Requiring just 10 points from the final seven matches of the campaign – having collected 42 points from their 15 completed fixtures – Dan McNamara’s team looked certain to take the National League Division 1 Midlands title and with it, promotion to the League’s top flight.
The FA, however, decided to not only bring a premature end to the season but also declare it null and void, hence ruling out promotion and relegation.
The ruling body’s decision was a hammer blow to everyone involved at Wolves, but manager McNamara insists that the feelings of hurt and devastation have been cast aside as the quest for promotion begins again.
“There’ll always be a bitter taste from the way the 2019/20 season was ended,” says McNamara, “but that season has gone now and whatever the ‘what might have been’ and ‘what should have been,’ we just don’t mention it any more.
“After the long lockdown period the girls have come back refreshed and raring to go. They were desperate to get back together, get on the grass and play football.
“We’ve got six new signings, every one of them real quality, and they’ve rejuvenated the environment and raised the tempo in an excellent pre-season.
“The group has gelled brilliantly, which they’ve shown with some standout performances in a run of pre-season friendlies against very tough opposition.
“Now we’re looking forward to getting into the season proper and aiming to pick up where we left off last season, with the focus totally on winning promotion.”
Anna Price on target 🎯 pic.twitter.com/k1J716Ysvp
— Wolves Women FC (@WolvesWomen) September 12, 2020
After last term’s exploits Wolves will be hot favourites to achieve their aim, but McNamara is taking nothing for granted as he looks ahead to competing in what is likely to be a more difficult Division 1 Midlands than last year.
“There’s been quite a bit of money spent by clubs in our division,” notes the manager, “so the quality of players will generally be higher than last season and it will definitely be tougher all round in my opinion.
“And in any case, there’s no way we would be going into the new season just assuming that it would be easy to replicate what we did last year.
“The league will be harder, which I think is a good thing, but if we get it right I’m confident we can get the promotion that would have been ours last season.”
