Falmouth Netball Club has been quietly growing the past few years, gaining members and entering new teams in the Cornwall League across the divisions.

Falmouth's 1st Team have been building on the Club's momentum, and this season has finished top of Division Two.

All this has earnt them the ultimate prize of promotion into Division One. This is particularly meaningful for the club, as records show the last time this happened was in 1996/97, so it's been a while in coming.

Head Coach, Emma Short said:

"I'm so proud of this team. We had new players join the squad this season but they've gelled straight away and played some incredible netball together. I think this shows that you can have a club which is driven by the enjoyment of netball to achieve at a high level.

"My aim as a coach is to encourage and develop every player as an individual, and to do that in a way which is appropriate for them. Some players want to be stretched and are very driven to achieve, others just want to have fun on court and make some new friends. There's space for everyone at our club."

The team gained promotion with impressive stats of played 13, won 11, lost 2, and scoring an average of over 50 goals per game.

Captain Lisa Stevens commented:

"It has been an absolute pleasure and honour to captain Falmouth 1st team. Our squad of 10 players selected at the start of the season consisted of both new players and long-standing members.

"My belief is that a strong team is built on respect, commitment and a positive attitude these qualities along with the talents and flexibility of each member of the team lead to us winning the division and gaining promotion.

"I am so proud of every player. Thank you to our committee and for the support of Falmouth 2,3, and social teams for always being there supporting and cheering us on from the sidelines. We look forward to next season."

This promotion has been a long time coming and Club Chair, Hannah Partington says this is a "really exciting moment for the club" she added:

"We've been working hard behind the scenes to take advantage of netball's moment in the sun and attract new members to the Club and enhance what we can offer.

"Our ethos has always been to be a fun, friendly and welcoming club. Our main aim is for our members to enjoy playing at whatever level is right for them. Like lots of sports clubs will say, we're like a big family and what we offer goes beyond playing netball."

In normal times, the Club train every Monday evening at Falmouth School. Anyone interested in joining the Club can contact them on [email protected] or via Facebook, players of any level are welcome