Albion Women head to Stoke City in their first FAWNL Northern Premier clash of the campaign at the bet365 Stadium on Sunday (ko 2pm).
The Baggies have enjoyed a rigorous and varied pre-season programme, where they managed to pit themselves against WSL 2, third-tier and fourth-tier opposition.
Charlie Fripp’s side picked up draws against Wolves and Portsmouth, while also testing their metal by taking on the likes of Swindon Town, Real Bedford and Leafield Athletic.
And with plenty of new signings in line to bolster Albion’s ranks, there’s no better place to start than a trip up the M6 to face the Potters.
State of play
A fair bit has changed since Albion Women last took to the field for their goalless draw with Middlesbrough back in April.
For starters, there’s a new boss at the helm, with Interim Head Coach Fripp due to take charge of his first fixture since Women’s Manager Siobhan Hodgetts-Still began her maternity leave in July.
The 26-year-old has been assistant to Hodgetts-Still since the beginning of the 2025/26, and helped guide the team to their decade-best finish in the FAWNL Northern Premier last term.
There are also plenty of new faces for Albion supporters to get to know - with the Baggies making 10 signings.
Promising youngsters Riya Mannu and Lucy Day made their loan spells from Birmingham City permanent over the summer.
In goal, they’ve added Harriet Grimshaw (Stoke City) to their ranks, in the middle of the park Naomi Powell (Portland Thorns) and Rhianne Rush (Real Bedford) have bolstered the midfield unit, while up-front, Jess Collyer (Loughborough Lightning), Tara Kirk (Peterborough United), Abbey Jones (Durham), Milly Round (Aston Villa) and Phoebe Hollin (Halifax) also became Baggies across the months of July and August.
After their summer business, its set to be an exciting campaign for Albion, who look towards the new season with optimism.
The opposition
Similarly to Sunday’s visitors, Stoke City also find themselves with several new faces after their lively summer overhaul.
The Potters have added nine signings to their squad, and Baggies fans may recognise a couple of them. They include midfielders Seren Watkins and Fran Orthodoxou, who left The Hawthorns, while Abi Loydon, who came through Albion’s academy ranks, also now plies her trade at the bet365 Stadium.
They still have the same boss at the helm, though, in former Loughborough Lightning Assistant Manager Sarah Richardson.
Richardson joined the club in 2025, and guided the club to a 4th-placed finish in her first term as Head Coach, collecting 33 points from 22 league games.
And the Potters will aim to improve upon their FAWNL Northern Premier standing in 2026/27, with a tough test against the Baggies first up.
Previous meetings
Stoke City 3-0 Albion Women - March 2026
It was a tricky last outing at the bet365 Stadium for the Baggies. Evie Priestley, Delphi Cole and Ruby Millingter scored without reply as the Potters claimed all three points.
Albion Women 2-0 Stoke City - October 2025
The hosts made it six wins on the bounce back in October, as they secured their passage into the FAWNL Cup round-of-16, a competition in which they would go on to reach the semi-finals. Phoebe Warner and Monique Robinson were on target at the Alexander Stadium that day.
Albion Women 2-1 Stoke City - September 2025
The Alex was the site of late drama, this time in the league as the two sides met for the first out of two meetings in a month. Former Baggie Delphi Cole opened the scoring for the visitors from the penalty spot, but heroics from Orthodoxou and Warner in the dying embers of the match ensured three points in their first match at their new home ground.
Pre-match thoughts
Interim Head Coach Fripp will take charge of Albion Women for the first time on Sunday afternoon, and there’s no better place to start than with a trip to Staffordshire to face the Potters.
After a solid pre-season, the Baggies can take to the field with plenty of confidence in knowing they've faced tough opposition during their preparations.
With Fripp in the midst of his first Head Coach role, he's now required to draw on his knowledge gained across a year as assistant to ‘Shev’ in 2025/26.
And with the Baggies hoping to be towards the top of the FAWNL Northern Premier table this season, the 26-year-old hopes to “steer the ship in the right direction” before Siobhan's return.
He said: “The girls are really up for this one. We’re really ready for it as a staffing unit, it’s a great game to start the season with.
“Games against Stoke have always been competitive, they’re a good side and have some great players within their ranks, but so have we - we feel up for the challenge. They’ve done well across the last couple of seasons, but we’re more than ready for the task ahead, and with it being at the bet365 stadium - it makes it a big occasion.
“We’re raring to go, we feel it’ll set the bar for what the league might be about now. The first game of the season is always difficult, there are a lot of unpredictable results, as there can be throughout then season, but what we do know is we’ll be ready for it.
“We’ve had some good results, we’ve had some excellent performances in pre-season as well. We’ve managed to take away things to improve on from game-to-game, we’re constantly learning and improving, if you do that, you’re always going to improve.
“I’m proud of the girls, the commitment they’ve shown has been excellent. To compete against teams in the league above and teams that are well-established at our level, we’re buzzing with that and it shows we’re in for a good season.
“It was a bit of a transition for me coming into this role. Everyone at the Albion loves Shev (Siobhan Hodgetts-Still), staff and players included in that and what she’s done for the club and the team is incredible. The signings we’ve made are a credit to her character, and we’re just here to steer the ship in the right direction so when she’s back from maternity leave we can kick on together.
“It’s a different challenge for me personally, I’ve not had it before but I’m thankful they’ve put their belief in me and it’s testament to the backing we now have. There’s been a lot of learning but like I say - we’re in a good place and doing very well at the moment.
“We’ve had a great blend of players come in and join us to help us move forward. It’s always good when players can rely on each other game-to-game, and we feel Stoke is a great place to start with that.
“They’re one of the sides in the league that players are attracted to, and rightly so, it’s a big occasion and it’s one we’re ready for.”
Venue
Albion take to the bet365 Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The home of the Potters’ men’s team holds over 30,000 spectators.
How to follow
Tickets can be purchased for the Baggies’ trip to the bet365 on Sunday, with supporters due to have their own away section.
Housed in Block 13, tickets are priced £6 for adults aged 18-64, those 65+ can purchase tickets at £5, U18s are £3, while U15s and U11s are £2. Disabled supporters must buy the appropriate age category ticket, while carers go free.
For those unable to attend, coverage will be provided across Albion Women’s social media channels, as always.
Reaction, the match report and match highlights will be available on the club website over the coming days.
