Andover New Street Youth Football Club has thanked Knights Enham Junior School and headteacher Dan Whitehouse for offering their sports field when the council pitches were not available during the Covid-delayed 2020-21 season.

The school field’s lines were painted and goals were built, transforming the space into a Theatre of Dreams for the New Street junior teams. 

Their U7 Foxes, U8 Vixens and 9 U11 and U12 teams now call the Kinghts Enham school field their home. For the new U11 Vixen and U12 Vixen Swifts teams it has a special significance, with many of their players joining the Vixens, thanks to the school promoting the activity to their pupils. 

It was their spring and summer training base where they started their football journey, and the girls choose to break with the traditional team photos in front of empty goals and choose something a little closer to their hearts – two of the five murals that greet the teams every time we return home.

The football teams also thanked Dan Sorensen, the School Liaison Officer and everyone at Knights Enham Junior School, for the support during the difficult period.

Meanwhile, U12 Vixens defeated Mudeford 8-1 in the League Cup Quarter Finals.

Seven of the eight goals were scored in the first half.

Whilst the U9 Vixens don’t play at Knights Enham Junior School yet, they have a very special connection with the school. During a game in April, two young girls were watching their big sisters player for U12, at the school when they approached Ali, one of the football development officers and asked if they could have a team too. Two days later, the club approved the plan for Project Vixen. Bella and Jessica soon became the first ever Vixens.

Vixens were in action at Augusta park last weekend. Coach Christian said this was the first time in the club’s history that they fielded two U9 girls teams.

U9 Vixens had two game’s back-to-back, a league and a friendly both at home.

Both sides put in maximum effort and despite some injuries, they kept on battling  Going 1-0 up early in the game the opposition keeper kept them in the game saving numerous attempts on goal by the vixens.

A breakaway equaliser for them didn’t dampen the spirits and the Vixens driving to the last kick of the game which in fact was our winning goal.

Their second game was against Stubbington and was a chance to try girls in different pitch positions and for some training only girls to come along and salvage a 1-1 draw.  The game was like the first with both sides going at it with maximum effort.

Special mention to goalkeeper Georgia who saved a penalty, and we welcomed Kiera to the squad, who only started training with us on Friday the evening before and scored her first goal and we managed a great 1-1 draw.