Tractor Girls Talk - 2026 Retained list, Thomas departure and WSL 2 review

0:07Ross Halls:Hello everybody, it's me Roscoe and welcome to the latest episode of the Kings of Anglia Track and Girls Talk podcast, our show covering all things Ipswich Town Women. And well, WSL2 survival was complete for their right side. I'm joined by my right hand man covering the Track and Girls in Tom Cann. My friend, we're going to discuss a lot of big news, some shock departures, and we're going to review the season as a whole. But how are you, my friend? Have you got the off-season blues already, or are you just still enjoying, of course, celebrating the town's men's promotion, but also the women's team also surviving in WSL 2 as well?

0:47Yeah, I'm very well. I've sort of calmed down a little bit from everything that happened last weekend um i've had a lot of things to do in you know in the job since then which has sort of taken my focus away from football quite significantly um so i'm very ready to talk about football again um because it has been some time obviously with no game at the weekend for anyone um yeah it's always nice to nice to actually discuss football um but overall it's been a very season for both men and women so yeah very much looking forward to it how are you yeah good mate

1:26Ross Halls:um yeah I haven't got those off-season blues just yet I think it was just a perfect time to just now relax it was the first weekend without any football for Richardstown of course that you know there's football still being played with playoffs and all that sort of stuff but it's sort of nice to sit down relax and sort of reflect on the season which as you say was very good for both teams in the end for the Trattner girls because there was a stage I will admit I thought oh no it wasn't going to go well. But thankfully, Dave Wright, which we'll get onto shortly, of course now, actually, let's start with Dave Wright, actually, Tom, because we haven't recorded a podcast since he was appointed permanently as Itch's Town Women's manager.

2:03Ross Halls:Good old Stuart Watson spoke to David when that news dropped for a pod special. So if you haven't listened to that yet, go and listen to that. Really good chat with David about him permanently becoming the manager. But Tom, he's done a very good job, hasn't he? since getting appointed in January. He was an interim manager, replacing, of course, long-serving manager Joe Sheeran, which was very sad and disappointing to see Joe leave. But Dave has come in and he's got results. He's kept the team up. Of course, he was backed with nine new signings in January and he's now been rewarded with the permanent role.

2:37Ross Halls:Your thoughts on that? Yeah, I mean, the job he's done is quite incredible, actually. um as you said i was come december i was they didn't look anywhere near the standard that they needed to be and i was thinking yeah gonna be a long old season sitting on four or five points um you know maybe picking up one win for the rest of the season actually um and i was fully expecting it to be a real struggle um and he came in and i think he was manager for 11 of the 22 games and he only lost three of them. And, you know, a couple of them, you know, his side were the better side. Southampton comes to mind at Portman Road.

3:26You know, they were all over Southampton and, you know, a final goal, which was offside, was the reason they didn't win. The job he's done has obviously helped quite a bit with, you know, the signings that they made in January. But what he's done has been incredible to finish nine points clear of bottom place and actually closer to sort of playoff area is really, really well done to everybody. Not least David Wright, who obviously was made permanent, which is not a surprise to anyone really after the impact that he had.

4:04Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely. Of course, end of the season with three straight wins. one against Birmingham City which of course went on to win the title on goal difference I'll just look at the table Birmingham of course winning, Chris Palace finished in second Cholton who were runaway leaders for a period they finished third in the end so they got to play in the playoffs or has that really been played? I haven't done my research enough there Good thanks Tom, he's up to date with that sort of stuff I've got other things that are just over my world and he's been, you know, you've been covering the body politics this week.

4:38Ross Halls:So that's been interesting, I'm sure, as my doorbell rings. But thankfully, my other half is in, so she can answer that door. But anyway, yes, town, of course, ending the season very strongly, Tom. But we're going to sort of part that for a moment. We are going to review the season as a whole. But there's some big news that has come out. The retain list, which came out actually earlier than I thought it was going to. Normally, they sort of let the season sort of sizzle a little bit, let that just sort of calm down, and they leave it a few weeks. But they must have had the end of season dinner, had the conversations, and then announced the retain list.

5:15Ross Halls:And there's some shock departures. One of them is Natasha Thomas, Tom, the legendary striker. I've been at the club for more than a decade. She's leaving the club, which, you know, she's a record top goalscorer, an all-time appearance maker. When you think of Ipswich Town Women, first name you think about is Natasha Thomas. Just your reaction, first of all, when you saw that news.

5:43Yeah, shocked. Just because, as you said, she is Miss Ipswich Town. She has been at the club for, you know, she's part of the furniture at Playford Road and at Portman Road. She's been around forever. She does so much with the club. off the pitch as well with the foundation and doing town tv and things like that on a um on a men's match day um it is a shock you know you've just been there for so long that you just you expect her to just stay there until she decides to call it quits on on her playing career but um

6:22yeah you know maybe she thought now was the time to to leave and you know her legacy that she'll leave behind um as i think you said in the piece that you wrote about you know her career at ipswich i don't think it will ever be topped you know it's it's incredible to make what was it 260 appearances in you know even in men's football that's an impressive you know thing for one club but for women's football where you play at most 25 games a season um you know it's it's incredible um to have played that many games and 175 goals in that time. I know it was maybe at the lower levels and Ipswich had a lot of money pumped into them more recently, but that's still an incredible tally to be able to hit, and she's obviously been through it all, going up from fourth tier, third tier, played in the second tier, scored the first goal at Portman Road for the ladies in the league.

7:26She scored a number of vital goals this season, Portsmouth levelling that at home, which was really important to go on to win that game. yeah i think what she's done and going on to be the first international um appearance maker for ipswich town women as well having her name put on the on the board at portman road with all the other legends that have played at ipswich and all the other international appearance makers you know she added her name to the list and yeah it's it's incredible what she's done at the club and the legacy that she'll leave behind you know not only that but she has inspired so many women as well to to play football um you know so many players will have looked up to her and gone well she's you know she's done this she's done that you know a top club um i can do the same so yeah she it's a sad sad thing that she's going obviously i didn't watch her as much as you did you've been with the club a lot longer than I have.

8:32But watching her these past three years, she's always up for an interview after games, always speaks really well as well. Very smart, smart-wise with football and knows what she's talking about. So, yeah, it's going to be weird not writing Natasha Thomas scores for Ipswich Town next season.

8:56Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely. And, of course, the phrase or the legend gets thrown about a lot these days in football and just in life in general. But she is, and it's just a town woman's legend. So, going to be missed. But we're looking forward to her next chapter. There's obviously a lot of content online that we've put together on her career as a whole. But, yeah, legacy that she's left is huge. And, yeah, one of the first sort of trailblazers in the women's team who, you know, yeah, on and off the pitch. some great stuff, you know, trustee for the foundation. And, yeah, thank you very much for Tash. I think that's what we've got to say, just thank you for the stuff she's done.

9:36Ross Halls:And, yeah, those goals, I've seen her score so many goals, you know, yeah, started in the fourth tier, but she's sort of proven that she can play in the second tier and just an athlete as well, a massive athlete who, yeah, is going to just be a great asset to any club she signs for next. So, yes, all the best, Tash. And, yeah, some shocking news. I'm sure there's some sad fans out there, a lot of um track of girl fans who are really sad to see a leave because i'm sure there's so many people who got you know thomas seven on the back of their shirt and now got to find a new favorite player in this squad which there are still some you know very good players and there'll be i'm sure new new players in the summer um but yeah tash uh tom sorry i'll just call you tash um tom um very different looking uh if you were tash um but yeah tom that is one of the big departures out of the retain list, but let's go through the retain list as a whole.

10:29Ross Halls:The next two I want to sort of focus on are two players who have been part of this journey from the fourth tier as well, who have played over 100 games for the football club, and that is Summer Hughes and Kyra Robertson, who, yeah, you know, came through the academy, you know, very key players in Joshi inside that have won sort of promotions, you know, in recent years, played key roles, of course, in the third tier promotion last season. And, yeah, unfortunately for, say, Kyra, she's had sort of injury setbacks. But, you know, she's a really good player. And some of you, as I said, I've sort of seen her journey from academy in Kyra as well, to be fair, seen their journey through the academies and then become regulars and, as I say, played 100 games for the football club, which is incredible.

11:15Ross Halls:But probably maybe the right time for them, Tom, that, you know, they weren't playing that much this season. At the end of the season, of course, Kyra's been injured, so not a fortune I've been playing, but sort of summer as well, not being a regular. They probably now need sort of fresh, you know, place to go now to kickstart their football again. But two players that sort of left the legacy as well. Yeah, yeah. Two players that have played a huge part in Ipswich's rise to the second tier. And even in the second tier, you know, when both of them did play, you know, they didn't look out of place for the most part and, you know, did what they needed to.

11:52But as you say, it was... Kyra was unlucky with, you know, an injury that put her out for pretty much from, I think it was around December, January time onwards. And, you know, you have players coming in that took that centre mid spot. Beth and Roe has, you know, has been so good this season at left back that, you know, it was tough for Summer Hughes to get into the team. I think she played a few games when there was an injury crisis in that central midfield position. and Bethan Rowe had to move into that. And she did all right when she played there. She runs up and down the wings a lot, which is great to see, very Leif Davis-esque.

12:34But yeah, as you say, it's probably the right time for them to move on because I think next season it will be tougher for them to get games because they'll want to be signing more players and signing players that have played at WSL level and WSL2 level and they're experienced in that to you know even challenge Beth and Rowe you know left back and whoever the centre mids might be Colette Kavanagh and Kit Graham will come on to in a minute if she stays you know things like that so right time for them to move on but the impact that they've had to to help get the team promoted to the second tier for the first time to WSL2 and the part that they played last season the part that they've played since breaking through the academy two people that obviously did really well with bringing up and giving them chances in the first team and how much they've grown yeah they've been brilliant and to make 100 appearances is still nothing to be sniffed at, it's still a fantastic achievement and something that they'll both they'll both you know take with them um and you know that experience now that they've got of playing at wso2 level um will serve them i'm sure really well uh wherever they they end up next

13:59Ross Halls:yeah definitely you know they're obviously grown as people as well just like tash you know they've sort of grown um from you know sort of amateur football in a way you know like tash officer came in you know when they were still training you know a few days a week and they still had jobs on the side and you know now they're professional players um but yeah all the best to the summer on Kyra as well um and yeah be interesting to see where that ends up um there's sort of like predictions early on where I'm like I think they could go to a certain club but uh we won't get into that just yet we'll find out uh where they end up I'm sure there's um gonna be all eyes on you know where the release players see where they end up um I've got a bit of an ex-blue sort of thing I do with the men's team I'm now doing that for the women's team as well now, like seeing where they end up and stuff.

14:44Ross Halls:So we shall see. Next player I think we should focus on, Tom, is Rhianna Dean, who joined a club this summer, of course, or last summer, and she was a joint top goalscorer with Sotia Pesca with five goals. Just one season for her at town. Yeah, I think she probably knew it's been a bit of a frustrating season for her as well, but still got some goals, some key goals as well. But yeah, just one season for Rhianna Dean. Yeah, and played her part. in helping to keep ipswich up um you know frustrating first half of the season i'm sure for her but um you know she she played a bigger part in the seconds half of the season obviously i think with princess uh adamalu coming in she saw less game time um but was still you know vital when she came on and um you know or started ahead of her and you know was was taken off in the second half she still played her part really well and as you say you know scoring five goals did help out town an awful lot to helping secure safety um i think she arrived with you know a lot of expectation obviously having played at southampton for a little while and scoring a number of goals for them um obviously joined the club it may not have gone how she'd have wanted it to i'm sure she'd have probably wanted more than five goals throughout the season.

16:09But yeah, still contributed a lot to the year. And I'm sure she'll find another WSL2 side. She's far too good to go down a level. So I'm sure she'll land on her feet at another club and we'll probably see her come up against Ipswich next season.

16:29Ross Halls:Yes, just hopefully he doesn't score because we don't want that. ex-players coming back and scoring against us, especially if it's a rival or somewhat. Now, we've got a few other players. I'm just going to name them, Tom, and then we'll just sort of briefly talk about them. No offence to them, but, you know, we'll be here all day if we spoke about every single player. But the other players, of course, is Sophie Bygene, Ruby Doe, Charlotte Fleming, Shauna Guyatt, Ruby Seabee and Nina Mialo. Sophie Bygene, unfortunately, had injuries. She signed from Hashtag in the summer, but I unfortunately never watched her play.

17:06Ross Halls:So I can't really say much to that, but sadly had a lot of injuries. Hopefully she can bounce back and find a club and play regularly. Ruby Doe, of course, Tom, in her third spell at the club. Once again, she's had injuries as well. I was really, really excited when she signed permanent. I thought, here we go. Had her on loan. She's been sort of keying those loan spells. But unfortunately, her first spell has been out injured. Charlotte Fleming, I think, focus on her a little bit here, actually, because she'd been in the club for two years. And she, you know, at one stage was captain of the club, you know, where Boz was injured.

17:40Ross Halls:Then, unfortunately, got an ACL injury, which just came out at such a horrible time. That's her second ACL injury in her career as well. And I thought she was, like, mustered. In the tier three, I thought she was fantastic. And got that injury. Of course, she came back this year, and I thought she played well when she came in. but that ACL injury Tom obviously in Morgan's football it happens all the time unfortunately but a player that is quality and has left her mark Yeah definitely as you say she was instrumental last year particularly the first half of the season before she got her injury and she captained the side at Carrow Road from what I remember when Ipswich beat that lot up the road 4-0 she was captain there and played her part really well, she was as you say mustered in central midfield and then she got injured and you know ACLs are horrible for anyone men or women and it takes a long time to come back from look at get Graham, she had one at Tottenham, I think she had two actually and you know took her a long time and you know came to us and thankfully she's she did a she did really well on loan here um and maybe that's what charlotte fleming needs is just regular game time at a club where you know she can um work up that fitness again and maybe it be a little bit less uh challenging less demanding um than wsl2 level maybe a you know third tier level go to a club which are hoping to get promoted like she did with Ipswich and make her mark again and stay injury-free.

19:29I'm sure she'll be instrumental at whichever club she goes to because she is a really good midfielder. Same with Ruby Doe, actually. I thought she was really good when she came to us and played really regularly as a 16, 17, 18-year-old in the third tier and unfortunately got an injury this year. I think it would be good for her to go down to the third tier again, get playing again and help another team get promoted. Because those two are really good midfielders and they've just been hampered with injuries, unfortunately.

20:03Ross Halls:Yeah, very much so, unfortunately. And, yeah, Sean Aguillat is another player on this list. Two seasons at the club, spent the second half of this campaign at Sheffield United, of course a league rival, but played a really key role in our promotion last year. and a really good player, actually. I think she probably will sign for another WSL2 club. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up somewhere. Maybe in Sheffield, they may look to sign her permanently, potentially. So wish her all the best. Ruby Seabee leaves after a year, another player that was part of the team that got promoted. Didn't really get a look in too much this year in WSL2, but, you know, still a young player that I'm sure will find a club.

20:42Ross Halls:And Nina Mialo, the young goalkeeper, who's been out on loan the last few seasons, IFC Sudbury and Real Bedford in the tier three this season and as you mentioned Tom Tash is on the board the internationals at Porton Road but Nina Mialo is also for the Philippines of course so she's always going to have a mark at Itcher's Town because she's on that board but yeah another player that yeah she's a young goalkeeper and it's so hard it's such a hard position isn't it I think she'll find a club somewhere because yeah she's an international footballer I know it's for the Philippines but it's still an international footballer.

21:17She's never really got an opportunity in town

21:19Ross Halls:because there's other goalkeepers in front of her. But, yeah, that's still an honour to have, to be on international honours board. Yeah, definitely. And I know that she's had a pretty good season with Real Bedford. So, potentially, she could just sign there permanently. Any club that's looking for a goalkeeper that's international experience and has played with players that are now WSL2 level and worked under Joe Sheehan. I'm sure that a lot of women's football lower down in the pyramid, particularly in this region, will know of what he has done for young players and how well he's nurtured them.

22:06So any club that needs a first-choice goalkeeper will look at her and go, So, yeah, we can bring her on board and she'll land on her feet. Same with Ruby Seabee, obviously a very young player, so I'm sure she'll go to a club and have an impact. And, yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if Shauna does go to Sheffield United or something, because I know that she did play a big part in helping them the second half of the season.

22:32Ross Halls:Definitely. And we'll keep an eye on where they go next. Of course, we'll update you all on this podcast, and I'm sure we'll do online stories as well. so we shall see. So those are the release players. All the best to them. Thank you to their contributions at the football club, of course. A very sad one in Tash Thomas, but all of them as well. Sad to see him go, but all the best for the future. Tom, lone players also leaving the club. They've all sort of made an impact, haven't they? You know, they're all lone players in January that Daryl Wright brought in. Ava Barker from Birmingham City, Kit Graham from Spurs, Nelly Lass from Leicester City, Malika Mina from Bristol City and Kenzie Weir for Everton.

23:14Ross Halls:And Kenzie Weir, she became like a goal scoring, you know, set her up, wasn't she? And yeah, they all made an impact, my friend. Could we see them maybe back? Like Kit Graham, I think, has got an option to buy in his deal. So in his, no, her deal. So I'm still got the men's football podcast brain sometimes. But yeah, Kit Graham, I think anyone would love her to see her back because she's been fantastic. She's a class player anyway. We knew that from her experience, but she's one I'm thinking she'll probably be back. The rest, you never know. Ava Barker, Baker, sorry. I'm thinking Maisie Barker.

23:50Ross Halls:Maisie, go away. But yeah, as I said, they all made an impact, didn't they? And yeah, wouldn't be surprised if the club go, maybe bring them back because they're a parent club. So they go, oh, they made an impact for you. Maybe, you know, long-term could work out. Yeah, they all played a part. Well, Ava, as you say, joined from Bristol City on loan. They've now been promoted, so her chance of playing for them is probably less in the top tier. So, you know, it wouldn't surprise me if she did go back out on loan somewhere and she was, you know, a regular on that left-hand side. Her and Lucy Ashworth Clifford sort of chopping and changing which one started, which one came off the bench.

24:33So both really good options to have at left wing. So it wouldn't surprise me if, you know, if they were like, yeah, do you want to come back for another season? You helped us out a lot in the last season. Same with Kenzie Weir, to be fair. It wouldn't surprise me if they wanted her back, whether she'd come back because she's obviously proven that she can, you know, she's a good defender. Scores a lot from set pieces, which is always handy for, you know, a center half. whether she'd come back to Ipswich or set her sights at a lower WSL side or a WSL 2 side Charlton, maybe if they don't get promoted, someone like that, and a gentleman chasing promotion.

25:21We'll see. But they've all played a part. Mina did really well when she came in in centre mid and nearly last when she started a right back. did really well as well. It was obviously difficult for her because she came into a position where the captain obviously has that role. But when she did play, she did really well. And for a young player, I think she came on in some of the toughest games that Ipswich had in the running and did really well against her attackers. So yeah, they've all made an impact. And it wouldn't surprise me if one or two of them, especially Kit Graham, I can fully see her coming back.

26:04but maybe if one or two others come back on loan again, it wouldn't surprise me.

26:11Ross Halls:And, yeah, we'll find out, of course, if they're out of contract or not. I don't know. We haven't got that information to hand right now, but there could be a few of them that may be out of contract. But I think because they're young players, I'm sure they're still very much contracted for a while at those clubs. But we'll find out when we know. But, yeah, there is contract talk still ongoing, Tom, with some players. There's four players in total. The headlines are, of course, Megan Waring and the captain, Miria Boswell. Also youngsters, goalkeeper Laura Hartley and youngster Casey J. Bonwick.

26:45Ross Halls:But, yeah, Tom, I think they're probably just still discussing terms and stuff like that. Bos, of course, is the big one because she is the captain. Maybe she wants to know what her role is going to be going forwards. I'd be surprised if she did go. but if the offer doesn't really suit her, then she may look and go somewhere else. Megan Waring, of course, has been playing a lot this season as well, sort of regular. So, yeah, just your thoughts on those sort of contracts ongoing for those four players. Yeah. You know, Boz and Megan Waring sort of make an awful lot of sense there, especially Megan Waring.

27:25She's very young still and has played quite a lot this season, so already has that WC2 experience. It wouldn't surprise me if pretty soon she's knocking on the door of the Scotland first team. So she's definitely one that I think they'd want to keep, even if it is just to protect her and boost her asset at the club and things like that. Maria Boswell is obviously the captain, so it doesn't surprise me either. I'd be surprised if none of them don't sign up to the new contract. They'll all know what's in it. Laura Hartley's obviously been the backup for a few years now, and obviously with Natalia Negri and Lissian Pruhl, I think is how you pronounce her surname.