Islington Mayor celebrates Arsenal Ladies’ success

 

The team were greeted on the Town Hall steps by the Mayor and council leader Cllr Richard Watts, and welcomed by councillors, players from Islington Borough Ladies Football Club and pupils from Highbury Fields and Holloway Schools.

 

Arsenal Ladies won the Women's FA Cup for the 14th time in May after beating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium in front of a record crowd. Following a break over the summer this was the first available opportunity to celebrate the team’s triumph.

 

Bringing along their latest piece of silverware, the team posed for photographs with their young fans and signed posters and programmes. The special reception allowed pupils to ask questions to the footballing champions and the players provided inspiration, sharing their experiences and success stories.

 

Cllr Fletcher said: “As the most successful women’s team in the country, Arsenal Ladies should be very proud of their achievements. We are delighted to have them in the borough and they are an inspiration to our girls and young women about the benefits of sport.

 

“It was a fantastic way to celebrate their success and opportunity for our young sports players in Islington to meet and speak to female footballers of the highest level,” she said. 

 

Arsenal Ladies Manager, Pedro Martinez Losa said: “We enjoyed celebrating our FA Cup success at Islington Town Hall on Friday. It was great to meet Cllr Fletcher and the local young footballers that attended the reception. We hope that we inspired them to keep playing and working hard to achieve their dreams.”

 

The council awarded Arsenal Ladies with the Freedom of the Borough in 2007.