By Weronika Lecka, First Year French and Spanish
After a challenging BUCS season, the UBWFC 1s have won the BUCS Southern Premier League, beating the likes of Exeter, Hartpury, USW, Cardiff Met and Essex. The 1s won 24 points after playing 10 matches, winning 7 games and drawing 3. Furthermore, they finished with a +14 goal difference after scoring 24 goals and only conceding 10, which just shows the quality of this team. There were some very interesting score-lines such as 5-1 against Hartpury and 4-0 against Exeter, which shows how much the 1s were able to dominate certain games. They were finally declared champions after USW forfeited the match, so they were able to celebrate even without playing their last match.
To help celebrate this achievement and get some insight from the players, we have asked 1s captain Eve Rhind to give us some words about the season and league win.
You have won matches with scorelines such as 5-1 and 4-0, which match would you say was the toughest and why?
'I think our toughest game was going to USW and winning 1-0. That took a real team effort and being able to get three points against the team that quite easily won the league last year was definitely a turning point in our season.'
You drew against Essex 2-2 twice, was this a team that you struggled more against than the others?
'I think Essex is always a hard game, we really should have got more against them at home in particular. The 4 hour coach journey for the away fixture is something a lot of teams struggle with.'
Was there any performance/game in which after reflecting on you thought that the team could win the championship?
'For me, it was two. One being the USW game where I felt we really came together and worked hard as a team, and the second being our recent victory against Exeter. After that game we knew all we needed was a point against USW which we knew was very doable.'
How have you managed to unite as a team this season? Do you organise a lot of socials or is it mainly based on training?
'We spend a lot of time at coombe together! And also we have done some socials as a team which I think allows everyone to chat and relax. We also all are very committed to being as successful as possible and I feel like that drive bonds us too.'
How did you prepare for this season? Did you have to take any drastic changes to prepare for certain games?
'We decided to play with a high press this year after sitting with a low block the year before. It is hard work and requires a lot of discipline and organisation.'
How did you as a team manage to balance the pressure of being the 1s team but also managing studies and personal lives?
'Haha, a lot of us would definitely argue it doesn’t feel that possible at times! But no seriously its just a commitment you have to appreciate. We all centre our university lives around training and matches, and there is definitely time to fit studies around it. As a third year, its really something that I’ve got nailed as my routine and I couldn’t imagine being at Bristol without the routine of football.'
Was it tough having a match every week? Do you think it would have been easier if you had more regular breaks in between matches?
'Yes, I liked being in the swing of matches, but a circuit breaker or week of mid-way through the season would have given us time to rest and recuperate. Fortunately we had a big squad at the start of the year because the amount of games definitely makes recovery harder.'
We have also asked club captain, Leila Treacher, for some insight into the season.
How did you prepare for this season? Did you have to take any drastic changes to prepare for certain games?
'We run an intense pre-season for returning players and some incoming fresh. For the first two weeks, it is heavily fitness sessions as well as S&C. This ensures we can hit the season at full strength. This is important as the premier division plays on eight consecutive Wednesdays in the first term. Being as fit as possible allows us to outrun teams and, crucially, stay injury free. We decided to play with a high press this year after sitting with a low block the year before. It is hard work and requires a lot of discipline and fitness.'
Did the long away journeys to Essex, Exeter and Hartpury have an impact on performance or team morale?
'Long away day, especially Essex which is 7am start, takes a lot of mental strength. We try and prepare for these games by having a light Monday or Tuesday session. Luckily lots of senior plays have travelled to Essex before which helps! These are certainly some of the toughest games to play but that point we secured against Essex away was vital for our league campaign.'
Whilst the 1s may be finished, there are still a few games left for the other UBWFC teams as the BUCS season comes to a close in March. The 2s have Gloucestershire away, the 3s are playing Plymouth Marjon at home and then Exeter away and finally the 4s have 2 home games against Bath Spa and UWE. There may also be some 5s and Devs matches happening too, so keep a look out! We wish all UBWFC teams the best of luck for the rest of the season.
As a club and students of UoB, the least we can do is congratulate the 1s for their successful and unbeaten BUCS season. It’s very impressive that players were able to balance their studies and personal lives with playing football at such a high and consistent level. These players are all fantastic examples of hard work, determination and managing time well, especially for the rest of the UBWFC teams. We wish everyone the best for future seasons and also success in their studies and personal lives. Congratulations 1s!
Featured image: University of Bristol Women's Football Club
