AFC Bournemouth boss Helen Bleazard to pen weekly column | OneFootball

AFC Bournemouth boss Helen Bleazard will write an exclusive weekly column for the Daily Echo, in print and online each Saturday, Bournemouth Echo reports.

She is the club’s first full-time women’s team head coach and is entering her second season in charge in the National League Southern Premier Division. The column will reflect on the previous week’s match and look ahead to Sunday’s fixture.

Bleazard said she was excited to start the column and signed off with a rallying cry for the Cherries.

The former Wales international began at Yeovil Town, then moved to Bristol City at the end of the 04/05 season. With Bristol Academy in the WSL she helped the club reach the Champions League for the first time and featured in an FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal.

She later joined Chelsea and was again beaten in an FA Cup final, Birmingham City winning on penalties. After two seasons she returned to Yeovil, then Plymouth, before arriving at Bournemouth as a player-coach. She won 43 caps for Wales and in her final season helped the Cherries reach the third tier under Steve Cuss.

When Cuss stepped back to focus on the Community Trust, Bleazard took charge on the eve of the season and oversaw a blistering start, collecting August and December Manager of the Month while unbeaten at that stage. Form tailed off slightly later on, yet her first campaign delivered third place and the National League Cup. She now targets promotion to the second tier at the second attempt, with readers able to follow the journey through her new column.

Source: Bournemouth Echo

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