History
Brentwood Town Ladies FC was formed in 1999 following the merger of Brentwood Ursuline FC and Brentwood Girls FC. The Ursuline Convent High School had been running teams in the town since 1991 and by 1998/9 had entered three teams into the Essex County Girls' League whilst Brentwood Boys had also launched a girls team in 1997.
By the spring of 1999, Brentwood Ursuline decided that the school could no longer support football's rapid growth and the decision was taken to form an independent club which also took on board the girls' team from Brentwood Boys for the best interests of female football.
Brentwood Town gradually expanded to provide teams from Under-10s to Under-18s in a Girls' section, but the focus has now moved to the club's successful Ladies side, who compete in the Eastern Region Women's Football League (ERWFL) having claimed successive promotions from the Essex County Women's League in 2003 and 2004.
Having finished fifth in their first season, 2005/6 saw Brentwood reach the play-off finals as they pushed for promotion from Division One East. Despite Kerry Mills' 40 goals amongst a team total of 101, Town could not reach the top tier, and subsequent seasons have seen the club narrowly miss out again having been placed fourth in 2007 and then third in consecutive campaigns within the newly-realigned Division One South.
There was some success in 2008 as the Ladies won their first major trophy, scooping the ERWFL Plate Competition courtesy of a 4-1 victory over Kings Sports. The side also reached the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Women's Cup in 2007/8 and 2008/9.
After the departure of coach Kevin Anderson at the end of the 2008/9 campaign, 2009/10 dawned with a new management team in place, headed by Ian Bent. Ably assisted by David Worsfold and Lucy Faraday in his backroom team, Bent tasted success in his first term in charge as Blues finally claimed that elusive promotion spot, completing the campaign as runners-up to Arlesey Town.
Things were to get even better in the following season. Competing in the ERWFL Premier Division for the first time in their history, Blues recovered from an opening day defeat at old adversaries Arlesey to record five straight wins - four of them away from home - and remained unbeaten at their new home, the Society of Old Brentwoods, until mid-November, when FA Women’s Premier League South-bound Tottenham Hotspur overturned a 1-0 deficit to triumph 4-1 in the FA Women’s Cup Third Qualifying Round.
Indeed, Town would suffer defeat just five times in total in 2010/1, going down 6-2 at West Ham United in the Quarter-Finals of the Essex Women’s Cup and 7-3 after extra time in the Semi-Finals of the ERWFL Cup at Kettering Town. Brentwood went from strength-to-strength in the League, winning eight of their last nine games in an unbeaten stretch that set up two title deciders against Bedford. Realistically, Blues had to win both games to secure the title and a last-minute Sophie Lovell penalty saw a 2-1 win on the road in the first clash. In the second, on Sunday 1st May at Hullbridge Sports FC, Lovell scored again before Leah Cowan’s second-half winner secured an identical and historic 2-1 triumph.
After claiming the ERWFL Premier Division in their inaugural season at that level, Brentwood Town Ladies competed at the third tier of female football, the South East Women’s Combination League, for the first time in 2011/2. Facing the likes of Ipswich Town, Norwich City and Crystal Palace was a challenge, but it was one that Blues met with dogged persistence. Town collected their first point in November at home to Ebbsfleet United, and continued to improve, completing the campaign by taking five points from their last four games, which included a win and a draw against relegation rivals Old Actonians.
Having tackled the task stoically, Bent, Faraday, captain Carla Rose and the squad now approach 2012/3 looking to consolidate their Combination status and continue the rapid progress made. Tilbury FC’s Chadfields is the club’s home of some twelve months, and the new campaign will see Blues hoping to make ripples not just in the league, but also three cup competitions as well.
By the spring of 1999, Brentwood Ursuline decided that the school could no longer support football's rapid growth and the decision was taken to form an independent club which also took on board the girls' team from Brentwood Boys for the best interests of female football.
Brentwood Town gradually expanded to provide teams from Under-10s to Under-18s in a Girls' section, but the focus has now moved to the club's successful Ladies side, who compete in the Eastern Region Women's Football League (ERWFL) having claimed successive promotions from the Essex County Women's League in 2003 and 2004.
Having finished fifth in their first season, 2005/6 saw Brentwood reach the play-off finals as they pushed for promotion from Division One East. Despite Kerry Mills' 40 goals amongst a team total of 101, Town could not reach the top tier, and subsequent seasons have seen the club narrowly miss out again having been placed fourth in 2007 and then third in consecutive campaigns within the newly-realigned Division One South.
There was some success in 2008 as the Ladies won their first major trophy, scooping the ERWFL Plate Competition courtesy of a 4-1 victory over Kings Sports. The side also reached the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Women's Cup in 2007/8 and 2008/9.
After the departure of coach Kevin Anderson at the end of the 2008/9 campaign, 2009/10 dawned with a new management team in place, headed by Ian Bent. Ably assisted by David Worsfold and Lucy Faraday in his backroom team, Bent tasted success in his first term in charge as Blues finally claimed that elusive promotion spot, completing the campaign as runners-up to Arlesey Town.
Things were to get even better in the following season. Competing in the ERWFL Premier Division for the first time in their history, Blues recovered from an opening day defeat at old adversaries Arlesey to record five straight wins - four of them away from home - and remained unbeaten at their new home, the Society of Old Brentwoods, until mid-November, when FA Women’s Premier League South-bound Tottenham Hotspur overturned a 1-0 deficit to triumph 4-1 in the FA Women’s Cup Third Qualifying Round.
Indeed, Town would suffer defeat just five times in total in 2010/1, going down 6-2 at West Ham United in the Quarter-Finals of the Essex Women’s Cup and 7-3 after extra time in the Semi-Finals of the ERWFL Cup at Kettering Town. Brentwood went from strength-to-strength in the League, winning eight of their last nine games in an unbeaten stretch that set up two title deciders against Bedford. Realistically, Blues had to win both games to secure the title and a last-minute Sophie Lovell penalty saw a 2-1 win on the road in the first clash. In the second, on Sunday 1st May at Hullbridge Sports FC, Lovell scored again before Leah Cowan’s second-half winner secured an identical and historic 2-1 triumph.
After claiming the ERWFL Premier Division in their inaugural season at that level, Brentwood Town Ladies competed at the third tier of female football, the South East Women’s Combination League, for the first time in 2011/2. Facing the likes of Ipswich Town, Norwich City and Crystal Palace was a challenge, but it was one that Blues met with dogged persistence. Town collected their first point in November at home to Ebbsfleet United, and continued to improve, completing the campaign by taking five points from their last four games, which included a win and a draw against relegation rivals Old Actonians.
Having tackled the task stoically, Bent, Faraday, captain Carla Rose and the squad now approach 2012/3 looking to consolidate their Combination status and continue the rapid progress made. Tilbury FC’s Chadfields is the club’s home of some twelve months, and the new campaign will see Blues hoping to make ripples not just in the league, but also three cup competitions as well.
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