Norwich City Women’s new strategic direction confirmed

First-team•

4th June 2022

Norwich City Women will no longer field a reserve side, instead using the competitive fixture and training schedule of the Foundation’s F&E programme for 16–19-year-olds to prepare players for the first team environment. The Foundation already runs an extensive female football development programme but have recently been invited to apply to deliver an FA Emerging Talent Centre (ETC) programme for players aged 10-16 as part of a new FA pathway that will replace the current Advanced Coaching Centre. This pathway will run alongside the Foundation’s existing player development programmes, while there also numerous opportunities for girls to get involved in football at grassroots level with the Foundation through taster sessions, schools tournaments and Premier League funded initiatives. Following the completion of a successful 2021/22 season, the club would like to thank fans, coaches, volunteers, players and everyone associated with Norwich City Women. It was a landmark year for the team, who were officially integrated into the operations of Norwich City Football Club. Norwich City Women played home games at The Nest for the first time, where they secured safety in the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South East (fourth tier) by beating AFC Wimbledon in the final home match. “I think once the girls knew that the club were committing to them, I think they knew the importance of it as well,” head coach Shaun Howes told [canaries.co.uk](http://canaries.co.uk). “It is a really exciting time now. We have always said with this group of players that they are a match for anyone if they believe in themselves.” In May, the FA announced a new Women’s National League strategy to strengthen the third and fourth tiers of women’s football in England, aiming to advance the quality of those levels of the football pyramid through player development, workforce and infrastructure. Ian Thornton, chief executive officer of the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation, said: “It’s an exciting time for girls’ and women’s football locally with the integration of the women’s team into the club and the FA’s strategic changes to the player development pathway. We believe we are well set up to provide an environment for female footballers to progress on and off the pitch and realise their potential, with a view to strengthening Norwich City Women’s first team in the future with talented local players.” For more details and the latest Norwich City Women news keep track of the below links: *Twitter:* [*@NorwichCityWFC*](https://twitter.com/NorwichCityWFC)*
Instagram:* [instagram.com/norwichcitywomenfc](http://instagram.com/norwichcitywomenfc)*
Website:* [*canaries.co.uk/news/women*](http://canaries.co.uk/news/women)