Students from Nottingham will compete in the first-round proper of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup this weekend, as the only university team left standing in the competition.
History will be made when they step onto the pitch ready to take on Cambridge United who sit three tiers above them in the women’s football pyramid.
University of Nottingham earnt their spot in the first-round proper after beating Boston Town, Belper Town and Brunsmeer Athletic in the qualifying rounds.
Third year sports rehabilitation student, and team captain Ruby Murphy exclusively told Beyond The 90: “When Cambridge come on Sunday they better expect we’re not going down lightly.
“We are a massive force to be reckoned with. We are so young, but we are all so coachable, and we are excited.
“I really feel like sometimes you can win the game before you even step on the pitch.”
Murphy explained that the idea to enter the FA Cup came about a few years ago as a way of raising the team’s funds.
She said: “Our club was in a bit of a tight spot, and we were all sitting in a committee meeting thinking, “What can we do to raise revenue for the club and get to a break-even point?”
“We realised, “Oh, the FA Cup! Why don’t we just try to apply?”
“We tried one year and didn’t get in. Then we tried again last year when our president signed us up, and it was like, “Oh, okay, we’re in the FA Cup this year!”
Since entering, the tier seven side have surpassed expectations with dominant 9-1, 10-1, and 4-3 wins in their three qualifying games.
Murphy said: “We went into the first qualifying round with kind of no expectation of what it would look like.
“But the element of having no pressure has helped us so much.”
She added: “We’re not semi-professionals, we don’t get paid, we just come to uni and play together as a family to see how far we can go.”
The university side’s run has been made even more impressive by the fact that every player is juggling full-time study alongside training and match commitments.
“It’s a different environment.” said Murphy. “This isn’t our job but we’re a group of young girls who understand the pressures of being at uni and trying to be a full-time athlete as well.
“Our coaches are very understanding. You might not get that in a professional or semi-professional set-up.
“I couldn’t go up to an Arsenal coach and say, “Sorry, I’ve got to go back and finish my dissertation!”
For the 20-year-old, who has previously overcome two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, this game carries an extra special meaning.
“When I was 16, I played for Plymouth Argyle and sat on the bench for an FA Cup game before doing both my ACLs,” she said.
“So personally, this means a lot more. I’ve worked so hard to get back into a physical and mental mindset to play again.
“I want to show that you can still achieve those milestones.”
Nottingham’s squad reflects a mix of experience and youth including international students and freshers from American and academy backgrounds, and the shared experience of living, studying and training together has forged a strong bond.
Murphy said: “We don’t train as much as other clubs probably do. But we see each other all the time in lectures and housing.
“We’re very much more of a community than a team.”
That unity, she believes, could be key against a Cambridge side who will arrive as heavy favourites.
The match will be played at the University of Nottingham’s David Ross Sports Village, a £39 million facility that offers elite-level resources rarely seen at tier seven level.
Murphy said: “We’ve got high performance zones, two gyms, a swimming pool, a hydro pool, and a plunge pool.
“These are all things that we’re so lucky to have access to, and most tier seven sides probably don’t have that.
As the only university team in the country still standing in the competition, Nottingham will step onto the pitch on Sunday with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
“I’m just so excited for Sunday,” said Murphy. “This is such a monumental thing for the university, let alone for women’s football.
She added: “We’re going to make sure we go out and give it our all.”
Featured image courtesy of Morgan Harlow/ The FA.