Durham's end of season run in has been announced.

In a bid to finish in the top half of the table City must play Killingworth twice and Windscale twice in the space of 15 days. City's last game of the season will be away at Gretna - a game which could well have a say in whether Gretna win the Championship and subsequent promotion to the Northern Combination League.

In addition, Durham have a great friendly against Swedish Third Division team HEF Valbo to look forward prior to the Summer Break.

Manager Stephen Hamil is looking forward to the run in and is delighted with the way that the team have performed this season,

"A lot of the girls were a little nervous about playing this standard of football before the season began, but we have gone about things the right way, working hard and our position in the middle of the table has been well deserved. It would be great if we could push on from here to finish in the top half but, whatever happens now, we are in a very strong position to build from for next season."

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Durham City Ladies Football Club has linked up with Durham City AFC as part of its ambition to grow as a club and benefit from the new facilities in the pipeline at New Ferens Park.

It is hoped that this partnership will open up new opportunities for Durham Ladies. The club's ambition in preparation for next season is to set up an under-14 girls' team to act as a feeder team into the senior women's side. The women's side currently compete in the Northern League First Division.

Dionne Martens, Secretary of Durham City LFC said, "We are very excited about the new facilities at New Ferens Park which will give our club a boost. We are presently looking at the long-term plans for our club and our priority is to bring girls in at a younger age to develop through the club".

Stewart Dawson, Chairman of Durham City AFC commented, "We are extremely pleased that Durham City Ladies have come on board as we are keen to offer opportunities for both men's and women's football within Durham City. We are very ambitious as a club and we are confident that this partnership will have significant benefits for both clubs as well as for the wider community".

Anyone interested in managing and coaching an under-14 girls' team should contact Dionne Martens on 0191 384 6256 or by email at [email protected].

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Women's Premier League side Sunderland have signed Durham City's Gemma Charlton.

Gemma had been with City from the start, playing in 28 out of 29 matches. Scoring 8 goals from midfield and receiving 5 Woman of the Match awards Gemma has been a credit to the club.

City Manager Stephen Hamil was full of praise for the youngster,

"Gemma is only 18 years old and has so much talent. Hopefully she can go on to play at the top level of Women's Football in the UK. We appreciate what she has put in to the club over the last year and a half and hopefully she will return to help us out when not required by Sunderland."

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Durham hope to strengthen their challenge for a top half of the table finish to the season with two new signings. City had been struggling for players recently with Sebastinelli out with a lung infection and Captain Dionne Martens out with a broken collar bone.

Over the Christmas Lisa Marley has moved from South Durham to Durham City and Emma Leggitt will hopefully sign from Boldon in time for Sunday's game against Billingham.

Manager Stephen Hamil is delighted with the moves, "The Christmas period is always tough for teams with matches being called off and inevitably some of the momentum drops. But with two new girls in the squad for Sunday and with Sebastinelli back fit we should be able to give League Champions Billingham a decent game. I've seen Lisa play a few times and she looks like a player who can do a job in any position on the pitch and I've watched Emma Leggitt for Boldon on a number of occasions and I've been very impressed with her work rate and her unselfish play"

"We are also hoping that Claire Turner will return home from travelling the world in the next month or so and if that happens then that will strengthen the team even further".

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Durham City skipper Dionne Martens will be out of action for two to three months after breaking her collarbone. It was not a football accident but simply an awkward fall.

The team wish her a speedy recovery and last year's player's player of the season Julie Campbell will take over the roll of captain in her absence.

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The League Cup Draw was made this morning at Boldon Colliery Welfare. The two top teams in the Northern League both drew tough away ties against Marton and Kader. Darlington RA arguably had the easiest draw receiving a bye and then having to play their own reserve team or Windscale in the Quarter Finals.

Durham City have home ties all of the way to the final. However, they must overcome the highly rated Newcastle Dev in the first round and then either Kader or league leaders Gretna in the Quarters Finals.

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Durham City won the Town v Gown Friendly against Durham Uni 8-2. Helen Richardson proved she is in top form with six great goals. Magda Carr (who studies at Durham Uni) scored City's other two goals.

For pictures from the game please click here.

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The Windscale game was postponed due to a water logged pitch. In addition the next league game against Killingworth has also been postponed due to Killingworth's success in the FA Cup. Durham City wish Killingworth every success against Leeds on the 28th.

Durham City's next game is away to Hebburn Reyrolles Kestrels on Sunday. The Kestrels will be buoyant after two back to back victories against Darlington and Darlington Reserves.

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The first of the Northern League Cup Competitions starts on Sunday 7th October. The Knock Out Cup sees the Northern League First and Second Division teams split into 4 groups of teams. Within each group all teams will play each other. The winner of each group will then progress to the Semi-Finals.

The groups are as follows:

The groups look reasonably evenly matched. Group 2 is arguably the easiest with only one First Division team in, however, it includes East Durham who are possibly the strongest team from the Second Division. Group 4 is possibly 'the group of death', containing four First Division Teams.

Durham have avoided top of the table Gretna and Billingham but must finish higher than Darlington RA if they have any hopes of progressing any further in the competition.

Durham kick off their campaign away to Rutherford Ravens on Sunday. Durham beat Rutherford 3-1 in a pre-season friendly.

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Durham City entertain Boldon at Laurel Avenue on Sunday. Boldon have played in the Northern League for a number of seasons. This season, however, they have not yet got into their stride gaining only one point from four games.

In a pre-season friendly Durham defeated Boldon 5-1, but Manager Stephen Hamil warned that this counts for nothing on Sunday.

"To be honest, I wish now that we hadn't had that friendly. Boldon, who by all accounts have strengthened their squad since that game, will come out with something to prove and it will be my job to stop our girls from assuming that things will go the same way again. Boldon are a very capable team who only two weeks scored 4 goals away from home against Killingworth".

Hamil also has a full squad to choose from for the first time this season.

"At the moment it would appear that all 21 players that we have signed on are turning up this Sunday. It is a great luxury to have so many eager players to pick from, the bad news however is that 5 girls won't even get named on the team sheet. "

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Durham City travel to Newton Aycliffe to play South Durham Royals on Sunday and both teams will be desperate for the points.

South Durham were unlucky not to get something out of their first game of the season against Winscale when the match was abandoned at half time. However, the team formerly known as Newton Aycliffe, now lie at the bottom of the league after heavy defeats from strong Kader and Billingham teams. However, Durham City are not in a position to take things easy after also suffering back to back defeats themselves. Billingham and Darlington both took maximum points off City despite spirited performances.

Unfortunately for Durham City, the Great North Run looks like taking its toll on the team with midfielders Julie Campbell and Jo Wood both missing. In addition, Manager Stephen Hamil, may also miss some of the match as he is competing in the run.

The absence of the ever present Campbell and Wood will provide an opportunity for Carr, Matchell, Monks and Collier who will all be hoping for a chance in the starting line up. After struggling for a goalkeeper at the start of last season, Durham now have three girls battling for the number one jersey, Korraine Boughen, Amanda Kirtlain and Jo Hunter are all available.

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City Manager Stephen Hamil is delighted with the squad he has for Durham Ladies first season in the top flight.

"It's great that we have been able to keep all the girls together and not lose any to other clubs. The only girls who will not be available from last year are Claire Turner who is travelling in Austrailia and Maxine Bell who is going to Manchester University. On the plus side we have pulled in four girls who have experience with other Northern League clubs and two girls who look promising from junior football."

"The opening few weeks of the season are always difficult with girls being away on holiday - but it is a credit to the strength of our squad that we can still put out a team that will compete against Billingham whilst having 3 or 4 first team players missing".

Durham City Ladies Signings 2001/02...
Jo Wood (South Tyneside - Midfield)
Nicola Sebastinelly (Boldon - Defence)
Jane Tremere (Saltburn - Midfield)
Anne Monks (University of Durham - Forward)

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Durham Ladies are looking forward to their opening fixture in the Division One of the Northern League after beating Second Division Rutherford 3-1 in their final pre-season friendly. Goals in that game came from Maxine Bell, Jo Wood and Jane Tremere.

It would appear that most of the players have got through pre-season injury free and Manager Stephen Hamil is hoping to have a full squad there on Sunday to choose from. Durham are entertaining Marton who have progressed into the Northern League from the Tyne Tees Youth League.

This season, although no players have left the club, Maxine Bell will be going to Manchester University and Claire Turner is soon to go to Australia travelling. On the positive side, four or five new girls have been drafted into the team and will hopefully be signed for the opening game.

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Durham Ladies battled extremely well against a strong Chester Le Street team but lost 5-2. Durham held Chester to 1-1 for the majority of the first half after Amanda Smith had glanced a Julie Campbell cross into the net to equalise for Durham.

Chester then had a strong spell in which they scored three quick goals to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the interval. Durham did well to not let their heads go down in the second half and the game finished 5-2 with Magda Carr scoring a second half goal for Durham.

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Magda Carr scored a hat-trick as Durham Ladies beat Boldon 5-1 in their first pre-season friendly. Other goal scorers were Amanda Smith and Jo Wood.

Durham are currently preparing for their first ever season in the top flight of the Women's Northern League and captain Dionne Martens was delighted with the result. "Boldon are a well established First Division club who finished 5th last season. A victory against them indicates that hopefully we will not just be aiming for consolidation this season, but hopefully competing for a place in the top half of the league".

The remainder of Durham's pre-season games sees them play Chester Le Street, Penrith and Rutherford prior to the season starting on the 19th August.

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Durham Ladies competed with some of the best teams in the country at the Moss Farm Women's Festival of Football in Cheshire.

Durham finished 4th in their group losing only to the National Academy side. Durham beat Larkhill Thistle and draws were achieved against Chelsea, Wolves, Chesterfield and Garswood.

Unfortunately for Durham they were only one win away from a great match against the famous Doncaster Belles in the last 16 of the tournament (out of 114 teams).

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Pre Season Training for Durham Ladies is about to start. The first four training sessions will probably be held at Gilesgate Primary School at the following dates:

Wednesday 11th July - 7pm
Sunday 15th July - 7pm
Wednesday 18th July - 7pm
Sunday 22nd July - 7pm

Although the team is currently quite strong, all new girls will be made welcome as the team is under no illusion that the upcoming season in the First Division will be a challenge.

Anyone who would like any further information please ring Dionne on 0191 384 6256 or email her at [email protected] 

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At the Northern League AGM last night the new league structure for the Northern League was decided upon. Durham will play in the First Division with nine other teams including Darlington who were relegated from the Northern Combination League. Sunderland Reserves will leave the Northern League to join a National Reserve League. The other reserve teams will be combined into a Northern League Reserve League. Penrith sadly leave the Northern League to play in the North West League. Six new teams join and enter at the Second Division level.

DURHAM'S PRE SEASON

Sun 17th June - 7aside tournament, University of Durham
Sat 7th, Sun 7th July - 7aside tournament, Cheshire
Sun 12th August - Friendly, Penrith (A)
(other dates to be confirmed)

NORTHERN WOMEN'S REGIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2001/2002

First Division
1. Boldon, 2. Billingham, 3. Carlisle, 4. Darlington, 5. Durham, 6. Horden, 7. Killingworth, 8. Newton Aycliffe, 9. Saltburn, 10. Winscale

Second Division
1. Blyth Town, 2. East Durham, 3. Forest Hall, 4. Kader, 5. Marten, 6. Newcastle Development

Reserve League
1. Chester le Street, 2. Darlington, 3. Middlesbrough, 4. Newcastle, 5. To be announced

Webmaster's Note (14/7):
The outcome of this meeting was overturned. Saltburn and Horden decided to play in the Second Division. Middlesbrough Reserves dropped out. Marten and Kader were allowed to enter the First Division. Carlisle and Newton Aycliffe opted for name changes. And the Reserve league was combined with the Second Division... or something like that.

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