Gillingham Town Ladies FC are looking forward to the new season next month with renewed optimism after landing themselves a new home.

Last year proved a tough season for the side, who finished bottom of the Dorset Women’s League and then found themselves homeless after being told they could no longer play at Kington Magna.

But from September, however, the team, which is in its third year, will be joining the men’s teams and playing at Gillingham Town FC’s pitches.

‘We feel very much like a page has turned and we’ve got everything we wanted, it’s so exciting,’ said club captain Amy Crawford. ‘I think this season will be completely different playing at Gillingham, bringing in bigger crowds and better players,’ says the 26-year-old centre-half.

‘The men’s club have said they will give us all the support they can and we’re very excited to be there.’ The club, which has a squad of 16, is always on the look out for new players and Amy stresses that they will take anyone from the age of 16 up to any age.

‘We’ll take someone who hasn’t played football before or who wants to get back into the game after a break. We’ve played against some teams where there were ladies virtually in their sixties,’ she said. The team is also on the lookout for sponsors.

‘We thought that with being a new ladies team in the area people would be keen to sponsor us but it’s been the opposite.’

Anyone wanting to get in touch can do so via the team’s Facebook page.