Accrington Stanley Women to host historic match

Accrington Stanley Women will take on a national team at The Wham Stadium for the first time in the club’s history on Sunday 30th April.  

Stanley Women will take on The Isle of Man National Women’s Team, a first ever meeting between the two sides.

The fixture was arranged after The Isle of Man National Women’s Team goalkeeper Blae Cain, who is currently at University in the UK, signed for Accrington Stanley Women.

The match, which kicks off at 3pm and is free to attend for all, will follow a pitchside parade celebrating the success of women’s football in the local area, including the 180 players who currently play for Accrington Stanley Women at various age levels, in full Sundown Solutions sponsored match kit.

Alongside the historic match, the event will also feature a half-time crossbar challenge including Hyndburn-based World’s Strongest Man competitor Mark Felix, while further announcements are set to be made.

Sami Smithson, Chair of Accrington Stanley Women, said: “We are absolutely delighted and proud to be hosting our first match against a national team at The Wham Stadium.

“Women’s football in the local area is growing and growing and what better way to celebrate that than showcasing our Club to the wider public, but also to welcome others into the female football who may have previously not had the opportunity from all areas of the community.

“The event is another big step on our journey as a football club and I would like to say a huge thank you to David Burgess, Managing Director of Accrington Stanley for all his support, as well as to The Isle of Man National Women’s Team, and we can’t wait to welcome them to Accrington.”

Heath Groves, CEO of Sundown Solutions who are sponsors of Accrington Stanley Women, commented: “To see Accrington Stanley Women playing their first ever game against a national team at The Wham Stadium just shows how far they have come in a very short period of time.

“The whole occasion is a reward for everyone involved at the club at all levels, and we hope to see a bumper crowd to cheer on the team on what will be a historic day for everyone involved with Accrington Stanley Women.”

Wayne Lisy, representative team manager at The Isle of Man National Women’s Team, said: “The players and coaching staff are very excited for our match against Accrington Stanley, especially due to the fact that we’ve been given the opportunity to play at The Wham Stadium.

“The experience of playing a friendly competitive match against a massive club like Accrington Stanley will stand us in good stead for the build up to the Island Games.”

The Island Games, known by some as the “Mini Olympics” take place every two years and sees small islands from around the world competing for medals in various sports. The 2023 Island Games will be the first to take place for four years, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Ahead of the event in Guernsey in July, The Isle of Man National Women’s Team’s final squad – made up of players selected from the six teams on the Island - will take on Upton Ladies and Ynys Mon Ladies in warm up games, as well as the match against Accrington Stanley.

For further updates on the event including ticket news, check out the Accrington Stanley Women’s Facebook page.