Magpies Women Call On Your Support

United have already defeated Selsey and Hayward’s Heath Town in the FA Women’s National League Plate to reach the last eight, five of whom are sides who have the obvious monetary advantages of being connected to men’s EFL clubs. The last time a Maidenhead side reached the equivalent stage of a national cup competition was in 2004 when John Dreyer’s Magpies were defeated by eventual FA Trophy finalists Canvey Island. 

 

The match at York Road on Sunday will be a 2pm kick-off and admission will be cash-only at the turnstile, £5 for adults and £2 concessions. However, MUFC Gold Member card holders can gain free admission on the presentation of their card. A limited number of printed programmes are available to purchase at the turnstile, priced at £1 (again, cash only). 

 

United will be hoping to get a big crowd behind them as they face fellow Tier 4 outfit Cambridge. Ed Jackson-Norris’s side has been chasing club records all season – they had a best-ever run to the Women’s FA Cup Second Round Proper before Christmas – and they look certain to set a new season goalscoring record for the team. But at the other end, the likes of Sarah Thompson and Isacc Gregory are working hard defensively to keep the goals out. 

 

Centre-back Thompson admitted: “This is an exciting time to be a part of Maidenhead United. We have a great opportunity to progress through this round and even get to the final of a competition which is something the team is more than capable of. Ed our manager is always quick to relay memorable statistics and impressive achievements throughout our season and it is good for our confidence to know that we are trail-blazers in the Maidenhead Women's team, continuing to compete and raise the profile within the women's game.” 

 

Despite the achievements so far, ambitious Thompson rates the campaign to this point as “a solid C grade” and expects more to come. She continues: “We have done much better than last season, already scoring more goals than before and looking like a higher league table position is likely. However, I still feel like we have more to give. Every year our team has a high turnover rate and I think to move to that next level we would need to see more consistency across seasons so that we can gel together and work out what makes each other 'tick'.” 

 

Defensive team-mate Isacc Gregory puts the side’s accomplishments down to “Hard work” and explains “the work that the team does not only on but also off the pitch is so key to the success that we have had so far this season. I also think not only is it about us players but the coaching staff as well, they drive us to be at our best in training and you can see that reflected in matches. We’ve already secured 3 points in our first league game back after the Christmas break so we are looking to keep that run going and keep pushing for more success.” 

 

Teenager Gregory is hoping for the backing of friends, family, and the Magpies faithful to make the most of home advantage in this huge match. Gregory admitted that support from the terraces matters “Without a doubt. The increasing number of fans coming to watch our games makes us realise how much of a difference we are making in the community and we love having every single one of them down.” 

 

Isacc, Sarah, and their team-mates will be delighted to see as many Maidenhead supporters as possible making their way down to York Road on Sunday for the big game.