New West Ham Ladies captain Katie Bottom has called on the Hammers to continue to fight for each other after one of the most difficult months in the club’s history.
The departure of six senior players – including
captain Stacey
Little – at the start of the
month followed by a
heavy 8-1 defeat against
title-chasing Charlton
Athletic was hard for the
Ladies to take.
But the Hammers
consolidated, re-grouped
and fought back towards
the end of the month
with a draw away at
Lewes before beating
the South Coast side at
home on October 25.
Those four points
helped to lift the Ladies
up to ninth and within
striking distance of the
group in front – much to
the delight of midfielder
Bottom.
But with their next
two games scheduled
to be against Brighton
and Hove Albion, who
topped the FA Women’s
Premier League Southern
Division at the end
of last month, November
promises to be equally as
tough on the pitch.
‘We were very pleased
to pick up four points in
our two games against
Lewes,’ the Ladies’
skipper told Blowing
Bubbles.
‘You could say the
results should’ve been
the other way round or
even that we could’ve
lost the home game as
we rode our luck during
that win.
‘But there was plenty
of fight around the team
for both games and
everyone was fighting
for each other.
‘The performances
weren’t what we expected
or where we wanted
them to be but there
were plenty of positives
to take.’
With the likes of Stacey
Little, Kelley Blanchflower,
and Emma Sherwood
leaving the club,
members of the club’s
development squad have
found themselves in the
first team – something
Bottom can relate to.
‘With the new set of
players we have in the
squad now, it will take
time for us to get to
know one another,’ she
continued.
‘I can remember what
it was like when I made
the step up from the
development squad to
the first team four years
ago so I can understand
what they must be going
through.
‘It was more physical
and the pace was a lot
quicker but when I broke
into the team, I was
given a few minutes here
and there as I adjusted to
it but some of the girls in
our team now have come
in and played the whole
game.’
As for the departure
of six senior players last
month, she added: “It
was very difficult for me
because I was very close
to the girls that left.
‘There’s only myself
and Danica still here
from last year and
Danica’s injured at the
moment and not about
so it was very tough.
‘Stacey was a massive
loss and I still keep in
touch with her as well as
Kelley.
‘There’s no grudge
from my point of view.
We still get along and
I wish them the best of
luck with whatever they
chose to do next.’
Bottom has played for
West Ham for 11 years,
having joined the club as
a 12 year old so she was
delighted to have been
appointed club captain.
‘I’m a West Ham fan so
to be the captain of the
Ladies is a huge honour
for me. It’s something
I’ve always wanted to
do,’ she said. ‘I didn’t
enjoy the best start to
my captaincy with our
defeat against Charlton.
We knew it was going to
be tough but there was
no expectation on us
to come away with anything
after everything
that happened that week.
‘Once we finished the
game, and that week, it
was very much a case of
us saying to one another
to forget what had happened
and start a new
chapter.’
As for Bottom’s expectations
for the coming
weeks and months
ahead, she added: ‘At the
moment we are in our
own mini-league at the
bottom of our league
so although we will
be trying to get points
off Brighton and Hove
this month, we looking
more at making sure
we pick up maximum
points from those teams
around us. Having said
that, QPR have beaten
Brighton and they are
below us so we know it
can be done.
‘We just need to keep
focusing on doing the
right things and taking
the positives out of each
game. We’re very much
taking it week by week.
We’ve been improving
with every training
session and we will keep
working hard to make
sure we can challenge
every team in this
league.’​
captain Stacey
Little – at the start of the
month followed by a
heavy 8-1 defeat against
title-chasing Charlton
Athletic was hard for the
Ladies to take.
But the Hammers
consolidated, re-grouped
and fought back towards
the end of the month
with a draw away at
Lewes before beating
the South Coast side at
home on October 25.
Those four points
helped to lift the Ladies
up to ninth and within
striking distance of the
group in front – much to
the delight of midfielder
Bottom.
But with their next
two games scheduled
to be against Brighton
and Hove Albion, who
topped the FA Women’s
Premier League Southern
Division at the end
of last month, November
promises to be equally as
tough on the pitch.
‘We were very pleased
to pick up four points in
our two games against
Lewes,’ the Ladies’
skipper told Blowing
Bubbles.
‘You could say the
results should’ve been
the other way round or
even that we could’ve
lost the home game as
we rode our luck during
that win.
‘But there was plenty
of fight around the team
for both games and
everyone was fighting
for each other.
‘The performances
weren’t what we expected
or where we wanted
them to be but there
were plenty of positives
to take.’
With the likes of Stacey
Little, Kelley Blanchflower,
and Emma Sherwood
leaving the club,
members of the club’s
development squad have
found themselves in the
first team – something
Bottom can relate to.
‘With the new set of
players we have in the
squad now, it will take
time for us to get to
know one another,’ she
continued.
‘I can remember what
it was like when I made
the step up from the
development squad to
the first team four years
ago so I can understand
what they must be going
through.
‘It was more physical
and the pace was a lot
quicker but when I broke
into the team, I was
given a few minutes here
and there as I adjusted to
it but some of the girls in
our team now have come
in and played the whole
game.’
As for the departure
of six senior players last
month, she added: “It
was very difficult for me
because I was very close
to the girls that left.
‘There’s only myself
and Danica still here
from last year and
Danica’s injured at the
moment and not about
so it was very tough.
‘Stacey was a massive
loss and I still keep in
touch with her as well as
Kelley.
‘There’s no grudge
from my point of view.
We still get along and
I wish them the best of
luck with whatever they
chose to do next.’
Bottom has played for
West Ham for 11 years,
having joined the club as
a 12 year old so she was
delighted to have been
appointed club captain.
‘I’m a West Ham fan so
to be the captain of the
Ladies is a huge honour
for me. It’s something
I’ve always wanted to
do,’ she said. ‘I didn’t
enjoy the best start to
my captaincy with our
defeat against Charlton.
We knew it was going to
be tough but there was
no expectation on us
to come away with anything
after everything
that happened that week.
‘Once we finished the
game, and that week, it
was very much a case of
us saying to one another
to forget what had happened
and start a new
chapter.’
As for Bottom’s expectations
for the coming
weeks and months
ahead, she added: ‘At the
moment we are in our
own mini-league at the
bottom of our league
so although we will
be trying to get points
off Brighton and Hove
this month, we looking
more at making sure
we pick up maximum
points from those teams
around us. Having said
that, QPR have beaten
Brighton and they are
below us so we know it
can be done.
‘We just need to keep
focusing on doing the
right things and taking
the positives out of each
game. We’re very much
taking it week by week.
We’ve been improving
with every training
session and we will keep
working hard to make
sure we can challenge
every team in this
league.’​
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