https://www.atfc.org.uk/women.htmlAberystwyth now feels like home for Aber Town Women goalkeeper Elen Valentine - who has just completed her first full season with the club.

Valentine, 19, is the first female football scholar in a joint venture with Aberystwyth University - so she’s got to grips with her degree at the same time as stepping up to senior football in the Genero Adran Premier.

“The place is so calm, everyone knows each other and I’ve made lots of friends,” she says.

It has been a topsy-turvy season for the Seasiders, with runs to the semi-finals of the FAW Women’s Cup and the Genero Adran Trophy plus a sixth-place league finish, but Valentine picks out some great highlights, such as drawing away at Swansea City, and a 2-0 Trophy win over Wrexham.

And she says she has learnt a lot - adding with a grin that the most important thing she has learnt has been not to talk back to one of her team-mates, experienced centre-half Rebecca Mathias! On a serious note, making the leap from junior to senior football has meant Valentine has had to develop fast.

“I knew it was going to be high expectations and high standards, but I don’t think I expected to get grilled as much as I did! I have had to learn to be tough and to take it. That’s what comes with playing senior football. It’s made me grow up a lot quicker.”

She’s also noticed the value of the community’s backing for a team like Aberystwyth Town - one of her favourite matches of the season was coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with TNS in December, which she attributes partly to the noise made by some of the young fans in the stands.

“We showed so much character - and we had the Brownies there and loads of support!” she says.

Like all her squad mates, Valentine has had a kit sponsor this season, and she says she would love more local people and businesses to get involved with backing women’s football.

“We really appreciate all the interest we’ve had this season with the cup runs - kit sponsorship means we don’t have to worry about things like paying for kit or our minibus travel to matches,” she explains.

And Valentine has big ambitions for next season already.

“Next season is about getting top four - we are so capable of it,” she says.

To sponsor an Aberystwyth Town Women player or match, please email [email protected]