Latest news with #ChathamTown
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Freddie Sears reveals key target after former Colchester man makes summer move
Target - Freddie Sears, pictured during his Colchester United days, has signed for ambitious non-league side Maldon and Tiptree (Image: STEVE BRADING) FREDDIE Sears has a target of promotion after signing for Maldon and Tiptree. And the former Colchester United striker is eager to weigh in with plenty of goals for the ambitious Jammers, as they target the Pitching In Isthmian League division north title. Advertisement Sears, who made nearly 200 appearances in total for the U's, officially signed for Maldon and Tiptree earlier this week having spent last season in the Isthmian Premier with Chatham Town. What U's fans can expect from former Spurs youngster Jaden Williams The 35-year-old scored 21 times for Chatham and the ex-West Ham United and Ipswich Town forward is hoping for more of the same for his new club, in the 2025/26 season. Sears told Jammers TV: 'Personally, I've come here to get promoted so ultimately, I want to win the league. 'I scored a lot of goals last season and I want to keep doing what I'm doing. Advertisement 'Hopefully, I can continue that and help the boys along the way. 'Building a community is great as well – since the takeover, there's a lot more fans coming through the gates which is great and obviously, winning games helps so if we can have a good start to the season, I'm sure we'll get a lot more fans coming in, too. 'I'm happy to help – I'm getting a bit older now at 35 years old, so a lot of experience. 'I'm still feeling really good, really fit. 'I've had a nice break and I'm ready and itching to get back to work.' Sears joins a number of fellow ex-Colchester players at Maldon and Tiptree, who are managed by former U's under-21 boss, Kevin Horlock. Advertisement Tom Eastman, Cameron James and Louis Dunne have also linked up with the Jammers this summer, in readiness for the 2025-26 campaign. "It's obviously something that's been in the pipeline for a bit of time now and having seen all of the change that's happened over the few short months, I'm really delighted to be here and can't wait to get going,' added Sears. "Living locally, you see a lot that's going on. "I know Mitch (Cowling) from Col U and he's been in contact with me and just seeing my situation and the club's situation, thankfully the deal's done and I'm just buzzing to get going now. Advertisement "I can't wait to start pre-season in a few weeks and then get ready for next season. "It's a really exciting time to be involved in Maldon and Tiptree. League Two side announce signing of former Colchester attacker "The project looks fantastic and the boys that have signed is another big pull and obviously, I'm local to the area and I want to help Maldon and Tiptree get to that next level. "I've just been at Chatham Town in the league above and had a really good time there and I'm just delighted to be here and can't wait to get going."
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ipswich Town Women hope for record crowd on Portman Road return
Ipswich Town Women are relishing the "massive opportunity" of playing at Portman Road for a second time on Sunday, and they hope to set a new attendance year, 10,173 fans attended their league fixture with Chatham Town, a match they won 5-0."We hope as many come as possible," said goalkeeper Natalia Negri. "It is a big boost for us and the women's game in general."Town Women, who are chasing promotion from the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division, take on Plymouth Argyle at 14:00 GMT. The occasion will be extra special for midfielder Kyra Robertson. The 22-year-old told BBC Look East that her family were all big Town supporters."They probably would not expect to see their younger sister playing on the pitch that they watch the men's team play on every week," she said."The club are fully behind us. It is so nice to have their support and I will really relish the opportunity to play here."Robertson said last season's fixture was the first time she had played at Portman Road."It was a great day. This town really supports the club as a whole," she said."It's not just the men's team or the glamorous fixtures that they play [in the Premier League] every week."Just before kick-off, when [Ipswich Town CEO] Mark Ashton broke the news in the changing room that we had hit 10,000, we couldn't believe it."Walking out, we could hear the crowd. It was amazing and to top it off with the 5-0 win, we were so happy." Town Women go into Sunday's match trailing league leaders Hashtag United by three points with five games to play after losing 1-0 to their Essex rivals three weeks if they needed to win all their remaining fixtures, goalkeeper Negri, 21, said the occasion would not get in the way of the important job they needed to do."We take each game as it comes," she said. "We must put in a good performance, and it will be a bonus if we get the three points at Portman Road."The goalkeeper was signed last summer, having helped Crystal Palace win the Championship, and she has not yet played at the stadium."I am really excited to be part of it this year, being able to showcase what I can do personally and what we can do as a team," she said."I have been involved in big games before. I am used to the pressure of having a crowd and lots of outside noise. I can't wait." Manager Joe Sheehan joined the club in 2019 and has guided the team to the third tier of women's football."Last year, we had an incredible attendance," he said."Seeing so many supporters [made it feel] like a typical men's matchday, but just on a slightly smaller scale."It was all about being trailblazers, to inspire the community and try to put on a performance to leave a lasting memory. It was a huge success."Sheehan said there were a number of bright players coming through the club's youth development pathway, which has been boosted by the rising prominence of the women's is also pleased to see attendances continue to grow at Felixstowe, where Town Women play their regular home games."There always seems to be new fans – boys, girls, parents, pets! The club has been moving on an upwards trajectory in recent years and I feel our growth has been boosted following last season's game [at Portman Road]." Leah Mitchell signed her first professional contract last July. The defender, who was named player of the month in February, took time out from preparations this week to spend time with the Women's under-14s and under-16s performance squads – a programme run by the Ipswich Town Foundation."It is always great to see the young girls play. I was one of them once," she said."Nowadays, there are so many professional female footballers for young girls to look up to. It is different from even a couple of years ago."The girls now have role models in the women's game, not just the men."Mitchell, 19, said the recent increased coverage of the women's game had inspired her."I loved it," she said. "I thought to myself it could be me, whereas before it was always the men I was watching."She added that she was pleased so many of the girls from the club's development squads would be watching on Sunday."We are not nervous – we are just so excited to play at this incredible stadium again. We can't wait to put on a show!" Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
