Bath City FC has announced a major expansion of its programmes for women and girls, launching three new initiatives to support players at every stage of their football journey.
The club is introducing a new Under 18s girls’ team, creating a Women’s Football Academy in partnership with Bath College and establishing its first-ever women’s walking football team.
Jane Jones, Director of Women’s Football at Bath City FC, said, “We estimate that on a weekly basis there are over 550 women and girls playing football as a result of the activities run across the Bath City family. From the programmes delivered in schools by the Bath City Foundation to the 180 girls involved in Bath City Youth and the Bath City Women First and Development teams, these initiatives will see that number grow even further, providing more development opportunities for girls and encouraging women of all ages to keep playing.”
The new Under 18s team will compete in the Bristol Girls League next season and is designed to provide a clear pathway from Bath City Youth into senior women’s football. It will be built around players from the hugely successful Bath City Youth U16s Gladiators, who were Wiltshire league champions for the second year in a row and winners of the Wiltshire League Cup.
Bath City Women Manager, Matt Abreu, said, “The step up into senior football needs to be carefully managed so that players get experience and exposure at the pace that suits their personal development needs. The new U18s team will ensure that we have a consistent coaching style that will help ease this transition.”
The club is also teaming up with Bath College to launch a new Women’s Football Academy from the 2025/26 academic year. Mirroring the long-established Men’s Football Academy, the programme will give girls aged 16–18 the chance to combine full-time study with intensive training and performance development.
James Moon, who has overseen the Men’s Academy for the past four years, said, “Women’s football is growing rapidly, both nationally and here in Bath, so launching a dedicated academy feels like the natural next step. We’ve seen how successful the Men’s Academy model has been, and we want to offer the same high-performance environment for young female players.
“Bringing Bath City Women and the college together creates some fantastic opportunities, and I’m really excited to see what the first cohort will achieve.”
For women at the other end of their playing careers, the club is setting up its first Bath City Women Walking Football team. Players aged 35 and over are invited to register their interest ahead of training sessions starting in the new year. The team plans to take part in friendlies and festivals before joining the Somerset County Women’s Walking Football League next season.
Jo Bellotti, who put the idea forward with Alison Keith, said, “The love of football never leaves you and whilst running on a full-sized pitch is challenging once you reach a certain age, walking football means you can still enjoy the beautiful game, albeit at a slower pace. If you used to play football, or just fancy giving it a go, we’d love to hear from you.”
These announcements follow yesterday’s celebration of Bath City women and girls’ football, held on 30 November at the club’s men’s match against Enfield Town. The event featured a half-time parade with Bath City Women and Bath City Youth girls’ teams showcasing last season’s trophies, followed by a screening of the Lionesses’ match against China.
Free tickets for girls under 16 remain available for selected upcoming fixtures via tickets.bathcityfc.com.
