Gas Girls look to learn lessons ahead of new season

Bristol Rovers Women’s meteoric rise up the football pyramid took a slight stutter last season as they narrowly missed out on promotion by just one point.

Silverware was still secured thanks to victory in the league cup final but the Gas Girls were disappointed not to continue their climb up the leagues.

So the first team will kick off in Cornwall on Sunday away against Liskeard Athletic in the South West Regional Premier Division – the fifth tier of women’s football in England.

Just one step below, Rovers’ development team will be competing in the South West Regional Northern Division.

The club’s home ground is Lockleaze Sports Centre, where the first team recently comprehensively beat Bath City 9-0 in a pre-season friendly, with several trialists in that game now fully fledged members of the squad.

Seven new signings have joined Rovers over the summer: goalkeeper Jenna Hill from Taffs Well Women; striker Charlie Rowlands from Forest Green Rovers; former Swindon centre-midfielder Rianne Bourne-Hallett; midfielder Lannece Hole from Hartpury University; centre back Beth Lewis from Downend Saints; centre-back Kirsten Prior from Frampton Rangers; and midfielder Scarlett Mills who has previously played for Bridgewater United, Bristol City and St Alban’s.

Ahead of the start of the new season, the Gas Girls recently launched their new away shirt in collaboration with St Peter’s Hospice.

First team defender Layah Douglas was among the players to model the new pink kit, hoping to have as bright a start on the pitch as off it.

“I’m hoping for a really positive start to begin with,” Douglas told Bristol24/7.

“Just building. We have had a lot of new players coming in so just getting to know them, making sure that the team gels.

“I’m hoping that we get higher in the league than last season when we came second.

“Coming a point off was heartbreaking but hopefully we’ll get that win this time, proving to the league what we have got and showing them what we can bring to the table.

“Since I joined and was in the development team, this club has been like a family to me.

“The vibes are unmatched here and I couldn’t thank all the players enough for welcoming me right from the start andI’m sure that all of the new players will feel just as welcomed as well.”

Gas Girls defender Layah Douglas at Milborne St Andrew’s Sports Ground during May’s South West Regional League Cup Final against Bishops Lydeard Ladies – photo: Bristol Rovers Women’s FC

For Nathan Hallett-Young, Gas Girls co-founder and first team manager, lessons have been learnt from last season – with promotion the clear aim.

“Naturally, after coming second last season, we want to improve. That’s always going to be the case but we need to be realistic as well. A lot of teams around us have strengthened and we have lost some key figures in our squad.

“But I’m really happy with how the recruitment has gone. It’s put us in a really good place going into the new season.

“The aim is always going to be doing as much as we can with what we have got.

“The best thing about our squad is that we are resilient, we learn very quickly and we’ll grow, hopefully competing at the top end again and see where we get to at the end of the season.”

Main photo: Rich Buchanan

Read next:

• Gas Girls reveal new shirt in collaboration with St Peter’s Hospice
• Gas Girls lift league cup
• Layah Douglas becomes Show Racism the Red Card ambassador
  

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: