Stars of the Blackburn Rovers Women’s team were on hand to donate an exclusive training kit to the National Football Museum.

Millie Chandarana and Jade Richards joined football legend Sue Smith to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Barclays Women’s Championship which is today (April 14).
 
Blackburn Rovers Women donated one of their Dodici Otto training shirts. The designer creates unique football shirts, and Blackburn Rovers were the first women’s team to collaborate with him.

Rovers take on Reading this weekend as the Barclays Women’s Championship celebrates 10 years.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Millie and Jade said they were delighted to be at the launch and spoke of their experiences playing in the championship.

Speaking from the Manchester Football Museum Jade said: “It is a little more different the Championship and the style of play.

“The teams in the Championship are really developing and team at the top of the table like Crystal Palace and Charlton who are competing as full-time teams, with   really good structures. 

“Tactically the championship is much more advanced than when it started.

“It has developed year on year and is only getting better as well, with the professionalisation of the clubs. The athletes coming into the club from the WSL and abroad, is only taking the standard higher and bridging that gap between the Championship and the WSL.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Millie said: “We are in a really good place and in the best place we have been in the Championship and we still have three games to go and hopefully we can get more points on the board.

“We can finish a few places higher and that will build us for next season.

“All in all, it has been really good season and there have been quite a few positives to take from it.”

Sue Smith meanwhile donated several pieces from her time with Doncaster Rovers Belles including her Player of the Season and Golden Boot trophies from their 2014 campaign, a season review DVD from the same season, two match programmes, a pair of boots worn during her time with the South Yorkshire outfit and a unique embroidered rug.

Charlton Athletic also gave a selection of pieces to the museum including Jessica Gray’s match worn gloves from the Addicks’ 3-1 win over Birmingham City this season, Melissa Johnson’s away shirt worn last term when she won the club’s Golden Boot, and Sian Rogers’ shirt signed by the entirety of the 2022-23 squad.