THERE were two Barnsley head coaches at the training camp at Loughborough University last month.

Jess Horsley, coach of the women’s team, spent a day observing how Darrell Clarke and his staff operate with the men’s team.

Jess said: “It was really good to watch how they do things and talk to Darrell in-depth.

“I watch them in matches but to go to a training session was really good. When he first arrived, he said ‘feel free to come down and watch or ask me anything.’

“The club are trying to get the two teams to run parallel to each other.”

Clarke’s job is very different to that of Horsley who balances her coaching role with working at Outward Academy Carlton school while her players are not paid.

But, unlike the men who have come so close to promotion in the last two seasons, she has led her team up two divisions in back-to-back campaigns. They are now in the fourth tier, National League Division One North, and are due to start today at home to AFC Fylde.

“Like the last two seasons, we will set off then see where we are at. We have a lot of new players so we have to gel.

“We have goals but we need to perform at our best. We have to massively up our game because the players in this league are a lot more athletic, fast and fit.

“We have brought in quite a lot of new faces, and some experience from the league above or the league we’re in.

“The friendlies have been promising and we have a lot to take from them.”

It is a year since the women’s team was incorporated into the overall club, with the players given much more access to facilities, staff and extra training – which Horsley said was the main factor in their latest promotion.

Whereas last summer was a case of getting used to the changes, now they are more settled.

“For players who are still here, everything is routine now. They know what they are doing in the gym, training and matches. It runs a lot more smoothly.

“The new girls have adapted really well too. We’re a lot more prepared compared to last year.”