Ceri Hudson and her Abergavenny Town are aiming as high as they can, as they prepare for their first season back in the Adran Premier.
Some around the Welsh football scene were shocked to see Abergavenny demoted to the Adran South during the newly shuffled Welsh football structure.
However, Hudson said this served as motivation to their rise to the title.
‘The Adran South was a tough league with both Cascade & Briton Ferry being demoted we knew we had to play our best football to beat them to the title.
‘With the quality, we had in our squad last year it would have been a massive underachievement if we missed out.
‘The girls were hugely disappointed by the decision to remove us from the league but were determined to prove a point and win promotion.
‘So many of our players remained loyal and stuck by the club, we even had players return and a whole community behind us.
‘This was all the motivation we needed going into matches and because of this I had no doubt we would win the league.
Ahead of the new season, the team have made numerous new signings, and Hudson believes they will certainly help in their Adran Premier quest.
‘The new signing have been great; they have settled in well and have added some healthy competition across a number of positions.
‘They have impressed throughout the preseason, each bringing something different and it’s clear they have a bright football career ahead of them.
And the new signings will certainly be welcome, especially as Hudson and the squad are aware of the step up to the Adran Premier.
‘There’s a number of differences. The quality of opposition, and the speed, and tempo of the game will be the obvious differences. The time you have on the ball and opportunities on goal all reduce.
‘The game is more attractive at the highest level, linesmen are present at game to help referees, there’s no kit clashes, better facilities, increased funding.
Like many players across the league, Hudson has been playing football for a large period of her life. Now, with a successful European Championships being hosted across the border and Wales on the cusp of clinching a World Cup playoff spot, Hudson is relishing what the future holds.
‘It’s great to see how far our national squads have come, there’s a real buzz around Welsh football and it’s clear to see what influence the elite game is having on grassroots football.
‘The changes around women’s football are clear to see. We have girls only and women’s teams across the country, informal Huddle sessions, girls turn up & play sessions, girls only training nights and hubs and women’s football kits to name a few.
‘This was unheard of years ago, girls had to travel miles to play, couldn’t play football in school, wore handed down men’s kits and would get bullied just for playing football.
‘There’s still work to be done but it’s fantastic to see how women’s and girls’ football is growing across the grassroots and community game’
When asked about their expectations for the season, Hudson was clear in not only her ambition but the team’s ambition.
‘Personally, it’s to try and stay fit and injury free, something I struggled with last season.
‘Our aim is always to win every game regardless of the opposition. The league is made up of a number of teams and I believe everyone is capable of taking points from each other.
‘Realistically, we are aiming for a top 4 spot but whether we achieve that this year or not for me would not define our season.
‘As a squad we aim to finish top four find our feet in the league again and make a cup final. It’s going to be a challenge but something we can achieve.
Abergavenny’s first game of the Adran Premier season will be at home to Aberystwyth Town on September 4th.
Leave a Reply