A rejuvenated Charlton Athletic will bounce back, insists manager Paul Mortimer following his team’s relegation from the top fight of the FA Tesco Women’s Premier League 12 months after having to re-form through losing the support of their parent club.

As well as having the backing of the Football League club withdrawn, the whole of the first team starting line-up left the Addicks before Mortimer was appointed manager.

That meant the former Charlton and England Under-21 midfielder had a mighty task as he stepped into women’s football for the first time, and it was no surprise that a young and inexperienced team slid to relegation.

They battled throughout a difficult campaign, however, and Mortimer is far from unhappy as he looks to make a quick return from the Southern Division.

“We weren’t good enough for the top level,” he admits, “but understandably so in the circumstances. The girls have been great, though, and I’ve had a blast.

“I’ve been delighted with the spirit and application of the players and I feel we’ve got a very bright future after coming through an extremely tough season.

“It was hard for us right through the campaign, even more so at times because we had a lot of injuries and were right down to the bare bones of the squad.

“But it was a great opportunity for the girls to gain experience at the top level, because that’s where we aim to be again next year. I’ll be looking to bounce back with promotion at the first attempt – and work has already started.

“We’re looking for new players to add to those who’ve shown this year that they can compete in the top league, and we’ll be starting our pre-season on June 24th to give us plenty of time to be fit and organised enough to go into the new season fully prepared.”

Charlton’s plans for next season include the re-introduction of a reserve team and the appointment of a development officer to support the work of not only the senior teams’ personnel but also the Academy and Centre of Excellence.

And with Mortimer showing his commitment to the cause by signing a new contract, the future could indeed be bright for the Addicks.