MAJOR SIGNING NEWS: Flint Town United ladies sign legendary North Wales striker

Flint Town United Ladies have made one of the signings of the summer – one of the finest strikers to appear in North Wales football.

Laura Williams (nee Pennington), 30, has committed to the Adran North side for the 2026-27 season.

She is best known for her goalscoring exploits with Northop Hall in the last decade.

Exercise physiologist Laura emerged through the North Wales Girls League system before going on to feature in the Hall team which competed as Flintshire’s sole representative when the Welsh Premier Women’s League first went fully national in 2012-13.

And she made a perfect start, the then 17-year-old hitting a hat-trick in Hall’s opening day 5-0 triumph at Caerphilly Castle.

Unfortunately, despite surviving in the league that first season, Hall withdrew in the 2013-14 winter break because of a lack of players.

With Laura a key figure, the Flintshire side were a big hit on their return to the North Wales Women’s League, winning the title in 2015-16 and 2017-18.

In the latter season, the player known popularly as “Penno” netted 49 goals – 34 league and 15 in cups. She struck eight in one Welsh Cup tie against Amlwch Town and bagged eight hat-tricks over the campaign.

She left Northop Hall at the end of 2017-18 and joined The New Saints, where she spent two successful seasons with the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands outfit.

In 2020-21, Laura moved to Wem Town, who formerly played under the TNS banner.

Joining the team at the same time as Llandudno ace Kelsey Davies, Laura was in the Wem side which won the Shropshire Women’s County Cup in May 2021, thrashing Shrewsbury Town 5-0 in the final and scoring the opening goal.

In September 2021, Laura moved on to Tranmere Rovers where she again proved a sure-shot in front of goal.

After marrying Hari Williams in 2022, football took a back seat and starting a family became the main focus for Laura. The couple have two sons, Theo and James, born in October 2023 and May 2025.

Laura has been training with Flint in recent weeks and now returns to North Wales football for the first time since 2018.

Flint manager Becca Eagles said: “We’re delighted to welcome Laura to the club. She’s a player with a real eye for goal and brings a wealth of experience, having previously represented TNS and Tranmere Ladies. She’ll be a real asset to our squad, and she’s someone I’m really looking forward to working with throughout the season.”

Flint Town United Ladies summer signings

Laura Williams
Millie O’Connor
Poppy Smith
Neve Richards
Olivia England
Magi Pierce – ex-Henllan captain will not be available for most of the season due to university studies, but has signed as back-up

Depatures

Alaw Jones
Saskia Wynne-Thomas
Liv Owens
Rosie Hughes – moved to America