Wem Town Ladies keen to make their mark

In their first campaign as Wem Town, the squad travel to face Middlesbrough in a third-round tie on Sunday (2pm) with the prize to host professional outfit Sheffield United in round four.

Wem Ladies are in their debut season as a team – although their step four Division One Midlands of the FA Women’s National League was declared null and void due to the pandemic – after which Wem had only managed four league games, but progressed through three rounds of the Cup (four including a walkover against Stoke City Ladies in the previous round).

Prior to this season, Wem Town Ladies were The New Saints Ladies, based at TNS’ Park Hall home in Oswestry. But a dispute last year led to Wilson and the entirety of his squad moving to Wem to launch a women’s team at the village club, as TNS Ladies disbanded.

Wem Ladies said in a statement after the switch: “TNS have made it clear that the ladies’ section wasn’t (and never was) high on their list of priorities.”

Wilson’s side play in the fourth tier of women’s football, against the likes of Wolves, Doncaster Rovers Belles and Burton Albion.

But league exploits have been parked for the remainder of 2020/21, while the Women’s FA Cup was permitted to continue under elite status regulations.

And that takes Wem, whose men’s team play at step 10 of the football pyramid, to Middlesbrough Women’s Billingham base on Sunday for a chance to progress an already-memorable Cup run.

Wilson, in his fourth season with the side – three have been as manager – said: “No-one’s ever heard of Wem Town. No-one’s ever heard of Wem.

“I’m from Wolverhampton, my mates will ask ‘who are you managing now?’ I say ‘Wem Town’ and they say ‘who?’

“We play against Wolves and others. It doesn’t matter about names, whether we’re Wolves, Arsenal, Man City or Real Madrid, it’s what you do, how you build the club and the players you’ve got, how they buy into it. That’s what I’ve got.

“I’ve had players from Wolves come to play for me, because of what I try to do, they buy into it and like it.

“With where we are, I’ve got a fair few Welsh girls, one from Llandudno to play, they are happy to travel.”

The journey so far has been lively for the Butler Sports Centre side who entered the competition at the second qualifying round. Lower-ranked Northwich Vixens and Coventry Sphinx were seen off 2-1 and 4-3 respectively before another 4-3 success against league rivals Boldmere.

The club’s players have previous at this stage of the competition from their time in the green and white of The New Saints.

In the third round in January 2018, TNS Ladies knocked out Newcastle United 2-1 to seal a place in the fourth round, which was a club-record effort.

“We’re all buzzing, a few of us have been to this stage before so we know what it’s about, but every FA Cup game is a good tie and the trip will be eventful,” added Wilson, who is also in joint charge of the Wem Town men’s side. “It’s all on the day but hopefully we can get that right result to make it even better and make memories for the players.

Wilson said: “The players are still with me, they’re getting on a bit now! But they are still around. Some of the old players come and watch. It’s still nice to see them.

“It’s the magic of the FA Cup. We have prepared. Everyone’s got a chance going into it.

“I’ve watched Boro’s highlights and seen where we can exploit them and where they might exploit us.

“It’s been a while, the girls have trained the last couple of weeks to get ready.

“I wanted a friendly but a few teams didn’t want a game straight away, it’s understandable, I get that. We’ve done five sessions for Sunday.

“It’s been busy, I’ve had to do a lot off the pitch with my secretary to gets things in place for if we get through, the protocols for having Sheffield United at home.

“The girls are prepared. They are up for it, they haven’t played football in three-and-a-half months. I know if I was in their shoes I’d be jumping at the chance to play 90 minutes or 120 and penalties.”

It’s a strange time for amateur women’s football. Wem haven’t kicked a ball for more than three months and, with their league season cancelled, they were told they can fight on in the FA Cup.

They also this week learned that the 2020/21 Tom Farmer Challenge Cup, of which TNS Ladies won 10 on the spin between 2009 and 2019, will go ahead. Wem visit AFC Telford United Ladies in the quarter final on April 25.

The club are looking at ways of being able to stream the fixture live for supporters, family and friends to tune in.

There is movement of women’s football in Shropshire, and Wem are doing all they can to make themselves heard.