Barnstaple Ladies first team: (Back row) Alys Binns, Harriet Macey, Chelsea Hassan, Sophie Parish, Chloe Sperman, Hayley Reed, Jasmine Hill, Natasha Owen, Ellie Haywood, Angela Hassan, (front) Gemma Knight, Mollie Jones, Rosie Smith, Natalie Hubble, Sophie Russle, Rachel Short, Joanna Fairchild, Louisa Capocci. Missing from picture: Holly Mosser. Picture: Tony Freeman.

New kit thanks to the Barnstaple Rotary Shop.

BARNSTAPLE Ladies are the youngest team in the Devon Ladies League with all but four of the team members aged 16 years old.

This season they will be playing in an all new fashionable strip thanks to funds from the Barnstaple Rotary charity shop in Boutport Street.

All but three of the girls in the team have come through the girls North Devon League in the past five years. Three years ago Barnstaple and Braunton’s five-a-side teams came together to conquer Devon at 11-a-side, including winning the Devon cup last year.

This year a couple of older players have joined the squad and the team decided to bypass the under 18s league to have a go in the Devon Ladies League, which they knew would be a tough challenge.

The combined teams of Barnstaple girls and ladies won five trophies last year, their best so far.

In the new season the weather has been restrictive, but the team have played a few games and are showing signs of having what it takes to push for a promotion to the premier league.

“The whole team would like to thank Tony Freeman and the rotary clubs for their support and hope in the future we can positively promote Rotary and all the good causes it helps,” said coach and manager Dennis Hassan.

“The support allowed us to have the kit to join the Westward Ladies League and without their help the team would have struggled to find the funds to make this possible.”