Wales play Belgium this Saturday (16th November) in their third match of the World Cup Qualifying campaign. Having lost to Austria and Scotland already the Welsh girls will be looking for a much improved performance as they take on the group favourites in Rhyl. The game is at Belle Vue with a 3pm kick-off and Bangor's Ceryl Jones is likely to start the game. Fellow Welsh Internationals Manon Lloyd Williams, Cheryl Foster and Tania Jones will miss the game through injury.
Manon Lloyd Williams suffered a fractured fibula and damaged ankle ligaments in the recent home game with Liverpool. Manon has had an operation to pin the fracture and has already set her sights on making a comeback next season. Cheryl Foster has resumed training after knee surgery and Tania Jones hopes to be back playing in a month also after knee surgery.
Bangor have been drawn away to fellow Northern Division club Manchester City in the fourth round of the Axa FA Women's Cup. Bangor have to travel to Old Bedians FC for the second time this season and will not be relishing a far from perfect pitch on December 9th.
Whilst Bangor were being dumped out of the League Cup things were going even worse for the two City players representing Wales on Sunday (28th Oct). Ceryl Jones and Manon Lloyd Williams were part of the team that crashed to a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Scotland in the World Cup Qualifying Group game. Wales have now lost their opening two games and have yet to face group favourites Belgium.
Welsh Internationals Tania Jones and Cheryl Foster were both under the surgeon's knife last week. Tania is hopeful she will be back playing in four weeks time after key-hole surgery to rectify damage to the inside of the knee cap. Cheryl had two cysts removed from her knee and is awaiting news of when she can resume training but this is likely to be at least a month away.
The Wales U19 squad to play Poland, Slovakia and Holland in the next round of the European U19 Championships has strong Bangor representation. Flying out to Poland from 8th to the 15th of October are:
| Jo Price - Haverdfordwest | Nicky Davies - Bangor |
| Joanne Jones - Barry | Laura Pritchard - Bangor |
| Katie Daley - Cardiff | Delyth Mahoney |
| Lianne Robertson - Newport | Charlotte Miller - Newport |
| Natalie Ashford - Barry | Laura Roberts -Haverdfordwest |
| Sian Cheedy - Newport | Emma Meridith - Cardiff |
| Kelly Davies - Bangor | Claire Davies - Newport |
| Katie Williams - Bangor | Sarah Bastian - Newport |
| Jenna Hopkins - Newport | Eleri Earnshaw |
| Ailsa Orlik - Bangor |
Bangor's Cheryl Foster, Manon Lloyd Williams and Ceryl Jones have been selected for the Welsh squad that will play Austria in Llanelli this weekend (14th October). Fortunately the FA have let fair play prevail by allowing Welsh clubs to call off their games for International selections, therefore the league against Liverpool is postponed. With five players selected for the Wales U19's on the same weekend, City had no option but to call off the game. Wales will be competing against Austria, Scotland and Belgium in the World Cup 'championship' qualifying matches.
Bangor will play fellow Northern Division team Birmingham City in the next round of the Axa FA Premier League Cup. City lost 3-2 to Birmingham earlier in the season and it will be a tough test against the unbeaten Midlands side. The tie will be played on Sunday 28th October.
QPR/Charlton Athletic
v Fulham/Leeds United
Southampton Saints v Chelsea
Bangor City v Birmingham City
Everton v Liverpool
Sheffield Wednesday v Ilkeston Town
Aston Villa/Doncaster Belles v Barking
Arsenal v Sunderland
Tranmere Rovers v Barry Town
Bangor's squad strength
will be tested this Sunday (9th Sept) when they face North Notts without several
key players. Keeper Nicky Davies, reserve keeper Katie Williams, Becky Owen,
Kelly Davies and Aisla Orlik are away on International duty. Ruled out through
injury or doubtful through injury are Alwen Williams, Donna Edwards, Tania Jones,
Ceryl Jones, Sam Blackmore and Cheryl Foster. Assistant manager Gwennan Jones
said "With twenty-one players on the books, and potentially eleven of those
missing it is going to be a big test. Hopefully two or three of those on the
injured list will be fit in time for Sunday."
North Notts are in their first season in the Axa FA Premier League having won promotion from the Midland Combination League. They achieved a creditable draw away to Wolves in their first game of the season but have since twice lost to emerging title favourites Birmingham City.
In a surprise move the FA
Women's Premier League have ruled that matches can no longer be called off due
to International call-ups unless it is for English representative matches. Although
this will affect some English clubs, such as Arsenal and Liverpool, it will
be the Welsh clubs that will suffer most.
With the bulk of the Wales
senior team coming from Barry and Bangor both clubs could find themselves severely
depleted in the coming months. Of a more immediate concern is the forthcoming
Wales Under 19's trip to Slovenia. This weekend (19th September) Bangor have
five players selected and have two players on standby, and Newport County will
have seven players misssing. It is likely that the Welsh clubs will appeal to
the Football Association of Wales to take the case to UEFA.
With the prospect of having
to play this weekend Bangor must take stock of their resources. Goalkeeper Nicky
Davies will be missing along with reserve keeper Katie Williams, Becky Owen,
Kelly Davies and Aisla Orlik. Laura Pritchard and Elin Haf are on standby for
Wales. The injury list has also lengthened with Ceryl Jones and Cheryl Foster
joining Tania Jones, Alwen Williams and Donna Edwards. Ceryl missed the game
away to Oldham with a leg injury whilst top scorer Cheryl Foster was stretchered
off early in the game with ankle ligament damage. Therefore, Bangor have twelve
outfield players available for Sunday's game with North Notts assuming the two
standby players are not called up this week.
It is interesting to contrast this hard line attitude with the sympathetic approach taken with Barnet FC. The English club has not played any games so far this season due to doubts about their continued existence. With their future now secured the FA have given Barnet extra time to bolster their squad as presumably it wouldn't be fair to make them play with the minimum amount of players required.
If this were men's football
that would be an outcry if teams had to play each other twice in the space of
a week. Well in the Axa FA women's football league this appears acceptable as
teams that played each other last week now play each other this week. The logic
of this has yet to be explained but Bangor now have to travel to Oldham having
draw 1-1 at Farrar Road last Sunday against the title favourites.
Captain Bev Dignam is available for selection having missed last weeks dramatic
game and there are no new injury worries.
Bangor beat Stafford Rangers 4-3 with
the help of a late goal from Cheryl Foster. The Midland's Combination side provided
a stiff challenge although Bangor always had more possession. Foster scored
two with Ceryl Jones and Ellen King also getting on the scoresheet.
Bangor travelled to Ireland on Sunday 12th August to play Rathfarnham from Dublin.
City recorded a comfortable 3-1 victory with goals from Iona Williams, Louise
Barlow. Bangor City would like to extend their thanks to Rathfarnham for their
hospitality after the match.
The day after saw Bangor take on Premier league Tranmere Rovers in their annual
warm up fixture against the Wirral side. Bangor conceded a goal after only two
minutes but recovered well to make a good game of it. Rovers were lucky to win
3-2 after a disputed goal ten minutes from time.