Only goal difference stopped them going up last time around by David Gribble.

Exeter City Women will kick off the 2023/24 season with a single focus, promotion. After missing out on goal difference to Cardiff City Ladies last term, Abbie Britton and Aaron Wakley’s side will be hopeful of going one better in the new season. The Grecians will have been anxious of players departing over the summer after coming so close to promotion to the National League Southern Premier division, yet they start the season with all key performers retained. Not only is there consistency running through the squad, City have also recruited impressively in the close season. Plymouth Argyle Captain and current player of the year Zoe Cunningham makes the move up the A38, with her creativity, determination and eye for goal already impressing in pre-season. She is followed from the Pilgrims by Beth Ireland and Amber Pollock. Ireland’s composure and versatility will greatly benefit City over the season, whilst Pollock’s raw pace and dynamism will prove daunting to defences across the division. The Grecians have also added Tash Knapman to their striking options, the experienced forward netting over one hundred and fifty career goals in the Southern Premier and racking up sixty-six goals in her last season in City’s division back in 2018. Add young goalkeeper Liv Giles and the prolific goal scoring attributes of returning forward Connie Pengelly, this is a Grecians squad that has all the components to thrive in the new season. With Swindon Town and AFC Bournemouth thriving from the support by their partner Clubs, Moneyfields capable of regularly winning games and Southampton Women’s FC always in the mix, the competition for the title will be strong once more. However, if Britton and Wakley’s side can show the same consistencies that saw them win nineteen of their twenty-two league games last season, you must feel that the timing might be right for the Grecians to move into tier three of the Women’s Football pyramid for the first time in the team’s history.

New Signings

Zoe Cunningham

On the 4th July Exeter City Women completed the signing of talented midfielder Zoe Cunningham. The Plymouth Argyle Captain becomes the first addition to the Grecians squad this summer. Zoe began her career at the Arsenal Ladies Centre of Excellence before joining Reading Women. She relocated to Devon in 2016 and signed for Plymouth Argyle. A brief spell at Buckland Athletic, where Zoe played six times, was interrupted by COVID suspensions and she re-signed for Plymouth in 2021. Since her return, she has further enhanced her reputation as one of Tier Three’s most complete midfield talents, scoring twenty times in fifty-three appearances. Zoe was voted the Southern Premier Player of the Season in 2021/22 and was voted the Greens' Player of the Season in 2022/23 following another series of important performances and vital goals.

Amber Pollock

On the 5th July Exeter City Women completed a second summer signing with the arrival of Amber Pollock. The pacy forward made her debut for Plymouth Argyle at the age of sixteen, impressing with her direct running ability and eye for goal. Injury would lead to a lengthy recovery, taking Amber out of action for two years, but her comeback has been impressive, scoring important goals to maintain the Pilgrims' Southern Premier status in 2022/23. After 153 games and 42 goals in Green, Pollock was released two weeks ago and has been quickly recruited by the Grecians.

Beth Ireland

On the 6th July Exeter City Women completed their third signing of the week as talented midfielder Beth Ireland joins from Plymouth Argyle. Beth came through the Cornish FA Advanced Coaching Centre and made her Argyle debut at seventeen years of age, eventually playing sixty-three times for the Greens, scoring seven times, including a consolation strike against the Grecians in the 2021 Devon County Cup Final. The versatile midfielder will be attending Exeter University from September and follows Zoe Cunningham and Amber Pollock in making the move up the A38 this Summer.

Natasha Knapman

On the 7th July Exeter City Women completed their fourth signing of the summer with experienced forward Natasha Knapman returning after a seven-year absence. Tash was part of the successful City era of the mid 2010s, scoring sixty-three times in her fifty-three appearances and twice netting in successful County Cup Final wins for the Grecians, she then headed to the Women’s Super League with Yeovil Town Women in 2015 where she scored six times for the Glovers. After leaving the Somerset side, Natasha signed for Plymouth Argyle in 2016 and, with a brief spell at Buckland Athletic in between, has been a mainstay in Green for the past five years.

Liv Giles 

Exeter City LFC said the following after signing Liv Giles on a dual registration on the 31st July 2023. "Liv is a young goalkeeper with huge potential and is dual signed with ourselves and Marine Academy Plymouth Ladies FC for 2023/24"

Connie Pengelly 

Exeter City Women have completed a sixth signing of the Summer as young forward Connie Pengelly rejoins the Grecians from Torquay United. Pengelly hit an impressive 39 goals in 45 appearances after moving up from the Girls Development Centre in 2020, including winning the National League Golden Boot in 2022. A move to the Yellows followed in November of last year, Pengelly striking a further ten goals in eleven appearances as United won promotion to the National League. City Managers Abbie Britton and Aaron Wakley are pleased to see the return of a player with such huge potential, Britton added. “We have had a very honest conversation with Connie. Her growth and maturity in embracing those chats is a credit to her. We are a different group of players to that of a year ago, with a different criteria in what we look for in a new signing, but the door was never closed for Connie and we made that clear when she left.”

The Reserves 2023/24 
by David Gribble 

Exeter City Women’s Reserve Team are beginning preparation for the new FA Women’s National League Reserve Season and will have a new manager in place. Dale Russell joins the Grecians after a spell at Ilfracombe Town Ladies and will lead the team into the 2023/24 season alongside coaching the Exeter City Community Trust’s newly launched Junior Premier League Under 16’s team.

The Reserve team enjoyed a successful first year at National League Level, finishing fifth in the division and winning the Devon County Premier Cup. Sixteen year old forward Matilda Franchi picked up the Player of the Year Award for the division at the end of season National League Awards. The aim will now be to build on that foundation and further develop players ready for first team football. City see a strong core of last season’s squad return, whilst summer recruitment has seen some exciting talent arrive, with new signings expected to be announced in the coming weeks. However, the squad will certainly miss those that have departed over the Summer months. Captain Yvie Miller, Ella-Mae Miller, Lucy Roberts, Robyn Wickens, Daisy Aylott-Loader, Lexie Watts, Lucy Palmer and Poppy Cloke are all either moving away or departing to new clubs. We wish them all well and thank them for their contributions at Exeter City.

The team begin pre season at St Austell, before facing newly reformed Yeovil Town at the Exwick Sports Hub on August 6th. The team will then head to Marine Academy Plymouth and Culdrose before the new season kicks off in September.

First team Squad Numbers 2023/24

1. ABBI BOND
2. BOW JACKSON
3. EMILY TOOGOOD
4. JAYDEE SEAMAN
5. MANFY SHARPE
6. JESS SANDLAND
7. PHOEBE BAKER
8. BETH IRELAND
9. JENNA MARKHAM
10. SARAH STACEY
11. STEPH BECK
12. KATIE GRIGG
13. TASH KNAPMAN
15. ISHBEL ZUURMOND
16. ZOE WATKINS
17. ZOE CUNNINGHAM
18. CONNIE PENGELLY
19. MOLLIE TAYLOR
20. MATILDA FRANCHI
21. LIV GILES
23. AMBER POLLOCK
31. ELLEN DIXON

Reserve Team 2023/24


EXETER CITY WOMEN RESERVES

AMY ANDERSON
MADDIE BRANDON
LAUREN BULLOCK
ABI HARRISON
LIBBY POWLEY
GEORGINA LAMPRILL
IMOGEN LUKE
HOLLIE O'NEILL
ELISE REEVE
KITTY RUMENS
AMY SALTER
EDEN HURST
DANNI SKINNER
CHLOE HARRIS
FREYA HOLDER
JEMIMA LISTER
PAIGE MACDONALD-BALE
TALITHA ROCHE
SOPHIE RUSSELL
ELLIE SILL
ABI WHISTLER
ELIZA BRYANT-ROWE
JESS COCKAYNE
HARRIET BOWRING
LEMONI GOULDSTONE
MADDISON DEALEY