SPECIALIST MOWERS
ISEKI UK & Ireland Proud to be Part of Watcombe Wanderers U14s Girls Journey
eventeen months
S ago , a new under-14 girls ’ football team was started in South Devon for girls ’ who were unhappy at their current clubs . Fast forward a season and a half , and Watcombe Wanderers have won promotion in their first season and now have two teams whose kits are proudly sponsored by ISEKI UK and Ireland .
In September 2023 , team manager Martin Campbell , a fully licenced coach , was approached to start the team , and during the recruitment process , he received a message from ISEKI Vehicle Sales Manager Phil Catley about his daughter , Maddie .
After starting the season late due to not having enough players , Maddie and the other girls quickly formed a formidable team , eventually finishing second on the last day of the season to claim promotion to Division Two . you feel like something , and that ’ s what I wanted for the girls with their own kit .
“ Like any grassroots club , we rely on volunteers and parents to drive the club , and when it came to kit sponsorship , we asked the parents , and Phil came forward and said I might be able to help .
“ Like anything , people come forward with good intentions , but we all sat here thinking , ‘ Why is a big national company going to be interested in a little backstreet girls ’ football team on the outskirts of Newton Abbott .’
“ But the response from ISEKI was positive , and they sponsored two kits and hoodies for the girls , and I have to say they look outstanding .
Without the sponsorship from ISEKI , the girls wouldn ’ t be able to play football with a nice kit on their backs and be proud of them . They wear the hoodies when they go to school or when they ’ re walking down the street with their mum and dad . So , what might seem like a small thing has made a significant difference to our team .
We are currently placed second in the second division and are chasing promotion to the first division , which will be a massive achievement for a new team to go from third division to first division in two years .”
“ Women ’ s football is enjoying massive growth these days , so to be able to support an up-and-coming grassroots team is something to be very proud of especially with the amount of work we do with the GMA ’ s Pitch Advisory Service in advising on the supply of machinery to local sports clubs ” said Alan Prickett Sales Director of ISEKI Uk & Ireland .
With the football side of the team performing beyond expectations , Martin wanted to build the team ’ s identity with new kits and hoodies before they started their second season . To do this , he sent a message to the parents , and Phil replied .
“ They were playing like footballers , so we wanted them to look like footballers ,” Martin said . “ It can seem like a small thing , but before I joined the ambulance service I was in the service industry for 25 years in sales . Every time you put on a new suit , you feel like someone ;
Watcombe wanderers U14 Girls football team based in Newton Abbot Devon .
44 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | March / April 2025