Leeds Ladies FC: A fan interview and what you should know about the club

On New Year’s Day, we started a new category of coverage here at Through It All Together. We all love Leeds, and we know that for the majority of us, that applies to Leeds United FC, our true love. But for many, the love of Leeds also encompasses the women’s team, Leeds Ladies FC. To that end, we brought on Maz “Superfan” Brown to fill us in on all things #LLFC.

To introduce our coverage, Maz wrote a brief explainer on Leeds Ladies. You might have missed it amongst the New Year’s festivities, so if you haven’t read it, it’s available here: Leeds Ladies FC: An Introduction.

I myself don’t know much about LLFC, so I assume that many of you don’t either. What better way to find out than a quick interview? I sat down with Maz to ask her a few questions about the club, about her life as a supporter, and about what we need to know at this point in the 2016/17 season.

Hope you enjoy it. And let us know in the comments below if there’s anything else you’d like to see Maz write about in the coming weeks. MOT.

1. Hey Maz, thanks for joining our writing team. How did you become a fan of Leeds Ladies FC?

Well, it all came about on Facebook really. I had a bit of a brainwave when I was thinking about Leeds United Ladies, and I wondered if there was any form of Leeds women's football team. It turned out there was, so I liked the page and followed the games via Twitter and Facebook for a while. Then, a friend and I decided to attend a game. In honesty, we should have won that one, and we could have had it not been for the dirtiness of the opposition (Stockport County). From that point on I was addicted and slowly grew to become a “Superfan.”

2. Tell us a little about the club.

The home games are played every Sunday at 2pm (the usual kick-off times) at Garforth Town Football Club and we usually get a fair few people in. It is difficult to estimate the number as attendance varies every time.

This season, we've had a mixed bag of results, although we're aiming to rectify this in 2017 now that we've got players back that can and hopefully will add something special to the team.

We’ve played 11 so far, won 4, drawn 2, and lost 5. We’re 6th place in Premier League Division One, middle of the table.

Tickets are £4 entry fee and free for kids. But you come away getting an massively enjoyable experience for the £4. Even better if we win.

And the Ladies are known as the #WhiteWinners. Our slogans are #KeepFighting and “A #PhoenixRises in Leeds.”

3. Who are the best players on the team this season?

Oh this is a difficult question as I don't really like to single people out; it's a team effort all the way. I'm going to say that the team as a whole are the best as they do work for each other and they ensure the fans get what they pay for.

But if you’re looking for WOTM candidates, Simona Petkova and Veatriki Sarri are two you want to keep your eye out for. Both are internationally recognized at various levels and both have bags of pace and talent.

It's difficult to not name them all as they're all equally as good and pretty much most of the team have had the WOTM award at one time or another.

4. Who are the Ladies’ biggest rivals?

This season, it's definitely a toss up between Hull and Guiseley, although we've not had very good results against them but we aim and will improve on these. Guiseley have always been our rivals as far as I am aware, the chairman Gary Cooper has more stories to tell on these.

5. What does the club most need to improve on?

I think we really need to get a good run of results under our belts and improve our league position. I feel we're capable of showing much more than we have done thus far so a top 5 finish wouldn't be too bad but top 3 is something we definitely need to aim for. We're in the County Cup and we face Guiseley next in the competition so we need to focus our efforts on beating them (they’re good) and getting as far as we can in that competition too.

6. As a fan, what’s your favorite part of going to a match?

I love everything about going to a match, the initial match-day buzz, the banter between fellow fans and even the players. I've come to know them well, and they've been such a huge help to me as well. May I say too that the chairman has done a wonderful job at the club, bringing them from the ashes and creating something magical and beautiful. Many thanks to him and to Jim and Nicola Bright too who were beside him when they formed the new club. The coaching staff and players from the seniors right to the juniors all deserve special praise too. But importantly, the fans and parents are the ones who carry the club every game. Their voices can be heard from everywhere and it really is a massive testament to the club. We are a family club and we are proud of that.

Can I also mention that the media team at Leeds Ladies do a wonderful job? And our players are incredible when it comes to off-field events: three of them including Simona (who I mentioned above) recently went and showcased their talents to young kids who are aspiring to be footballers. We are a community club. We thrive on involving everyone in the Leeds area.

7. What’s next up for the Ladies?

Mossley Hill Ladies, this weekend. I’ll write about it soon!

Thanks again for joining our team, Maz.

We’re excited to see the coverage she brings over the course of the season. If you’d like more information on the White Winners, Leeds Ladies FC, check out their website. MOT.