U15/13s go to Nationals as Premier League Champions!
Our lower age group (U13-U15) squad will go to this month’s UKA Youth Development League National Finals in Manchester (Sat August 31st) as 2024 Southern Premier League Champions!
Good things come to those who wait
The result confirming Woodford as League Champions was belatedly announced three weeks after the final league fixture at Tonbridge (Sunday 21st July). Going into the fixture, Woodford were top, but it was very close. One point separated them from 5-times national final winners Blackheath & Bromley AC.
Woodford needed to finish ahead of Blackheath, or at least in second place in the fixture, to gain 5 league points to win the league. It was always going to be close, and the early signs were ominous with a number of athletes missing for school holidays, and even the club gazebo turning up without a roof!
On the day, the athletes pulled out a number of tremendous performances but in a thrilling fixture provisional results agonisingly had Woodford (515.5 points) finishing third, just one point behind hosts Tonbridge (516.5 points) in second and winners Blackheath (589.5 points).
This meant Woodford in third won 4 league points. This was not enough to win the league. Blackheath won the fixture with 6 league points and finished the season tied with Woodford on 21 league points. However, Blackheath (2256 points) were announced as provisional league winners ahead of Woodford (2136 points) on total match points scored across the 4 fixtures. It was hard to miss out the title in such close fashion, despite the team already securing a place in the National Final by virtue of being at least runners up!
Fine Margins – Pheonix from the flames
With the fixture being so close all clubs' team managers were asked to scrutinize the provisional results. No errors or omissions were found from the Woodford team and mangers were left whimsically thinking about where that extra point could have come from!
However, in an equally close competition at the bottom of the league it transpired that Winchester & District AC had overused an athlete in this fixture. Under league rules clubs can only use an athlete in 3 events plus relays.
League officials thus removed the Winchester AC athlete from the results, deducted them 11 match points and re-scored all the events. Woodford athletes were moved up in two of these events ahead of the Winchester athlete. These extra points meant Woodford finished on 517.5 points ahead of Tonbridge on 516.5 points thus securing second place and the 5 league points needed to win the league!
UKA Youth Development Southern Premier League Final Standings (after 4 Fixtures)
1st Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies – 22 points
2nd Blackheath & Bromley AC – 21 points
3rd Tonbridge AC – 13 points
4th Reading AC – 13 points
5th Winchester & District AC – 10 points
6th Havering AC – 5 points
Summary – All Roads lead to Manchester
It has been a fantastic season with Blackheath, Tonbridge, Reading, Winchester and Havering all providing great competition throughout the 4 fixtures. It was always going to be close this year in the club competition with such well-established teams competing in the premier league, and it is tremendous that it is Woodford who go to the National Finals as the 2024 Premier League Champions!
It is a title the team richly deserve, after 2 consecutive promotions starting in Southern Division 2B in 2022, all the way to this title. It’s been a fantastic improvement for this team, with over 100 individual athletes competing for the club in this time. This is testimony to the collective work of the coaches, team managers and volunteers across the club who have helped prepare the athletes and build that can-do, winning mentality throughout the squad.
Now all eyes are on the National Final at Manchester Regional Arena on Saturday 31st August. Our team will be competing with:
- Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC (Southern Premier League Runners Up)
- Cheltenham & County Harriers AC (Midlands South Winners)
- City of York AC (Northeast Premier League Winners)
- Giffnock North AC (Scottish Premier League Winners)
- Liverpool Harriers AC (Northwest Premier League Winners)
- Rugby & Northampton AC (Midlands Premier League winners)
The athletes go in good spirits and, whatever the result, it will be a fine way to round off their league campaign and celebrate their performances this season. It will also be a special moment for the club, and everyone involved who should take great pride in the platform they have helped build to help develop future athletes at Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies.
