LAST weekend, Bradford City Girls took part in a prestigious national tournament.

Their three representative teams returned to the ACES National event in Nottingham, playing against some of the top teams in the country. Saturday's opening ceremony was watched by around 2,500. Despite playing well, the u14s and u16s were unable to proceed beyond the group stages.

There was better news on the Sunday, as the Bantams’ Under-15s Girls' team topped their group, then beat Huddersfield Town in the quarter-final and Euxton in the semi-final, to make it all the way to the final, where they met their counterparts from the Haringey Girls’ Academy. A good game saw their North London opposition triumph 3–0, but it was still a tremendous achievement to reach the final of a national competition.

In other news, Queensbury Celtic have moved swiftly to appoint a new Under-18s Head Coach.

Jess Maurice, the current first team captain and assistant coach, has 10 years’ experience at the club, and will be using this to develop future stars as they continue to break into the first team.

Athletico Women recently held their Presentation Evening.

They have had an amazing first season, winning the Holbeck Moor Association Trophy and the International Women’s Day Tournament on the way to a third-place finish in their division. Prizes were awarded as follows: Most Improved – Rimshah Amin, Most Assists – Ikra Ali, Top Scorer – Megan Sparkes, Manager’s Player – Husnaa Zaman, and Players’ Player – Sadyha Akhtar.

Bradford (Park Avenue) are looking for a new volunteer coach.

Individuals with a passion for sports and community football should register their interest by emailing Neal at ladies@bpafc.com. The role would be based at Horsfall, with candidates available for the training sessions at 7:30–9 pm on Thursdays and games at 2 on Sundays. A Level 1 coaching badge is desirable, but not required.

Pre-season games are being arranged, including a match at Thackley on 31 July.

The club are also recruiting players for both the first and development teams, to join a strong squad of experienced players, offering a good pathway through its partnership with Bradford City.

Brighouse Town Women have also held their Presentation Evening.

The awards included the following: Coaches’ Player – Kay Bamford, Manager’s Player – Sophie John and Supporters’ Player – Shaunna Legge. Player of the Year Drew Greene was also awarded the FA Women’s National League Players’ Player of the Season. There are pre-season games on 10 and 17 July, as they host Hull United and Blackburn Rovers at Calderdale College, with the Northern Premier Division starting on 21 August.

Ilkley Town have appointed a new Head Coach.

Simon Armstrong, a UEFA‐B licensed coach whose 10-year association with the men’s first team culminated with their promotion to Step 6, will work alongside the current Ladies’ manager, Claire Armstrong, who also manages the under-17 set-up. Their pre-season programme commences on 31 July, when they host Skipton.