FAWPL Northern Division: Leeds United, Stoke City, Copsewood

Wilf Frith’s FA Women’s Premier League round-up carries three manager interviews from the Northern Division and Midland Combination. Leeds United’s new manager Neil Ross describes a very young, inexperienced squad taking a big step up from Centre of Excellence football, names his recruited staff of Lewis Atkinson, Danny Cadamarteri, Tom Poole and Billy Atton, calls a home cup defeat to Preston humiliating and the double over local rivals Bradford his high, rates Sheffield LFC the best side faced, and says the franchise system without promotion makes a return to the elite harder. Stoke City’s Andrew Frost, a Premier League debutant after winning the Midland Combination, reports exceeding a target of survival despite losing joint manager Duncan Gilchrist, and is surprised Sheffield’s Jodie Michalska is not playing at WSL level. Copsewood’s Ryan Conneely, whose father Mick managed the club for eleven years, puts their Midland Combination lead down to hard work at a self-funded club.