Loughborough Foxes celebrate league title win
LOUGHBOROUGH Foxes are celebrating this week after being crowned Women’s Premier League Midlands Division One champions with four games to spare.
Defeat for title challengers The New Saints FC at the weekend ensured the Foxes couldn’t be caught and the club claimed the title for the second time and with it promotion to the Women’s Premier League Northern Division, where they will be up against the likes of Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County and Nottingham Forest Ladies.
It has been a great season for the side after agonisingly missing out on the title to Wolverhampton Wanderers last year after having topped the table for most of the campaign.
This year the Foxes have been in dominant form, winning 17 of their 18 league games to date and drawing the other, scoring 74 goals and conceding just six goals.
Manager Jenny Sugarman said she was delighted with the club’s success.
“To have been crowned champions and to secure our promotion with four games to spare is an incredible achievement by the squad.
“We have a fantastic group of players and and support staff that are passionate, committed and driven that have been focused on this since we missed out last year.
“We have improved our squad and have strength in depth and a lot of competition for places which pushes everyone onto greater heights and improved performances.
“We have handled high pressure games more effectively this year and our impressive defensive record is the foundation for our success.”
In the club’s only previous season in the WPL Northern Division they suffered relegation and an immediate return to the Midlands Division One, but Sugarman is sure that lessons learned from that will stand them in good stead for 2018/2019.
“We are excited to test ourselves in the league above and will back ourselves to compete well using our experience from the 2015/16 season. We have a young squad that are hungry and ready to put the work in to step up a level.
“We hope the local community in Loughborough will continue to support us on this journey and welcome them to our final two home games against Sheffield Utd on Sunday (April 22) and Sporting Khalsa on May 13 in our quest to go the whole league season unbeaten.”