Listen above for our full interview with Haverfordwest County AFC Head of Women’s and Girls’ Football Mikey Loveridge, and captain Ffion Kirk!
Haverfordwest County AFC Women are potentially just weeks away from promotion in their first season as a senior side, as they set their sights on tier three football next season.
After having a girls academi prior to the summer, The Bluebirds have taken the next step in the progression of their women’s and girls’ section, with the introduction of a women’s senior team.
Renown for having a strong outfit in the men’s JD Cymru Premier, having famously won in Europe three years ago against North Macedonian side Shkendija, Haverfordwest were one of just a handful of sides without a women’s senior team before last year.
Well now they have one, after a significant focus on preparing for the moment. Now top of the Perago West Wales Women’s League, led by Mikey Loveridge, Haverfordwest County AFC are looking to take this project beyond tier four – all the way to the Genero Adran Leagues.
“18 months ago, we started our female provision. We had girls within the boys academy, but we didn’t have our own female provision,” Loveridge explained.
“We had an FAW Development Centre where we could arrange friendlies, which we did and we went all across Wales and performed very well.
“I learned very quickly that we had talented players within Pembrokeshire, and after that successful season we got given academi status this season.
“The women’s team was to complete the pathway. With the development centre season we had U8s, U10s, U12s, U14s, U16s, now we’ve got U9s, U11s, U13s, U15s and the women’s team. It was important that we had a pathway for our young academy girls to have something to strive for.
“When I first came into the club, me and Beccy (Nuttall) sat down and we talked briefly about having a women’s team last season, but we spoke about not running before we could walk. We wanted to make our development centre really successful.
“We were one of only eleven teams in Wales that got given academi status for our girls, so we were really proud of that. It was the right moment to create a women’s team this season.
“We’ve got a ten year plan that we want to get to tier one, the quicker we can do that the better, we’re also not naive enough to know that we’re not going to go straight up every league, it’s going to be a lot of hard work and dedication.”
On the pitch, Haverfordwest remain unbeaten in the Perago West Wales League, with ten wins from eleven games.
A young squad with a lot of potential, with former Genero Adran U19s League regulars Katie Gibbins and Jamine Thomas amongst the side. The leagues top scorer, 16-year-old Kayla Jones, has 27 goals to her name in a Haverfordwest shirt this season.
Ffion Kirk is captain of the side, having made the move from Johnstown in the summer.
The forward spent three seasons at the club, winning promotion to the SWWGL Combined last season, and will be looking to repeat the feat with The Bluebirds in the remaining games of the campaign.
“My younger sister has been playing for the club for a few years now, so I’ve always been around Bridge Meadow when taking her to training or watching her games, so I’ve always been impressed by the coaching style and how serious the staff really value the training,” Kirk said.
“For me it was the prospect of joining a team where ambition is really important, and playing a possession based game.
“I believe that playing for Haverfordwest that we’re going to progress year on year.”
Kirk also praised Head of Women’s and Girls’ Football Mikey Loveridge, who has driven the progress at Haverfordwest County AFC.
“I don’t think in West Wales, women’s and girls’ football would be as progressed as it is without Mikey.
“He’s so dedicated towards us, and I think we’re all really appreciative of how he always backs us and how he’s really passionate for women’s and girls’ football.”
Listen to the interview in full with Mikey Loveridge and Ffion Kirk at the top of this article.
