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"A bombardment is coming"

This Sunday the Big Red One rolls up for what is theoretically as local a derby as it’s possible to get, although Orient play their home matches in Cheshunt! AFC Leyton were promoted as the winners of Division 1 North last year but are finding life in the division above very tough. They have lost all their matches and only scored six goals on their own account.

AFC Leyton are an independent, grass roots women only club who have just passed their ten year anniversary, having been founded in 2015. They describe themselves as a sister club to London City Lionesses, although I don’t know what this means. They have a large and thriving set of girls’ teams ranging from age four (!) to seventeen and they say that many of them have gone onto professional academies. Unfortunately for AFC Leyton this is going to be dig a trench, get your hard hats on and retreat to the bunkers as a bombardment is coming.

Orient beat Tier 6 Farnham Town 8-0 in the FA Cup and Farnham had an heroic performance from their keeper, Mya Francis-Pownall, to thank. This included yet another hat-trick from Sammy Rowland and one from Lucy Net-A-Porter. Orient’s reward for the win was a plum home tie against AFC Bournemouth, currently going very well in Tier 3. With a settled squad I do not expect much change, although this may be a chance for some of the women who have been on the bench to get more minutes. It will be interesting to see if Lois Heuchan features. Regardless of team selection I think this looks like a double-figure score coming.

How to get there.

AFC Leyton play their home games at: SALISBURY HALL PLAYING FIELDS, BROADFIELD PLAYING FIELDS, WALTHAMSTOW AVENUE, CHINGFORD E4 8ST.
Estimated walking time from Walthamstow Central station is about 40 minutes, there are a number of bus routes available but remember it will be a Sunday timetable.
Here's a Google Map link.

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Taken from their web pages, here is what the good people at AFC Leyton say about their club...

"AFC Leyton was created with the belief that participation in football is transformative for girls and young women – we are very proud of our club. Unlike nearly all other girls and women’s teams, we are not attached to a male football club. This means that every penny the club receives is reinvested into the girls training, matches and other experiences. We are one of the country’s largest clubs with hundreds of female members. There is no club quite like AFC Leyton."

The club operates for girls aged 4 to 17, and for women aged 18+. We have a committed set of talented coaches, all of whom share the same values, to develop girls and young women as good citizens and team players as well as successful footballers. We do not develop teams at AFC Leyton, we develop individuals.

AFC Leyton is a FA accredited club – the accreditation is awarded to clubs rigorously adjudged to be well-run and sustainable, which prioritise child protection, quality coaching and implementation of the Respect programme".

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Never having travelled this far in the Women's FA Cup, we're in uncharted territory. One aspect of this is the discovery there is a competition to find the Cup's top goal scorer (currently headed by our own Super Sammy Rowland). Another feature is the nomination and election of "Player of the round" - which we saw on the day the voting had just closed so we missed that (but we'll get there one day ... Ed). Once again, it was our Sammy who was among the nominated final four players who were go on and attract enough voters to get the winner's nomination.

We've been unable to find the result of the voting (which closed at 10:00am two days ago). If you know the result, please do let us know via our contact form or just email us at lofcwomen@yahoo.com

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Lge	AFC Croydon	:	Comets WFC
Lge	Islington Boro	:	Luton Tn Dev
Lge	London Accies	:	South London
Lge	Tooting Bec	:	Sporting Duet
Lge	AFC Leyton	:	Leyton Orient

In time honoured fashion, we'll have a go at forecasting the results:

AFC Croydon are strong all-round and have good fitness, this will probably be too much for a faltering Comets side who've had two weeks to mull over their recent FA Cup 5:0 thumping at the hands of South London. Verdict: Another bad day for the Comets.

Until recently, Luton Town Dev were in the relegation zone but a 'surprise' 2:1 away win at title co-favourites South London and a 2:2 draw at fancied AFC Croydon give evidence that things have moved on dramatically at the Bedfordshire club. Plucky Islington Borough are putting everything into their survival effort so will not give Luton an easy time of it. Verdict: Luton to continue their recent form with a closely fought win.

London Academicals entertain mid-table rivals South London in a hard to predict tie. Historically, The southerners are the stronger side but how will their 5:0 FA Cup exit to the semi-professionals of Fulham affect them? Verdict: a tight away win but don't bet your house on it.

"Duet" and "Bec" are in second and third place respectively, only GD separates the top three with Orient at the summit. One or both will almost certainly fall away from the lead so there's a lot riding on the outcome. Bec have a game in hand but they have a record of winning by just the odd goal (four times in the last six games). Duet spent September conceding only one goal whilst scoring ten but have already been beaten by the stronger Premier sides Of South London and Croydon. Verdict: Honours even if Duet can keep Bec's Bryony Bancroft away from the goal. If not, Bec to win and set themselves up for a top-of-the-table clash at Brisbane Road the following Sunday.

Finally, the all-conquering Os travel to near neighbours AFC Leyton who have yet to secure their first points. Historical reasons have conspired to pitch a popular socially-oriented and independent girls/women's footy club against a super-ambitious powerhouse team (at this level). The outcome is not in doubt but there'll be no place for sentiment. Orient are looking to influence the decision makers at the Women's FA about their future status and will need to be ruthless to both serve their ambitions and to show respect the ladies from AFC Leyton.

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The women's FA have produced a YouTube video reviewing the FA Cup first round matches. The Os get a short segment near the end. The image/link will take you to their YouTube channel which contains adverts. Sorry, we can't prevent that.

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Much has been said and written about how a team packed with so many star players finds itself playing at the County level (aka Tier Seven) of women's football in England. Until this year, Leyton Orient women's team had found it's 'natural' level and were playing competitively in the Greater London Women's Football League - Premier Division, the same league which they now dominate.

Moden social media, being what it is, has enabled significant numbers of people to postulate how this has come about and this has resulted in endless speculation and a plethora of conspiracy theories about what has gone on "behind the scenes". There is an ever increasing risk of turning a great piece of work tie to some deep investment - into something vaguely negative. Over the next few days, we will seek to dispel all of that by quoting the key participants and showing how it is we're enjoying the best women's team our beloved Leyton Orient has ever had.

We have the facts. Come back soon to see the whole forest, not just the trees.

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If you have an interest in and views about the women's team then please let us hear your thoughts and suggestions. You can contact us (anonymously if you prefer) via our contact form on our home page or just simply email us at lofcwomen@yahoo.com
We look forward to hearing from you. We read every message without fail.

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