Emily Luke: New milestone, ambitions and season ahead

The Nomads Women kick off their domestic campaign with a trip to Bangor 1876 in the first group stage fixture of the Genero Adran Trophy on Sunday and defender Emily Luke is looking forward to her fourth season with the club, where she will become the longest-serving player for our women’s team since the reformation under Jordan Parry back in 2021.

Luke currently has 57 appearances in all competitions for The Nomads with 21 clean sheets to her name. The defender also won the club’s Player of the Season accolade in the 2021/22 campaign and now she is eager to increase her numbers and continue performing to a high standard.

The retirement of former captain Kylie Jones earlier in the summer meant Luke would become The Nomads Women’s longest-serving player and when she next kicks a ball for the club, that will become official. Striker Shannon Hobbs, who is currently nursing an injury sustained back in January, will share the title with Luke when she returns to competitive action.

As she heads into her fourth season, Luke highlights the rise of The Nomads Women’s project and also explains her reasons for enjoying football.

The defender said: "It has been a pleasure to see how far we have come as not only a team on the pitch, but as a club overall. I believe the women’s section is now thriving and I believe myself to be a very loyal player.

"Since joining The Nomads, I have seen the highs and lows. From not having enough players on our bench in the first season to now having the influence of creating opportunities for the young girls following through in our footsteps with the scholarship programme.

"My longevity at this club is fueled by my sheer love for football. The passion and excitement I feel when I step onto the field is always an amazing feeling. Additionally, the quality setup, well-organised training sessions and dedicated coaches at the club has played a significant role in my sustained participation.

"The many characters and personalities of my teammates have been the drive of my enjoyment at the club. There have been a lot of players come and go throughout the last four years, but this year I feel we have something special within the group that could make my fourth season with The Nomads one of the best yet."

All four of Luke’s seasons at The Nomads have been under the reign of Jordan Parry, who has led the club to three consecutive NEWFA Cups, back-to-back second-place league finishes, a Genero Adran Trophy quarter-final and the Genero Adran North U19s title.

Besides leading the first team and U19s squads, Parry is also heavily involved in the Girls Player Development Centre at The Nomads, which has groups aging from U8-U16. Therefore, Parry’s role comes with huge responsibilities, one of which is to teach professionalism and maintain a high standard, which Luke believes the manager is a master at.

"Jord is like Marmite, you either love him or hate him!" Luke said laughing. "I think along this journey, he has kept the high standards high year after year with constant reflection and building the foundations of our team.

"I think we have both learned that we have to be patient whilst on this journey and have to enjoy the process. He always offers important advice, but one piece that will always stick with me will be that good things come to people that work hard."

Luke has been involved in a busy pre-season schedule for The Nomads, which has featured matches against Mossley Hill, Liverpool Feds, Shifnal Town, Tranmere Rovers and Llangefni Town during the summer.

Pre-season is said to be one of the most important periods at any football club, and at The Nomads, that is no exception.

This time around, The Nomads have been preparing for hopefully another successful season in both league and cup competition. With three consecutive NEWFA Cups already amongst the honours, the main focus is on the Genero Adran North title, which has eluded Jordan Parry’s side since the competition was founded in 2021.

The Nomads have been the division’s runners-up for the last two seasons having been pipped to the title by Wrexham and Llandudno respectively.

Over the past three seasons there has been frustration at times, but this year a new transition has arrived with a younger group of players and five new summer signings - Natasha Spearing, Keira Hardstaff, Nicole Samson, Charlie Bolland and Lily Clifton-Stringer.

According to Luke, the improvements shown in pre-season are one of the many reasons why the current Nomads Women’s squad is destined for success.

She said: "Pre-season has presented us with some challenges which have been very positive for the team identifying where we need to improve for the season ahead. All players have been onboard with fitness goals and that has been key for what is to come.

"I think with there being such a youthful team this year, it has complimented us nicely, upping our pace and athleticism along the way. All of the new signings have integrated into our team as if they have been here since the first season. It is exciting times and I think this is our year for success."

The Nomads Women begin their domestic campaign against Bangor 1876 on matchday one of the Genero Adran Trophy group stage. The fixture will take place on Sunday, 1 September at the Bangor City Stadium with a 2:00pm scheduled kick off time.

The Nomads have won every single group match and have reached the knockout stage in all three years that the competition has existed. The most notable result came in the 2022/23 round of 16 when The Nomads stunned Genero Adran Premier outfit Barry Town United with a 3-2 victory at Jenner Park.

Date Published: Saturday, 31st August, 2024 - 11:55am by Adam Angerer