Promotion and winning a title would be an astonishing achievement for any sports team in their first season.
But for Knaresborough Town Women, it was particularly remarkable.
The squad was formed, took pre-season and kicked off their campaign all within a matter of weeks in the summer of 2022.
For Sarah Parkes, vice-captain, and Emily Crispin, midfielder and team physio, the season was a whirlwind.
Sarah, 26, joined Town after playing for Harrogate Railway, while Leeds-born Emily moved from Harrogate Town.
The pair were keen footballers from being youngsters.
Sarah’s Dad was an academy coach at Leeds United. She said she had little choice but to grow up kicking a ball around.
“Our family is quite interested in football.
“My dad coached Leeds United for 25 years for the academy. He was very focussed on bringing up me, my two brothers and my sister and getting us involved in football.”
Meanwhile, Emily, 25, caught the bug around six-years-old after playing in mixed teams with the boys at primary school in Leeds.
“I played with the boys team and then we ended up having a girls team.
“I think one of the girl’s played outside of school and her dad approached my dad. My dad liked sport, but he was never interested in football. It just went from there, really.”
Sarah Parkes in action Knaresborough Town Women.
Knaresborough Town Women did not exist some 12 months ago.
The side started out in July last year, with trials being held at Knaresborough Celtic for players aged 16 and over.
Sarah found out about the set up through family. Her brothers are both involved with the men’s side, with Simon the manager and club captain Ben
“It’s a very family club. We have a lot of friends and family involved in it.
“It was a no brainer coming to Knaresborough.”
For Emily, the move to Knaresborough was different.
Emily Crispin, who is also club physio.
She knew Ged Maloney, who helped set up the women’s side, from college. Ged was also involved with Harrogate Town, where Emily was playing the previous season.
At the time, Emily says she was “in between” whether to play or to take on physio – something which she studied at university.
In the end, she ended up doing both and has been the team’s physio while also helping lead the side to promotion.
Pre-season to champions
It was a quick turn around for Knaresborough Town.
Both Emily and Sarah had two weeks from pre-season, which was overseen by head coach Mike Bligh, to kicking off the season.
The pair prepared for the campaign by sharing facilities with the men’s side, including the playing home games at Manse Lane.
Town were thrown in the deep end against one of the league favourites Field Ladies FC for the first fame of the season.
Sarah said:
“It was very intimidating not knowing anyone and then we had to go into the first game after only meeting each other around four or five times at training.
“It was nerve wracking, but after that first game we got to know each other a bit more.”
Knaresborough Town Women clinched the title at Bradford City in April.
However, the club went on to win promotion, sometimes winning games at a canter.
Along the way, they clocked up scores such as 15-0 against Leeds Hyde Park and 22-0 against Wakefield.
Once promotion was confirmed, the title was clinched with a 1-0 win away at Bradford City in April.
‘There is demand for women’s football’
With the success of England’s Lionesses at the Euros and the rise of the Women’s Super League, women’s football has seen success over the past couple of years.
For Sarah, who grew up in Knaresborough, this has been demonstrated locally.
“I think more people want to get more involved.
“When I left Harrogate Railway, they set up a reserve team with the amount of interest they have got.
“I’m hoping that Knaresborough Town will get similar interest and set up a development squad or something for people who want to get involved in football to come and get started at Knaresborough.”
Emily said women have proven that the demand is there for girls to get involved in football.
She points to the 60,000 people who attended last week’s Women’s Champions League game between Arsenal and Wolfsburg at the Emirates as an example.
“The demand is there. It’s amazing.
“We have clearly proven the demand is there if you women the platform to play in those type of stadiums.”
This is the second article in a series of Sporting Spotlight interviews. If you have any local sporting heroes who you think should be featured, contact [email protected].
