Hesketh, Annie

Annie was a forward who played for Exeter in 1982/82, making her debut against Llanederyn on the 28th February 1982, unsurprisingly, Annie scored in a 2-2 draw.

In her second season,1982/83 she scored 52 goals in 24 games including 7 goals against Barry on the 15th May 1983. 

Annie played for Exeter in the Western League in 1983/84, scoring 4 goals against Cope Chat in a 14-0 win which moved Exeter towards winning the Western League for the first time in their history. 

Annie scored her 100th goal in all games for Exeter LFC in a Western League match on the 28th October 1984 against Cardiff. 

From the local press! 

Annie for England
Wednesday, March 23, 1983

"EXETER LADIES FC striker Annie Hesketh has been called into the England women's soccer squad. She is named in a squad of 22 players for a training weekend at Lilleshall next month to prepare for the coming programme of women's UEFA internationals. Annie, 21, is Exeter's leading scorer with 40 goals this season and it is her electrifying pace which destroys defences and creates so many goal chances. She has been with Exeter for a year, joining them from Torbay United LFC, and has also played for the Women's South Western League side. This season she has been a regular member of the South West regional side under Exeter based manager Rod Hawker, England manager Martin Reagan has been keeping tabs on Annie for some time and was convinced that she deserved a place in his squad after watching her turn in a good display for the South West at Bath on Sunday. Annie lives in Paignton and works for a dairy foods company in Torbay. She first started playing football in her native North West of England where she developed an uncanny knack of scoring goals in the tightest of situations. She is Exeter's first potential England international but the Women's Western League club - Annie's goals have helped take them to the top of the table and through to one cup final do have a Welsh international squad member in winger Julie Trott.

Torbay United may be a thing of the past but two of the club's former players have joined the Exeter women's team and both could emulate Sarah Pollard's achievement of gaining international recognition. They are bank clerk Fran Crispin and Annie Hesketh, who works for Youngs Seafood. Both are 21 and live in Paignton, and both were keen to continue to play football when their old team broke up.

"I attended the meeting at which Torbay United was formed but I did not play for them until 1977," recalls centre-back Fran. "I had always watched football because I found it interesting, then one day I was kicking a hockey ball around when Sarah Pollard came up and asked if I wanted to join the football team." 99

Fran is something of a sports fanatic who plays badminton at county level and squash.

Annie Hesketh, a centre-forward and prolific goal scorer, was bitten by the football bug at an early age, but being brought up in the football-crazy city of Manchester this perhaps is not surprising.

She joined a girls team at the age of 15 and when the family moved to Torbay the following year, Annie was determined to join the nearest side which happened to be Torbay United.

"Football is very important to me. I have played for the South Western regional side and I would like to play for England," she says. "I think blokes should come to see one of our games before they make up their minds about women's football."

"The South-West regional team represents virtually the whole of the south of England," says Rod Hawker. "Annie is a very fast player who has in terested the England manager and must be on the fr inge of the international side.

"Fran is a fine all-round player who can win the ball and has a good head. One of the problems is that her badminton has ruled her out of represen tative matches which is a pity as she also has England qualities.

"There are not many players who have her skill.”

Playing Record 

Season 

Apps 

 Gls 

1981/82

 5

 2

Total to 82 

 5

 2

 

Season

Apps 

 Gls 

1982/83

 24

 52

Total to 83 

 29 

 54

 

Season 

Apps 

 Gls 

1983/84

 21

 37

Total to 84 

 50

 91 


Season

Apps

 Gls 

1984/85

 19

 32

Total to  85 

 69

123



Season

Apps

Gls

1985/86

 12

 21 

Total to 86  

 81 

144 



Season 

 Apps 

Gls 

1986/87

 0

 0

Total to 87 

 81

144

Files

Comments

Allowed tags: <p>, <a>, <em>, <strong>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>