Sheffield Wednesday Ladies F.C.

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Sheffield Wednesday Ladies

Full name

Sheffield Wednesday Ladies
Football Club

Nickname(s)

The Owls

Founded

1971

Ground

Penistone Church FC,
Penistone, South Yorkshire
& Bawtry Road sports ground,
Tinsley, Sheffield.

Capacity

n/a

Manager

Christine McCann

League

Northern Women's
Combination League

2005-06

Northern Women's
Combination League, 3rd





Home colours





Away colours

Sheffield Wednesday Ladies F.C., often abbreviated to SWLFC and nicknamed The Owls are a women's football team based in South Yorkshire, England. They play their home games at either Penistone Church FC, Penistone, South Yorkshire or Sheffield Hallam University's Bawtry Road sports ground, Sheffield. They currently compete in the Northern Combination Women's Football League, which is the third tier of Women's Football in England and Wales. They are affiliated to the professional men's club Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

1 History
2 Constitution
3 Honours
- 3.1 Records
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

SWLFC were formed at the Star Inn Public House in Rotherham 1971 following a charity match between men and women at the pub. The team was originally called Star Ladies. Shortly afterwards the side joined the Sheffield Ladies League. When this league was disbanded they joined the Nottinghamshire Ladies League which was later renamed the East Midlands Ladies League.

In 1983 they became members of the Women's Premier League. They took the name Sheffield Wednesday Ladies in 1985 and then subsequently when the FA created the AXA FA Women's League Sheffield Wednesday Ladies became founder members and have continued in this league until last season. In 1994 they successfully gained promotion to the FA Women's Premier League where they competed against the top clubs in the women's game for the first time.

SWLFC are managed by Christine McCann who joined her hometown club from Ilkeston Town Ladies in January 2003. She successfully attracted several new players to the club for the 2003-04 season to provide experience to compliment the successful youth policy which has seen several youngsters break into the senior team from the under-16s within recent years. The 2003-04 season saw success for the Owls in cup competitions, reaching the fifth round of the FA Women's Cup, their best ever showing, and the final of the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup where they lost 2-4 to their local Yorkshire rivals Doncaster Rovers Belles.

In 2004-05 McCann again successfully attracted several new players from local clubs Leeds and Doncaster Rovers Belles. Sadly for the Owls despite initial good showings in the league they were cruelly relegated from the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division with four teams finishing above them by just one point. The Owls yet again equalled their best ever showing in the FA Cup reaching the 5th round before eventually succumbing to top division side Bristol Rovers.

In 2005-06 the Owls consolidated and pressed hard for automatic promotion back to the top levels of the football pyramid. After a dramatic three way battle the Owls missed out on promotion, finishing third behind Leeds and Preston, who were both promoted. The last two summers have seen a big influx of players from the juniors moving into the First team and Reserve set-up. The successful youth structure and various other structural changes, which also saw the club achieve Charter Standard in November 2005, now means that the Owls can rely on a succession of young and talented players coming through the ranks for several years to come. This is borne out by the huge success of the youth sides over the past two seasons. Noticeably at under-12 level in particular, with representative side the under-12's A who won their league title with the Four Counties Girls Development League in 2005-06. Altogether three sides, under-10, under-12's A and under-14's A, got through to the respective finals of their league cup competitions, although all three were on the losing side.

[edit] Constitution

Sheffield Wednesday F.C., the professional team based at Hillsborough, is a highly respected household name, not only at regional and national levels but throughout the world. Through being granted the Sheffield Wednesday name SWLFC takes on the benefits of the use of the name and emblem along with certain duties, tasks, targets and standards of operation. Through affiliation to the English and Sheffield and Hallam FA, these obligations form the objectives, policies and operational framework of the Club as itemised in the following:

1. Provide the opportunity for the enjoyment of competitive and recreational football for girls and women of all ages interested in playing football in South Yorkshire and surrounding areas.

2. Strive for First Team performance to the highest possible level within the FA Pyramid Structure and to provide underlying support for the First Team through reserves, youth and junior development policies.

3. Play a major part in promoting the development of the sport throughout the Yorkshire region through involvement in league administration, FA initiatives, local authority sports development programmes, educational sports operations, excellence schemes and other appropriate national and regional programmes.

4. Make all efforts to attain and maintain semi-professional and then professional club status in accordance with FA objectives for year 2003 and beyond.

5. Develop social and fund raising opportunities including functions, tournaments, prize draws, grants, sponsorship and appropriate advertising deals to support the development of the Club.

6. Co-ordinate activities with our home ground host club, Staveley Miners Welfare, in the interests of developing facilities and providing football as required by the local community for males and females of all ages.

7. Uphold both the letter and spirit of the laws, regulations and appropriate recommendations of the FA and other authorities governing football clubs and the sport in general. Such standards are implemented and maintained through the Club's separately drafted policies, plans and procedures including: