Page 20 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue no.20 2021-22

Proud day for Bridgwater College

Several members of Bridgwater & Taunton
College’s elite Women’s Football Player
Performance Pathway were selected for the
Bridgwater United team that took on Manchester
United during last Sunday’s FA Cup tie.
The Women’s Football Player Performance
Pathway is a collaboration between BTC and
Bridgwater United FC which aims to give talented
sportswomen the opportunity to develop their
skills alongside their academic studies. When
BUFC were drawn against Manchester United in
the Fourth Round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup,
three BTC Pathways students were selected for the
team; Ellie-Mae Bell, Jenna Markham and Tia
Asker.
Former Huish Episcopi Academy student Jenna Markham (left) and Ellie-Mae Bell.
and midfielder Ellie-Mae (18) of Langport was brought
on for the last twenty minutes of the game, when the score still stood at 1-0. She said: “It was
a brilliant experience. It was a very different type of game from what I’m used to, but it was
such a good opportunity.
“The Manchester team are at a much higher professional level than us as students, but
it’s where we all aspire to be, so it was a really good game to be involved in. Even though we
lost, it was very inspiring to think that we could be like that one day. It doesn’t feel unrealistic
now that we could get there in the future if we work hard and keep training.”
Rob Liddiard coaches the Bridgwater United first team as well as students on the
women’s football pathway. He was sitting on the bench during the match and saw Ellie-Mae
and Jenna called into play. He said: “The BTC ladies did really well. They were playing against
some of the world’s best at just 17 and 18 years old.
“To be thrust into that sort of game with no notice and to do so well is something to be
really proud of. They did a great job. They led by example and got the time that they deserved.
It just shows the success of our Women’s Football Player Pathway and how it’s developing
players of a really high standard.”
The BTC and Bridgwater United Women’s Football Player Pathway is one of a number of
successful development opportunities available to sportsmen and women at the College. BTC
Assistant Principal Jason Gunningham saicommented: “Alongside football, the College’s sport
performance pathways also include rugby Regional Development and College Academy
programmes with Bristol Bears and a Regional Talent Development Centre with Team Bath
Netball.
“Supporting our students in both their academic and sporting ambitions is at the very
heart of all these programmes. The clubs we work with offer a genuine platform for our
students to showcase their talents, and I am very excited to see the next generation of athlete
scholars progressing with their respective clubs while simultaneously achieving the excellent
academic grades, qualifications and skills needed to take into other future career opportunities.”
The BTC and Bridgwater United Women’s Football Player Pathway is offered to students
on any course who are already part of Team BTC, the nationally-recognised sports academy
programme. If you’d like to know more about this and other Sport courses and opportunities
available at BTC, visit www.btc.ac.uk.
Issue no. 20 - 3 February 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk