where they are coming from, as long as the goals are going in and we are winning games that is all that matters.”

She added: “Bex [Merritt] has been one of the outstanding players so far this season. She is also always helping me and talking to me and trying to build my confidence.”

This season is the second the striker has played with the first team having come through the juniors and reserve sides.

She continued: “I love playing in the first team. I remember when I first started playing with the first team, I found it so fast but now I feel I have made the step up.

“It is a big step from the reserves to the first team but there are few girls who could come up and get into the squad and I hope they get their chance to.”

Asked how she thinks the Ladies’ season is going, April replied: “I think the season is going well so far.

“Losing out first game to Millwall was a bad start but we’ve picked ourselves up from that and we are all gelling well as a team and working hard in training.”

West Ham Ladies are next playing at home on Sunday, November 11 against Colchester United in the FA Womens’ Premier League Southern Division The game kicks off at 2pm.

The Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Grays, Essex, RM19 1YN.

Best is yet to come from West Ham Ladies midfielder Stacey Little

Ask the West Ham Ladies who has been their best player so far this season and midfielder Stacey Little would top most of their lists but the 25-year-old has vowed the best is still to come from her.

The former Charlton Athletic player has started every game for the Ladies so far this season and even bagged a goal in the League Cup – a goal she confesses is probably one of the best she has ever scored.

“I’m very tough on myself,” she said. “I expect to have a great game every week but I would rather play average and win then have a great game and lose because we’re determined to get promoted this season and three points from every game are all that matters.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“I thought, for example, I played really well against Millwall at the start of the season but we lost and for a West Ham fan, I was devastated to lose against them.
“For me to keep my place in the team, I have to ensure I have a good game every week and although I’m reasonably pleased with my start to the season, there is much more to come from me.”

Moving swiftly onto the other teammates, she continued: “I think Bex [Becky Merritt] has done really well this season.

“She has done well up top but if we have been missing players, she has stepped into their positions and done really well. She has also been banging in the goals.

“The funny thing with Bex is that she will miss an easy chance but then score an absolute screamer. I’m tipping her to have a great season.

“I have also been impressed with Toni [Anne Wayne]. I played with her at Charlton so I already knew her but she has come in and done really well this season and made some important saves.”

Striker Kelley Blanchflower, who broke her collar bone against QPR last month, is another player who caught Stacey’s eye this season.

“She was fantastic in pre-season and took that form into the season,” she said. “She wasn’t scoring as many goals that she would like to have done in the first few games but that doesn’t take anything away from her performances.

“She has been brilliant and her getting injured is a big blow for us. But I’m sure after Christmas, she will be back and fighting fit.”

The Ladies next face rivals Spurs in the league on Sunday (KO 2pm) having already played them once this season, drawing 1-1 in the league cup.

“We under-performed in our last game against Spurs,” Stacey continued. “I’m sure we will be reminded of this performance in the changing room before our game on Sunday and hopefully we can go out there and get the three points we need and want.

“The league is the most important thing for us this season. We haven’t got off to the start we would’ve hoped for but then we didn’t last season and we were still pushing for promotion at the end.

“If we get promoted this season and don’t get to any finals or win anything else then I will be delighted – as I’m sure the others will be too.”