Impetus have been proud to sponsor Poppy Payne of Millwall Lionesses this season. With their tier five London & South-East Premier campaign over, Poppy caught up with Ben Gilby (8/6/23).
Above: Poppy Payne (6) celebrates with her Millwall Lionesses team mates during the 2022/23 season. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Poppy Payne.
Millwall Lionesses are a famous name in the women’s game in England. Now at tier five, this season the club made giant strides forward – both at senior and age group level. Poppy Payne sums up the South London side’s campaign as “great!”
“Overall it was a great season. Unfortunately, due to circumstances off of the pitch we had two winning games taken away from us and one drawn game had to be replayed which we unfortunately lost, taking our points down by seven.
“Without this issue behind the scenes happening, we would have finished fourth in the league on goal difference! So although to an outsider we finished sixth, we are confident and pleased as a team that we had the ability and potential to finish fourth, which is a huge improvement on last season.”
Millwall had a strong opening half to the season before other challengers for the league began to impose themselves on the division. Payne believes that the first half of the campaign showed exactly what the South London side are capable of.
“The first half of our season was most definitely our best spell. Spirits were very high with back-to-back wins and that was a time when we found our great team bond. As we approached some of the tougher and more challenging games in the second half of the season, we had to just keep reminding ourselves of what we were capable of in the first half of the season and bringing that energy back into the team which we definitely achieved.”
Millwall’s season also saw them play their final home league game, against South London rivals Dulwich Hamlet at the men’s team’s main stadium at The Den – a venue that has hosted three Women’s FA Cup Finals in the past.
“It was an amazing experience for everyone to play at The Den and nerves were most definitely high as we wanted to win at our club’s home ground more than anything. All of the girls had lots of family and friends who came to watch too which meant the pressure was on. But when the final whistle went and we had finished the last game of the season, with a win, at The Den, it was a very proud moment for all the girls and the staff included. It was absolutely the best way to end the season.”
In the end, the battle for the London & South-East Premier League title came down to a fight between Worthing and Ebbsfleet United, with the Sussex side eventually coming out on top. The Impetus-sponsored Millwall player believes that Worthing were worthy champions.
“They are a brilliant team, absolutely deserving of winning the league. Our second game against them was definitely one to remember, to finish the game with only 10 players and a draw was a very proud moment for us against such a great team. It’s a shame this game had to be replayed and is no longer reflected in the league.”
It is not just the first team who have made real progress this season. Payne points to the outstanding achievements of the younger Lionesses teams which offers real excitement for the future of the club.
“The younger teams have smashed it this season, particularly the U18 who won two cup finals and had a very successful season. The talent coming through the club is amazing, we have even had a few of the U18 girls sign and play for the first team throughout the season.”
With this season done and dusted, Payne reflected on what she wants to see her team take out of their experiences to propel them towards a potential promotion push back to the FA Women’s National League.
“As a team, we learnt a lot throughout the season about what it takes to be a real competitor in this league mentally and physically. And we definitely began to adopt that mentality as the season went on. I think next season we need to continue with the right mentality and we will definitely grow to be even stronger competitors in the league.”
Whilst the top level of the women’s game has seen increased crowds and money, clubs further down the pyramid are still struggling for money and players. However, the Millwall star believes that things are generally looking positive in tier five.
“Honestly, I think competition for tier-five places in squads is still very strong. I also think that as we see the top-level teams grow we will see more and more younger girls taking up the sport as they now have these huge role models to look up to, which is amazing.”
However, for now, Payne’s focuses are on a bit of R and R before getting back to Millwall.
“My plans are definitely to enjoy myself and to get on holiday but also to keep up with the running and the training in between the fun! Pre-season is not far around the corner and I definitely do not want to be shocked by the intensity or be trailing behind the other girls.”
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