Jemma hopes to avoid Black Sabbath for final

West Brom ladies will be hoping to set an example to the men’s team when they gear up for cup success tomorrow.

Albion Women FC will take on Premier League side Birmingham City - two divisions above Albion - in the Birmingham County FA Cup final.

It will be a particularly special day for Jemma Connor-Iommi, who will lead the team out as captain.

Jemma is the latest of her family members to have her sights set on stardom. Her mum’s cousin is Tony Iommi, lead guitarist with Birmingham-based heavy metal band Black Sabbath which set lead singer Ozzy Osbourne on the road to fame.

And for centre-back Jemma, no matter what the result, the occasion will mark a personal victory after she successfully tackled spiralling weight problems to get her footballing career back on track, losing nine stone.

Earmarked as a bright prospect, Jemma went to Newcastle’s prestigious National Women’s Football Academy at 16, before being plucked to join the thriving women’s game in the USA in 2003 as an 18-year-old.

But what was supposed to be a four-year scholarship became just a six-month stay, as Jemma’s weight ballooned to 18st. She admits: “My opponents were faster and fitter and in the hot sun I thundered around the pitch after the football.”

After returning from America she signed for Doncaster Belles before joining Albion. She says: “The fitness regime was intense and suddenly the truth hurt, I was letting myself down and my team-mates down.”

In under a year she dropped to 9st 12lb and a size eight.

Now in her second season with Albion, Jemma said they will give it their all tomorrow in the final at 2pm tomorrow at the Birmingham County FA headquarters in Great Barr.