Barking Abbey Girls Football Academy Season Review

Barking Abbey Girls' Football Academy enjoyed a historic season, finishing as unbeaten league champions and securing the National Football Youth League South Women’s Premier 1 title. The girls played 22 league matches, winning an impressive 20 and finishing the campaign unbeaten. Along the way, they scored an outstanding 85 goals while conceding just 18.

The team came within the finest of margins of adding further silverware, suffering their only defeat of the season across all competitions in the National Football Youth League Cup Final. Despite a spirited performance, they were unfortunate to lose 2–1 to Everton FC.

The girls also narrowly missed out on reaching the ESFA Super League Cup Final. After drawing 3–3 away to rivals and eventual champions Chelsea Blenheim in the semi-final, they were defeated 5–4 on penalties.

Two closely contested cup competitions were ultimately decided by the narrowest of margins, but this should not overshadow what has been an outstanding campaign. The girls lost just one of their 33 matches in all competitions throughout the season.

In February 2026, the squad embarked on a tour of Florida, USA. During the trip, the girls visited and competed against a number of colleges and academies, testing themselves against some of the strongest teams in the state and across the country. They also took part in the Disney Cup, emerging as champions.

We have several girls leaving us this season, eight of whom will be heading to colleges in the USA on football scholarships. We would like to wish them every success as they begin this exciting new chapter in the United States.

We also have eight students who will remain in the UK to attend university, begin apprenticeships and continue their journeys within the football pyramid. We wish them all the very best for the future and look forward to following their progress in the years ahead.