Liam Gilbert says his side are excited ahead of Oxford United Women’s first match of the 2026/27 season.
United will kick off the WNL Southern Premier Division campaign by travelling to Exeter City on Sunday 16 August.
“I just want us to continue to grow,” Liam told OUTV.
“In pre-season, it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose but when the season starts, it’s about how we control that excitement.
“I just want the girls to be as free and confident as they can be, and then believe in everything they’ve done over the past six weeks.
It’s been an encouraging pre-season for the Yellows, which included three competitive matches against teams from WSL and WSL 2. United narrowly lost to top-flight Crystal Palace, before drawing against Wolverhampton Wanderers and defeating last-season’s champions, Watford.
“We deliberately put together a tough schedule which included four games in two weeks.
“The calibre of opposition that we were able to get was really stretched, so we were able to play against different types of setups and systems.
“It was really good for problem-solving and for us to see the different areas we needed to continue to work on. For things that we can control, everything’s been fantastic.”
There are two new signings for supporters to look out for this weekend in Sophie Quirk and Maddie Brant. Quirk joined the Club last month from league rivals AFC Bournemouth after being crowned the 2025/26 WNL Southern Premier Division Player of the Season. The 24-year-old winger scored 29 goals in 33 matches in a remarkable season for the Cherries and ended pre-season by netting against Boldmere St Michaels on Sunday.
Brant arrived from another league rival in Lewes, where she was previously club captain. The 25-year-old left-back came through the ranks at Chelsea before heading to the United States for five years, and has also impressed during pre-season.
“They’re brilliant people,” Liam said.
“The way they’ve integrated into the group has been seamless and that was part of what we looked for in the summer.”
“Eva Burgess has also moved up with us from the Under-18s and she has been fantastic during pre-season as well.
“They’ve just added a different dynamic to the group and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with them.”
United will be looking to build upon the success of last season with only one league defeat since Liam returned to the Club in November 2025. Oxford also reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, equalling the Club’s existing record, and Liam credits the support from fans at the MGroup Stadium for that success.
“At home, we make that place a really difficult place to come and the fans are a big part of that.
“Because of the setup there, they get really close to the pitch and you can feel and hear it.
“I know the girls really enjoy it and we love playing there because of everything that comes with it.”
Kick off is at 2:00pm at St James Park in Exeter. Tickets are available to purchase HERE.
The first home match of the season takes place the following weekend, against Lewes on Sunday 23 August. Tickets for that match are available HERE, or find out more about Oxford United Women season tickets HERE.
