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Fleet prepare for opening day trip to Hendon

Over the summer months the team has secured links with Gravesend and Northfleet men's Nationwide Conference club and become their ladies section, working in partnership to develop the club for the future.

The new team home and away kit was launched this summer and is identical to the men’s team kits.

The ladies section will also be working closely with the community scheme to provide as many girls as possible coaching and playing opportunities in schools and holiday schemes.

Gravesend and Northfleet Ladies also received a grant from the football foundation to continue their development work over the next three years.

The foundations award will enable the club to develop their women’s section with professional coaching sessions delivered by a qualified coach, work towards developing a new reserve team section to increase participation, build on existing school links by providing girls only after school clubs and organising girls football school tournaments.

The team will also be a developing a coaching programme to allow members to achieve FA training and coaching awards.

Club spokesperson Tina Martin said “ We are delighted to receive this cash boost to enhance the existing hard work that goes into running the club, it will give us the freedom to progress and further development our existing schemes without the financial restraints”

Preseason has seen the ladies club prepare for the new challenge of the coming season in the London and South East Regional league by organising a tough programme of friendly matches, to raise standards, profile and fitness levels of the players including Crystal Palace Ladies, Dagenham and Redbridge ladies, Gillingham Ladies and finally Sunday 21st August the team will face toughest opposition yet in Charlton. This match will be played at AEI sports and Social club, 2.00 kick off.

Fleet Ladies are lucky enough to be able to play their home matches at the AEI sports Ground, Kings Farm, Gravesend, which probably boasts the best pitch surfaces in the area to play on and is packed with all standards of football for all ages throughout the season.

The ladies season kicks off Sunday 4^th September with an away fixture to Hendon Ladies, and is closely followed by FA Cup and Kent County cup fixtures.

For further information on the team please visit the club website www.intheteam.com/gravesendladiesfc or contact Tina Martin 07732148011.

The Fleet are continually looking for new players to enhance their current squad and prepare for setting up a reserve section of our team.  They are currently seeking a goalkeeper and centre back to prepare the squad for the coming season.