Sheffield Junior League girl footballer Neve earns plaudits

Neve Renwick showed signs of being a star in August, 2016, when Caribbean Sports Club held trials ahead of their season in Division F of the Sheffield Junior League.
Neve Renwick
It was August 2016 and we had just moved to the Caribbean Sports club in Ecclesfield we were to start in Div F of the Sheffield Jun League

It was the Caribbean annual fun day a great day out for all the family, we had also organised a friendly as a little of a showpiece for the Caribbean and also the first real day of our trials..

We had organised a friendly against one of the other Caribbean teams and i was told that i had a girl coming to trial, i was like yes lets have look at her we had never had any girls in our team before so i was looking forward to see what she was like. I got the normal, why we want to sign a girl etc,& yes its still around.. haha, but I said lets at least see& So we started our normal pre-match warm up, you could see from the start that she had a good technique, well those doubts about her ability were soon to be seen by everyone, just before the game started we had a little shooting practice, it came round to Neves turn and normally i would have to say to the kidsNeve Renwick
It was August 2016 and we had just moved to the Caribbean Sports club in Ecclesfield we were to start in Div F of the Sheffield Jun League

It was the Caribbean annual fun day a great day out for all the family, we had also organised a friendly as a little of a showpiece for the Caribbean and also the first real day of our trials..

We had organised a friendly against one of the other Caribbean teams and i was told that i had a girl coming to trial, i was like yes lets have look at her we had never had any girls in our team before so i was looking forward to see what she was like. I got the normal, why we want to sign a girl etc,& yes its still around.. haha, but I said lets at least see& So we started our normal pre-match warm up, you could see from the start that she had a good technique, well those doubts about her ability were soon to be seen by everyone, just before the game started we had a little shooting practice, it came round to Neves turn and normally i would have to say to the kids
Neve Renwick It was August 2016 and we had just moved to the Caribbean Sports club in Ecclesfield we were to start in Div F of the Sheffield Jun League It was the Caribbean annual fun day a great day out for all the family, we had also organised a friendly as a little of a showpiece for the Caribbean and also the first real day of our trials.. We had organised a friendly against one of the other Caribbean teams and i was told that i had a girl coming to trial, i was like yes lets have look at her we had never had any girls in our team before so i was looking forward to see what she was like. I got the normal, why we want to sign a girl etc,& yes its still around.. haha, but I said lets at least see& So we started our normal pre-match warm up, you could see from the start that she had a good technique, well those doubts about her ability were soon to be seen by everyone, just before the game started we had a little shooting practice, it came round to Neves turn and normally i would have to say to the kids

Manager Ash Walker, who had to buy the female goal machine a pair of boots after losing a bet with her mother this summer, recognised Neve’s quality right away.

“She had a good technique and really impressed with wheb she smashed the ball into the top corner with her left foot from outside the box.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“All the parents watching immediately said: “Don’t let her leave until she signs.”

“We went onto win the game with Neve on her debut scoring a hat-trick and of course she signed.

“In her first full season she scored 28 goals in 20 matches and four assists (scoring in every match bar one) a great return for the Caribbean a great return for any striker let alone a girl in a boys league

“At times she was unplayable, composed, technically sound, great movement, headed goals, left foot, right you name it, Neve was pleasure to watch.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At the start of the 2017/18 season Ecclesfield-based Caribbean U13s moved up to 11-a-side-games on larger pitches and the 35-goal wager between Neve’s mum and Ash was arranged.

Ash said: “I said that if she scored 35 goals I’d buy her some Adidas Copa Mundials.

“Needless to say I lost my bet because she ended up scoring 37 goals in 20 matches with 11 assists. It’s the best bet I’ve ever lost. She’s gone on from strength to strength, terrorising defences throughout the league, some of the goals she has scored have been amazing. She get kicked all over, but just gets up and carries on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her have a bad game, even scoring a goal against an A division side in the County Cup.

“She scored four hat-tricks on the trot, which can’t be far off a record for the Sheffield Jun ior League.

“Here’s to next season and more goals.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Finally heres a few words from a couple of the managers in our league.

In addition, Neve plays for Sheffield Wednesday Girls and scored 46 times for them. She’s also been scouted by the FA Women’s Talent ID team and when she was watched she scored a hat-trick.

Her abitily has drawn praise from other Sheffield Junior League clubs.

Manager Anth Payne of league winners Chesterfield Panthers said: “ Neve is an outstanding footballer. She is not afraid of playing against her male peers, if anything she appears to relish it.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And Andy Hadfield of Millhouses Juniors Blues, who finished second, said: “Neve holds her own in an increasing physical environment. She is a class above most with phenomenal control and lightening pace. Her eye for goal is sublime. The Millhouses boys want to be cheering her on in an England shirt in years to come.”