Simon Wood: The match is really important to us | OneFootball

Leeds United Women begin their pre-season preparations as they host Doncaster Rovers Belles on Tuesday evening, in the Julie Chipchase Trophy.

A fixture that celebrates the life of a pioneer of the women’s game, the tie will see two of Julie’s former clubs face one another at the Bannister Prentice Stadium.

Simon Wood’s side were victorious last time round in the annual match and he is excited for what is to come this time around.

“Preparations are going really well,” the boss explained. “The new players we have brought in are bedding in really well.

“We have been in for around three weeks now and it is really nice to see the players from last season gelling really well with the new players. The tempo of the sessions have been really good, so it has given us lots to look forward to and be excited about for the season.

“With it being a memorial game for Julie Chipchase, it is really important for us as a club. The match is dedicated to one of our young supporters Ella, too, who is bravely undergoing treatment for cancer so we hope to make it a very special evening.

“We had some good games against Doncaster last season, so hopefully this will be an entertaining one for the supporters and it will be a really good, honourable game in Julie’s memory as well.

“For the supporters, hopefully what they see is what we are seeing in training and they can look forward to the year ahead by seeing us in pre-season action.

“We have got some testing fixtures coming up. So, when we hit the first game of the season, when that Sunday lands, we are going to be ready for it and fulfill what the ambitions are for the year.”

Tickets are priced at £6 for adults, £4 for Under-16s and free for Under-5s. Read our preview HERE.