Farnborough Women’s second season in existence couldn’t have gone much better.

The Yellows won the Hampshire County Women’s Football League Division 1, the Hampshire County Women’s Football League Invitational Cup and even retained the Hampshire FA Women’s Trophy.

Back-to-back promotions have earned Craig Shields’ side a place in Tier 6 of the Women’s Football Pyramid for the new season – which is due to kick-off in September.

With the dust now settled on a crazy campaign, the Boro chief reflected on the season just gone:

“Kind of crazy if I’m honest with you. It was probably one of the longest seasons I’ve certainly had. I think the amount of games we had was a lot, I can’t lie.

“Absolutely fantastic season. We set out with the goal of winning the three trophies. We obviously understood that it had never been done before. We had a lot of challenges along the way but we managed to get over the line in all of them.

“I think the reason we’ve done it is nothing but sheer hard work from the players and the coaching team. There’s no kind of secret sauce. We worked hard to get over the line in all three of them, so an absolutely fantastic season.”

Farnborough Women won 26 games across all competitions last season. When asked to pick out some of his highlights, Shields said:

“There’s quite a few. Obviously the two Cup Finals. I think we had some kind of adversity before them as well.

“Unfortunately Morgan [Palmer, goalkeeper] number one got injured and we had to throw Jodie [Saywer] in there. Sixteen-years-old being throw into not one, but two Cup Finals was absolutely fantastic from her.

“On both the days, I think the team were just brilliant. I haven’t got enough superlatives for them.

“Obviously the League in particular. We didn’t win that on the pitch, but I think a lot of the hard work came before hand. We love playing at home obviously because it’s fantastic, but some of the tricky fixtures that we managed to pick three points up in was incredibly important.

“I look back on winning away at Millbrook at the start of the season and winning away 4-0 at Andover towards the start of the season.

“I think probably the crucial one that we look back on was the two wins over Shanklin. The one at home was a good game that we won 1-0.

“The away game where it was just pouring down with rain, high wind; one of those really difficult away games that you will never forget because we came back with the three points and it was a long day, so it was worth it. A lot of highlights, so I can’t complain.”

Striker Ellie Stalley won the Golden Boot for 2024/25, finishing up as the highest goalscoring player out of all of Hampshire’s Leagues.

Shields was full of praise for his sharpshooter, as well as the rest of the team for playing such a key part:

“Yeah, it’s good. Obviously Ellie’s a standout for us with 40 goals in total for the season just gone. She’s been brilliant for us, but probably what’s also important in terms of Ellie is how she plays away from the goals.

“A lot of the attention goes on her for the goalscoring, but she’s one of the best assisters, one of the best passers in the team and I think her off the ball work is fantastic. Obviously Ellie unfortunately got injured towards the end of the season, but we saw others step up.

“Tallie [Margilewska], one of her aims for the season was to score more goals. I’ve known Tallie for quite a few years and in her highest goalscoring season I think she scored about two or three and she’s ended up with 12 or 13 this season, so she’s really added to her goal tally.

“Jemma [Chapman] as well chipping in. Obviously Esme [Parsons] as well before the injury. The goals have been spread around the team quite a bit, which is nice to see.

“It’s a proper team effort. There’s no kind of one or two players that stands out. We’re all in this together.

“If one of the cogs doesn’t quite work then the whole thing falls down. Thankfully all of the cogs have bene working so it’s great.”

Of course you’ve achieved back-to-back promotions now, so will be competing in the Southern Region Women’s Football League Division 1 North from September. Are there any games you’re looking forward to in particular?

“If I’m honest with you, all of them. When we were looking at it, we thought we go into the South [Division]. Myself, the Coaching team and a lot of the players know a lot of the teams in the South.

“We were sort of expecting to go in there, but the thing with the North is it’s quite exciting because we don’t know a lot about the teams at the minute. Obviously we’ve done our research and we know a bit more now, but I think it’s just exciting to play fresh and new teams.

“When I was in the Southern Region before, I was thinking when we go up we’ll play the same teams, but it’s a whole new League for us.

“The one that maybe stands out is Slough because I think they’re sort of a similar size Club to us. That’s quite exciting to go there.

“There’s others. Kidlington I’ve not seen before. I think that’s a little bit of a trek away. There’s quite a lot of exciting games in there so we can’t wait to get started.”

The off-season is notoriously busy for Managers up and down the country. Shields was asked what the rest of his summer looks like:

“I wish there was a break… there’s not! This never stops. I think it’s just a case of we’re back to Pre-Season in a few weeks time.

“Obviously we’ll work on what the squad looks like. We are most of the way there in terms of securing for next season.

“There’s a couple of things we need to work out; a couple of players we need to analyse and see where they are in terms of new players coming in. It’s an important summer for us because it’s not a case of when we started we needed a squad.

“Second season, it was improving the squad where we could, whereas I think now we established ourselves as the most dominate team in the Hampshire League, so it’s difficult to add new players in because they’ve got to be better.

“In terms of now to next season, we’re in a really good place.”

In just under five weeks’ time, Boro Women are back in action at the Saunders Transport Community Stadium.

Aym’e Melham’s Aldershot Town Women are the opponents on Saturday 2nd August, kick-off 4pm.

Looking ahead to an exciting Pre-Season Friendly against local rivals, Shields commented:

“For us it’s always a privilege to play at home, especially for the Women’s team. I know a lot of the other Clubs in the area; the Women’s team will play at a school or a college or some kind of park or something like that.

“It’s always a pleasure and a privilege to play here and I know my team are excited.

“To play Aldershot as well, in one of their first games, is quite nice. I think quite nice for them as well. I know a couple of them over there, so I think they’ll be looking forward to it and it should be a really good game.

“I think it will be nice for us to have our new-look team going into next season feature in that game infront of everyone and after the mens game as well, so it should be a great day.”