19/05/2026
So the day came around that all of us had been waiting for.
In their 1st season as Heyford Athletic Women, they have bought into the club 100%, everything they have celebrated they have held at the club, like the men and Youth teams they can see what it gives the club to spend on pitches, new goals, balls, training equipment etc so they spend as much as they possibly can, its a crying shame the old guard do not think the same, the day before they were celebrating, at the club, the upcoming marriage of manager James Sullivan and player Lucy Cox (pictured below with the trophy).
Having only lost once in the league, away at Kingsthorpe Jets, and with Jets still having 2 games to play, they knew a win was the result that made them Champions. A draw could have gone down to goal difference although we were confident of winning that way aswell but a win put it beyond any possible doubt.
With 2 hugely important players in Lauren Roche and Kady Cox away on holiday it was not necessarily going to be easy, but you doubt these ladies at your peril.
With a good crowd of spectators from both teams, the men's players and the ladies partners and some tiny tott's donning the men's identical game shirts it was going to be an exciting game, there was also a contingent of Kinsthorpe Jets players up the end by the bowls club hoping and praying for a miracle of Olney winning the game.
We were straight out of the box with skipper Jodie Fisher opening the scoring on 7 minutes, then 2 minutes later goal machine Samantha Nunn (53 goals in less than 20 games) added the 2nd.
Then Olney starting to fight back and with the ladies snoozing they scored 2 to make it all square, to the watching Heyford Commitee and fans it looked like the night before could come back and bite them.
The Jets ladies were getting excited but our ladies had a different view, Samantha Nunn scored her 2nd on 33 minutes, Araina Thompson got number 4 on 41 minutes then Skipper Jodi got number 5 just on half time at 45 minutes, a verse of "you only came to see the Heyford" started to ring out aimed at one end of the ground.
HT 5-2
Olney came out determined and pulled one back 5-3 game on, then Sam, who else, got her regular hat trick on 76 minutes to lay any supporters nerves to rest.
The Jets started to leave to the sounds of "we can see you sneaking out", out came the surprise banner and the party started.
Left sided defender, Ellie Palmer, put the cherry on the cake with an in swinging corner from the right that flew straight into the net.
FT 7-3 and the party really began. The Northamptonshire Women's and Girls Football league had informed James that the 🏆 and 🏅's would not be present and would have to be presented at the leagues AGM, this was understandable as they had a whole weekend of cup finals in Corby.
Our Chairman was not accepting that and arranged to pick them up from the FA offices, huge thank you to Luke Scott, Chairman of the NWGFL, for arranging that.
So to the ladies surprise at the end of the game the Trophy and Medals were there and the teams Sponsor Mr Justin Hammond, of CW Audit Solutions LTD, presented them to the team ( he is pictured presenting his Daughter Beth's medal to her) along with the scarecrow figures of the missing Lauren Roche and Kady Cox, and he also brought them the white Tee Shirts they donned at the end and put some money behind the bar for them, and these lot can drink 🍻, we thank him for everything he has done for the ladies.
Also a huge plus is that there is a village girl playing for the team ( Laura Leacock pictured with one of her sons ) and we hope she might be the 1st of many.
A great season, thank you James and his assistant Finlay Marshall for putting together this great group of players and we are all excited for what the future may hold COYHW 💙💙💙💙
