The Blues head into the clash in fine form, having won six of their last seven games in all competitions whilst securing their place in the semi-finals of the Continental Cup with a 3-0 win over Durham Women last weekend.
Captain marks the launch of a new Manchester programme by the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation - a charity she is an ambassador of.
“Thursday will be a special day for the club,” she declared. “As of then, over the next few months, the WSFF and City in the Community will be working together with girls in our area to encourage them to participate in sport.
“I’m delighted to be part of this. I’ll be meeting the girls, sharing my passion for football and finding out about their sporting activities and wishes for the future.
“I hope that together, City and the WSFF can reach out to girls across Manchester and beyond to make a difference.”
To celebrate the launch of the programme, there’ll be extra pre-match activities on offer ahead of the game, with even more entertainment and a raffle, which will give female supporters under-16 the chance to win a new shirt and a meet-and-greet session with the players.
Raffle tickets will cost £1. All proceeds will be donated to the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation.
We’re also asking fans to bring their City flags to the game. You can even make your own! Plus at half-time, the best flag will be judged and the winner will be chosen as the mascot for the game against Liverpool on 27 July.
Currently level on points with Notts County, Nick Cushing’s side have the chance to leapfrog their opponents. Houghton is expecting a tough challenge but insists the Blues have prepared to win.
“Notts County are an organised team who will fight to the end and they have players that can win football matches,” she asserted. “Plus, they’ve had some really good results over the last few games so as always, we’re expecting a difficult test.
“We’ve prepared for their visit though. We’ve had a good week of training behind us and we’re on a bit of a run.
“As a team, we’re in a really good place at the moment. The break was difficult with some of us on international duty and having time away but in our last two games - particularly against Sunderland - we were delighted with the way we’ve moved the ball and with the tempo we played at.
“Overall, I feel we’re starting to play the way we should be playing. We’re still learning and gelling but so far, so good. We just need to make sure we’re a little more consistent.
“We need to make sure we have that winning mentality. We want to make winning a habit, whether that’s in training or in a match situation.”
Kick-off is at 7:45pm at the Manchester Regional Arena, Rowsley Street, M11 3FF.
Tickets are priced at £6 for adults and £4 for under-16s and can be purchased online or at the Etihad Stadium box office. Concessionary discounts are also available with tickets for 16-21 year-olds, over 65s and disabled supporters priced at £5.
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Car parking is also available free of charge (subject to availability) to all supporters in Blue H, accessible from Alan Turing Way.
All tickets are sold subject to availability and are issued subject to Manchester City Football Club Limited’s 2013-14 home match terms and conditions of sale, and any applicable ground regulations.
We look forward to seeing you, cheering the Blues on to victory.
