Exeter City Women’s Development Team is set to be rebranded for the 2022/2023 season.
A move into the National League Reserve South West Division will see the team now referred to as ‘Exeter City Women Reserves,’ a switch that will bring a significant advancement to player development for the Women’s Team.
With a highly successful development team established in 2020/2021, a two-year freeze on promotion due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, led to that squad dismantling as players sought opportunities at the higher level their talents warranted. Led to rebuild the team in 2021/2022, Manager Jamie McInnes can now look to a bright future for the team. “This is going to be a real step up for us. It’s going to be quality pitches, quality opposition. The commitment is going to be more than last year, the link between reserve team and first team is going to be a lot closer.”
In a division that has featured Portsmouth, Oxford, Lewes, Southampton FC and Bridgwater last season, the advancement in quality will be significant, yet the pathway from the Girls Academy at Exeter College, to the Reserve team and then, hopefully, first team football, will be more representative of the ability of player currently being produced by the Women’s Football structure.
Members of last season’s squad are keen to take on the challenge and are already looking forward to the new season. Robyn Wickens, who has been part of the team for the past two seasons, is keen to progress. “It’s a big opportunity for us as a team and as individuals as well. It is going to give us wider opportunities and a broader look on how we can progress as players.”
With the team now moving to the Exwick Sports Hub and the vast improvement in facilities that move will represent, McInnes is keen to add to the squad and recruit some of the many talented players that parted from City in the past eighteen months. “We are going to need to bring in more players and we are going to need to bring in quality players.”
Reserve Team players are now on the lookout for individual sponsors to aid with increased costs, packages are available from £200.00 and can be purchased by contacting david.gribble@ecfc.co.uk