STAMFORD have finished runners-up in the Tameside Ladies League.
Indeed, they finished only one point behind champions Ashton.
It underlines the huge strides the women’s section has made in recent years.
The club, posting a congratulatory message on social media, pointed out 10 years ago they would have struggled to field a team.
Judith Whithead, who runs the team with help from Lesley Green, said: “I would say less than six years ago we would not have been able to field a team.
“When I started playing for the team, we struggled to get six ladies. Often, we would only have four players and were giving away matches before we started.”
This season they had a squad of 13 players to select the team, a luxury compared with previous times.
Stamford are in the league alongside Ashton, Dukinfield, Fairfield and Blackley.
And the increased strength of the women’s section meant Stamford were able to enter the Manchester Alliance’s Archie Preston Mixed Foursomes and progressed to the last 16.
Another indication of how well Stamford women are doing is that they are hoping to enter the Bell Cup, the area’s most prestigious women’s knockout, for the first time in 2023.