In their first year under club operations, Bolton Wanderers Women secured a magnificent league and cup double to earn promotion to Tier 5 of Women's football and take their place in the Premier Division of the NWWRL.
With 20 wins and 2 draws to their name in the league - completing an unbeaten season - Myles Smith's side prepare for the step up looking to build on the solid foundations laid in 2024/25.
With the off-season now in full swing, we take a moment to look back at the memorable double-winning campaign, as told by Women's team media intern, Katherine Byrne...
Pictures provided by Jake Horrocks.
August
After a strong pre-season that included successful trial days and some crucial additions made to the squad - including Katie Holt and Charlotte Tyers - Wanderers headed into the season in positive mood.
With a blend of high-quality players from the previous seasons, mixed with a freshness of new faces, a squad was expertly put together with the aim of competing at the top end of the Division One North.
With four games to tackle in the opening month of the season, Wanderers hit the ground running with an opening day 6-0 victory over Workington Town - before scoring 20 goals in wins over Atherton LR, Fleetwood Town and Hindley Juniors to get their season off and running in emphatic fashion.
September
Continuing on with their impression start in the Division One North, Wanderers picked up a battling six points from their two league fixtures against Haslingden and Preston North End.
The Haslingden win was earned thanks to a brace from Jess Lightfoot, whilst the victory over North End being a hard-fought display with Milla Hodson grabbing two alongside a customary Lightfoot goal - with Annabelle White saving a penalty at a crucial time to secure the points.
The Whites, however, would bow out of the Adobe FA Cup at the Second Qualifying Stage, losing 3-1 to Tranmere Rovers on the road.
Off-the-field, Myles Smith bolstered his squad with the statement signing of Faye Knox from Tier 2 side, Blackburn Rovers.
October
Not letting their FA Cup exit deter them, Wanderers got back on track superbly in October, in both league and cup.
First, Hindley Juniors and Radcliffe were swept aside - picking up maximum points whilst scoring 15 goals in the process and conceding just one in 9-0 and 6-1 wins.
Neishai Gordon, a new signing to the Whites’ ranks’ after time spent with Standard Liege, scored on debut away in the victory at Radcliffe, along with first goals of the campaign for the likes of Caitlin Clarke and Knox.
The Whites also progressed in the Challenge Cup before gaining revenge on Tranmere Rovers in the AD&P Cup, scoring 10 goals - including five for Jess Lightfoot - in a 10-3 victory at Chorley.
November
Due to the adverse weather conditions during the month, as well as postponements due to teams unable to fulfil fixtures, the Whites would only play once during the month of November.
That game would be Wanderers’ ninth consecutive victory, with Myles Smith’s side spreading the goals around in a 6-1 win over Radcliffe at the Dreams2Reality Stadium.
Off-the-field, Myles Smith added Flo Rigby to Wanderers’ ranks at the back end of the month, arriving from Wigan Athletic Ladies & Girls to add competition and guile in the Whites’ midfield.
December
December started with the country contending with Storm Darragh, and Wanderers’ stop-start winter months would continue with just two fixtures over the Festive Period.
First, Atherton LR were put to the sword with a 9-0 win at Lostock - with the game reversed to the training ground due to the weather.
Wanderers would then head to Accrington in their final game of 2024 in a much-anticipated top-of-the-table clash against their promotion rivals.
With both sides boasting 100% records, something had to give, and it would be the Whites who would prevail in an outstanding 5-2 victory that sealed Myles Smith’s side place at the top of the table heading into the New Year.
Faye Knox, Eboni Bradshaw, Caitlin Clarke, Katie Holt and Neishai Gordon were all on the scoresheet to lay down a marker heading into 2025 that Wanderers meant business.
January
The weather continued to threaten Wanderers’ flow at the start of 2025, but against all-the-odds in a weekend that caused havoc across both the men’s and women’s game in the UK, the Whites travelled to Cumbria to secure a 4-1 win in arguably the result of the season.
Wins over Fleetwood and Morecambe followed in the league, with a victory over Wigan Athletic wedged in-between those games in the Challenge Cup Quarter Final.
Jess Lightfoot and Faye Knox grabbed the goals on derby day to seal a Semi-Final place.
February
Wanderers started February with a 5-0 victory over a resilient Blackpool side at Lostock, with Jess Lightfoot scoring twice - to take her through 20 goals for the season - coupled with a Faye Knox hat-trick to complete a solid afternoon's work.
The Whites would suffer their first defeat since September, though, in a 2-1 loss away at Poulton Vics in the AD&P Cup.
The response from Myles Smith’s side was instant, however, securing a place in the Challenge Cup Final thanks to goals from Eboni Bradshaw and Faye Knox in a 2-0 win over Preston North End at Chorley's Victory Park.
The Whites has to be patient in the Semi-Final against a resilient PNE side, but stuck to their process and game-plan and reached their first Final under club operations with a superb performance.
March
Four games sat in front of Wanderers in March - with three of those away from home in a testing run of fixtures as the season reached the business end.
Starting the month at home to 3rd-placed Penrith, the Whites dropped their first points of the league season in a hard-fought 1-1 draw as Lightfoot’s 22nd goal of the season was cancelled out late in the second half.
Wanderers were paid a visit by the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton on the day, however, in a unbelievable showing of support of the Women's team that would continue until the season's end.
A response was needed and as they had done all season, Wanderers passed the test with flying colours with three consecutive wins over Blackpool, Haslingden and Morecambe.
Scoring 22 goals across the three, including a goal on debut for Grace Grundy away to the Seasiders, cemented their place at the summit of the Division One North.
With an injury to Annabelle White, U18s goalkeeper Tilda Lester would end the month in-goal for Wanderers in a positive debut alongside Lacey Taylor's first appearance on the wing, as Wanderers swept aside the Shrimps to claim another victory.
Myles Smith would also make one more addition to his team before the season ended in the form of Ocean Flanagan from Accrington Stanley.
April
The final month of the season had arrived and Wanderers had a Cup Final against their title rivals, as well as league fixtures against the teams sat in 2nd, 3rd and 4th ahead of them. If the Whites were to secure their pre-season targets in the upcoming fixture, they would have finished it in some style.
First, a visit to Cumbria and Penrith - the only side to take points from the Whites in the league.
And despite going behind twice inside 12 minutes, Wanderers ran out convincing 8-3 winners with both Madison Hardman and Neishai Gordon grabbing hat-tricks.
Next up was the first of two meetings with Accrington Stanley in the space of four days - this in the Challenge Cup Final.
In front of 1,000 supporters, Wanderers were unstoppable on the night in a 5-1 win, with Grace Grundy and Lily Barnes grabbing goals alongside a stunning Faye Knox hat-trick to claim the first silverware under club operations.
With one trophy secured, Wanderers faced Stanley just three days later at Chorley - and in a game where both sides went for victory - a battling display earned Wanderers a vital point in a 1-1 draw, with another goal for Madi Hardman ensuring Wanderers headed into the final day knowing a victory would secure the title.
With the fate in their own hands and playing at the Toughsheet Community Stadium for the first time, Myles Smith's side thrived.
In front of 2,344 supporters, the Whites were magnificent from the first whistle and secured the league title in style with a 3-0 win thanks to a Faye Knox stunner, a first Wanderers' goal for Ocean Flanagan and an Eboni Bradshaw goal.
The win completed an undefeated league campaign with 20 wins and 2 draws from their 22 matches. The final game of the season was also attended by Club Chairman Sharon Brittan and the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, marking a significant milestone in the club's history.
With firm foundations now laid, the work now continues to tackle Tier 5 of the Women's pyramid and pick up where they left off in April.