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Football - 10. April 2011.

FA WSL Preview: Megan Harris on Lincoln Ladies

FA WSL Preview: Lincoln Ladies Football Club

Megan Harris is Lincoln Ladies' longest serving player - she has been with the club since day one - and has seen their rise through the women's football pyramid. She is now preparing to lead her hometown club into the FA WSL and she took time to speak to WSR give us the lowdown on LLFC.

INS: Sue Smith, Sophie Bradley, Jess Clarke, Sophie Walton, Remi Allen, Carla Cantrall, Melissa Sutcliffe, Rachel Daly (all Leeds), Lucy Staniforth (Sunderland), Nicola Hobbs (Everton), Casey Stoney (Chelsea), Bonnie Horwood (Watford).

GROUND)S): Ashby Avenue, Lincoln, LN6 0DY and Sincil Bank, Lincoln, LN5 8LD

KEY PLAYER: SUE SMITH

"Our main key player is probably Sue Smith. She is an England international, with over 80 caps, so she has the experience and knowledge of playing at the highest level. We have a young squad so will be able to pass her experience onto the young girls. Also when she is playing she can turn the game with her skill level - it just takes one second and she can be past a player and scoring a goal."

ONE TO WATCH: LUCY STANIFORTH

"Lucy is a quality player; she has just been away with the England under-19s, she is only 18 and has come down and moved to Lincoln from Sunderland. She is quality on the ball and her set-pieces are unbelieveable - she can get it to a pinpoint, just ask her where you want it and she will knock it there - so she is definitely one to look out for."

BEST SIGNING: CASEY STONEY

"Casey is a massive signing for us. She was club captain at Chelsea and has been captain of England for the last couple of games as well so she is a great coup for the club. Our defensive four were very strong already but bringing her in - her experience, her knowledge and her talking - is just going to bring everybody on."

CAPTAIN: MEGAN HARRIS [In the words of team mates Sophie Bradley and Sue Smith]

SB: "We all look up to her, she is a good talker on and off the pitch which is a good thing - you need someone who you can listen to, look up to and who is a good role model as well. She is very professional and she leads by example."

SS: "That's what she is very good at doing, she will get stuck in on the pitch, she will give 100 per cent and I think that is something that people can look up to and do same sort of thing."

MANAGER: ROD WILSON

"Rod has been involved with the club for over 10 years - his daughter started playing for us, he came down to watch and then he got the bug and started as assistant then took over as manager about six years ago. He has led us to second place in the Northern Premier League for the last four years and without his commitment on and off the pitch we wouldn't be anywhere at all."

HOW DO YOU FEEL LINCOLN'S FA WSL PREPARATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING?

"We have been training since September and it has felt like [the season] has taken ages to come around. We have had some really good prep - we have been training five times a week which I don't imagine many of the other teams have. We are ready and raring to go."

WHAT DOES BEING IN THE FA WSL MEAN TO LINCOLN LADIES?

"It is absolutely massive, as is having the backing of the community. We played Arsenal in the semi final of the FA Cup three or four years ago and 3,500 fans came to watch us, which is unheard of in women's football. We have the support, the backing and with this new sponsorship deal [with local company Danwood] the financial backing that can really drive us on and show the rest of the country we are in it to win it because I think it surprised people that little Lincoln got in."

PREDICTIONS:

Who will win the FA WSL? Lincoln

Who will win the FA Cup? Arsenal

Can you predict the WSL's round one scores?
Birmingham 2-1 Bristol Academy
Chelsea 1-4 Arsenal
Lincoln 3-0 Doncaster
Liverpool 1-2 Everton

WSR's Verdict: 4th. Outside the probable top two it really is tough to tell how the other sides will fare. Lincoln have strengthened wisely, adding a lot of former Leeds players to their ranks, and are a good bet for the top half of what is a very small table.

Megan was speaking to David Brenchley at Lincoln Ladies' Press Day to launch their new sponsorship deal with Danwood and their first ever female fitted kit.

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