Ipswich Town Women make their WSL2 debut when they take on Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon with manager Joe Sheehan outlining what he would view as a successful campaign (KO 2pm, live on YouTube).
The Blues claimed a place in the second tier of women’s football for the first time in May when they won the FAWNL Southern Premier Division title by six points from Hashtag United, their fourth season at that level.
Sheehan, who has been in charge since February 2019, believes his team is ready for the challenge of the WSL2, which until this season was known as the Women’s Championship.
"I think so, but it’s a new step up, so I’m sure there are going to be lots of things that we’re going to learn about ourselves that perhaps we haven’t had to experience previously,” he said.
"As a club for some time now we’ve probably been ready for this step up. All in good time, of course, and now we’re about to start our campaign on Saturday. I’m sure over the first four or five games we’ll get a measure to see where we’re at.”
Sheehan says it will be a proud moment managing a Town side in the second tier for the first time.
"Hugely,” he continued. "It’s something we’ve strived for for so long, so it’s something we’ve been super-excited for since the season finished.
"Putting all the appropriate processes in place to meet the level, both on and off the pitch, it’s been an exciting period leading up to this point.
"It’s certainly proud for us staff and players to finally get the opportunity to compete at the level having tried and been unsuccessful for so long. We’re super-excited for it.”
Asked what he sees as a successful season, he said: "It’s a good question. I think we’re probably not going to set an expectation on position. We want to try and compete as best as we can.
"We looked at the teams that have gone up in previous years and seen how they’ve got on and what they did that perhaps helped or hindered them.
"My initial aim really is to try and be one of the highest-placed finishing promoted teams in their first season.
"If we can try and be one of the best ever promoted teams that goes up from tier three to WSL2 in recent years, then I think we’ll probably see that as success.”
But that’s not going to be easy with Sheehan seeing the gap between the divisions as very significant.
"I think the last few years would suggest it’s probably similar to the Championship to the Premier League,” he said putting it in terms of men’s football.
"If you look at Portsmouth, they stayed up last year, but I don’t think they won until around Christmas time and then had a really strong end to the season.
"The year before that, Watford had gone back up and went back down, so over the last few years it’s not been easy to stay there once you get in that division.
"Certainly now that the established clubs in that division are spending a lot of money and are trying to push up into the Super League itself, it makes it even more difficult to stick around in it. I would say it’s probably closer to the Championship to the Premier League.”
Which elements of the game are tougher in WSL2? "A bit of everything, really. I think everything probably goes up by a gear. In the division that we’ve been in previously, we’ve probably been the dominant team across all the metrics, tactically, technically, really strong mentality. We’ve physically profiled really well and making a step up now into a new division we’re possibly not going to be that dominant team.
"We’re hoping that there will be some areas that we’ll have some really good strength in, but we’re probably going to meet teams now that are going to be really equipped across all of those things and we’re less likely to be the dominant team that we have been for some time.
"That’s also an exciting spin, something a little bit different that we’re looking forward to embracing.”
There have been plenty of comings and goings over the summer with Sheehan having been keen to add second-tier knowhow to his squad while still maintaining continuity from last season.
"You want to make sure you’ve got the required experience, which I think is key, players that have had experience of the level because they fill the existing ones with a little bit of confidence,” he said.
"Also the players that have worked really hard to get us to this situation over so long deserve their opportunity to embrace this division.
"It is difficult getting the balance right - how many is too many? But I think a lot of the new ones have integrated really well.
"There’s a really strong bond between everybody, which is a really important part of the foundation for the team and I’m sure over time will continue to improve as well through the experiences that we face. We’re really happy with what we’ve brought in.”
Reflecting on the summer’s additions - the returning Paige Peake and two-times loanee Ruby Doe, as well Rianna Dean, Sophie Baigent, Grace Neville, Bethan Roe and Maddy Earl, who joined on loan from Arsenal on Thursday - Sheehan said: "We identified players that we felt could really complement the group and ones that we really wanted to invest in and we felt would be important for us in this division.
"But also a nice blend of some young ones from elsewhere but also young ones that have come through our own pathway.
"We feel like we’ve got a really exciting squad, a nice blend and they’ve connected really well, there’s a really strong bond already and that’s going to be hugely important for us.
"Hopefully, we’ll have a nice balance, a lot of continuity, a lot consistency and high availability across all our players that can contribute to a successful season.”
Before the new signings came in, a number of those who had played important roles in the promotion season departed, Angela Addison, Maisy Barker, Issy Bryant, Grace Garrad, Ella Rutherford and Evie Williams.
Sheehan admits that was a difficult process: "Lots of tough decisions and decisions that weren’t taken lightly. We had to really think about what we had and what they needed, what we needed and despite building such connections with all the players over the last few years, it was really important that we made the right decision for us, the group, the team.
"And also the players that were moving on as well. We didn’t want to keep players if we didn’t feel that we could particularly give them the game time they needed because that wouldn’t be helpful either.
"It was important that we tried to make appropriate decisions for all parties. They’re never easy, they’re really difficult but we tried to do that as best as we can.”
Town finished 2024/25 strongly, winning six of their last seven to claim the title, but Sheehan doesn’t believe that momentum will have much impact this season against a Southampton side under new head coach Simon Parker.
"I’m not sure, they’re under new management, they’ve had a lot of players come and go as well, so they’re going to be a different to team to the one that they have been,” he said.
"Momentum, it only carries you really into the next game and we’ve had a long period since our last game and there’s been a lot of turnover for us. I’m not conscious of carrying momentum into the new league, it’s just a new challenge for us.
"There’s a new batch of players and ultimately the success that we will have will be determined by how well we prepare ourselves and how well we perform week in, week out.
"Of course, if we win a few games, we’ll take some good confidence and momentum into the one after that, but equally you lose one and suddenly your momentum’s gone.
"We’re coming into the division after winning tier three, but there’s been a lot of change at both clubs, with players and staff at Southampton that means it probably counts for nothing.”
On injured duo Charlotte Fleming, who missed much of last season with an ACL injury, and Shauna Guyatt, who suffered a knock towards the end of the campaign, he added: "They’re doing OK. Charlotte’s been back in with the group now for a couple of weeks. Shauna is really only just starting back with the group very loosely this week.
"Both have not had any real setbacks so far and are progressing really well, so we’re hoping they’re not too far away now from being part of the full squad.”
Returning Peake and new striker Dean joined the club from the Saints, while assistant manager Lauren Phillips was also previously with the Hampshire club, but Sheehan says they’ve not been able to provide too much insight into the team the Blues will face on Saturday.
"Not really, we’ve actually played there, we played Southampton in a game a few years ago at St Mary’s, so we’re familiar with the stadium, the layout and what that looks like,” he said.
"But there’s been a turnover of staff, a change in personnel and ideas and the way they operate. There’s not too much really to take away from the players that have been there previously because they’re under new guidance now, it’s not something we can benefit from.”
The change of division has meant a switch of home ground with Felixstowe & Walton’s Martello Ground not meeting the required standard. That will see the Blues play at Colchester United’s JobServe Community Stadium for the next two campaigns.
Sheehan, whose side make their debut at their new home a week on Sunday against Nottingham Forest (KO 2pm), will be looking to turn it into a fortress.
"We hope so,” he said. "Felixstowe has been very, very hospitable for us, it’s a place we’re so familiar with and had some really good memories at.
"And now we have to make the step into a new ground where I hope we can have some similar experiences and I’m sure over time we’ll become really familiar with what that looks like and the matchday processes.
"We’ve been there as staff to get an idea of what it’s going to look like for us. We took the players there last week, so they’ve been able to go there and get a bit of a tour, which has been useful. We’re excited to go and play there.”
In addition to the new ground, there have been other changes: "Obviously the stadium, first and foremost. Contact times had to increase. Our staffing has gone up, we have a new building that’s gone up.
"There have been lots of things that we’ve had to make sure we’re equipped with and just to comply with WSL2 criteria, making sure that we tick all of those boxes. That’s been a process that [general manager] Rachel Harris has led on and done a terrific job with.”