Liverpool L.F.C.

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This article is about the women's football club. For the men's football club, see Liverpool F.C.. For other uses, see Liverpool F.C. (disambiguation).
Liverpool Ladies FC
Full name Liverpool Ladies Football Club
Nickname(s) The Reds
Founded 1989
Ground Select Security Stadium, Widnes, Cheshire
Ground Capacity 13,350
Chairman Mark Veidman
Manager Matt Beard
League FA WSL
2013 1st, FA WSL
Website Club home page
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
Current season

Liverpool Ladies Football Club is a women's football club affiliated with Liverpool Football Club. The team currently plays in the FA WSL, the highest division of women's football in England. After being relegated from the FA Women's Premier League National Division to the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division for 2009–10, Liverpool won the league after losing only one game all season. On September 29th, 2013 Liverpool Ladies clinched their first Women's Super League title. The triumph completes a remarkable turnaround for Liverpool, who finished bottom of the table for the last two seasons.

History

The club was founded in 1989 as Newton LFC. It changed its name to Knowsley United WFC two years later; becoming founder members of the National Premier Division organised by the WFA.[1] Knowsley United reached the final of the Premier League Cup in 1993, but were beaten by Arsenal at Wembley.[2] The local MP, Eddie O'Hara, tabled an Early Day Motion congratulating the club on extending the annual sequence of Merseyside clubs playing in Cup finals at Wembley.[3] In 1994 the club reached the final of the FA Women's Cup, losing 1–0 to Doncaster Belles at Glanford Park.[4] That summer the club linked with Liverpool F.C. and took on its name.[5]

For most of the 1990s they were National Premier League mainstays but a lack of support and investment saw them relegated to the Northern Division in 2000. In 2004 they won the Northern Division and earned promotion, but did not stay long as they were relegated again at the end of the season, having won only two games.

As in the men's game, their biggest rivalry is with Everton L.F.C., but their recent spells in the second tier have led them to develop rivalry with counterparts of lower-level male rivals, such as Tranmere Rovers and Lincoln Ladies. The Merseyside derby was rekindled in the 2007–08 season, after Liverpool won back promotion as 2006–07 Northern Division champions.

Surviving their first season back in the FA Women's Premier League National Division, finishing third bottom, they sacked manager David Bradley at the end of the season.[6] The club were relegated into the Northern Division for 2009–10, but won the league losing just one game all season. Liverpool also won the FA Fair Play Award after playing for the whole season without having a single player booked or sent-off.[7]

The club was one of eight founding teams in the FA WSL in April 2011.[8]

In June 2012, the manager for four seasons Robbie Johnson stepped down from his position. Under Johnson, the team won just two of their 20 games in his last two seasons in charge, having finished bottom in 2011, and with a similar record in 2012.[9] Johnson's assistant Andy Williams was subsequently promoted to the manager's role.[10]

In August 2012 Matt Beard, who had left Chelsea Ladies the previous month, was appointed manager on a full–time contract until 2014.[11] When the club finished bottom of the WSL for the second successive season, Beard overhauled his squad by releasing ten players and signing United States national team defender Whitney Engen.[12] The club then announced a move from the West Lancashire College Stadium in Skelmersdale, to the Halton Stadium in Widnes for 2013. On September 29th, 2013 Liverpool Ladies clinched their first Women's Super League title by beating Bristol in the end-of-season decider ending Arsenal’s nine-year dominance of women’s football in England.[13]

Current squad

FA WSL squad [14] Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 England GK Danielle Gibbons
2 England DF Samantha Chappell
3 United States DF Whitney Engen
4 England MF Fara Williams
5 England DF Gemma Bonner (Captain)
6 England DF Lucy Bronze
7 England FW Kate Longhurst
8 Iceland MF Katrín Ómarsdóttir
9 England FW Natasha Dowie
10 Sweden MF Louise Fors
11 Germany FW Nicole Rolser
No. Position Player
12 England DF Becky Easton
13 United States MF Amanda DaCosta (Vice-Captain)
15 England DF Ellie Stewart
17 England DF Caroline Charlton
19 Germany DF Corina Schröder
20 England MF Katie Zelem
21 New Zealand FW Sarah Gregorius
22 England DF Sophia Riccio
23 England GK Rachael Laws (on loan from Sunderland)
24 England GK Sarah Quantrill

Former players

For details of former players, see Category:Liverpool L.F.C. players.

Staff

  • Manager: Matt Beard England
  • Assistant Coach: Luke Swindlehurst England
  • Assistant Coach: Joanne Broadhurst England
  • Goalkeeper Coach: Joe Potts England
  • Head of Sports Science: Tessa Morris England
  • Physio: Kathryn Wise England

Honours

  • FA Women's Super League:
  • Keele Classic:
    • Winners (1): 2010
  • Preston Tournament
    • Winners (1): 2010

See also

References

  1. ↑ "1991–1992". The Owl Football Historian. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2010. 
  2. ↑ Henry Winter (28 August 1993). "Football diary: Music for penalty arias". London: The Independent. Retrieved 8 February 2011. 
  3. ↑ O'Hara, Edward (19 May 1993). "KNOWSLEY UNITED WOMEN'S FOOTBALL XI". London: Parliament.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2011. 
  4. ↑ Rudd, Alyson (25 April 1994). "Football: Belles bring class to bear: Doncaster dominate women's FA Cup final". London: The Independent. Retrieved 14 October 2010. 
  5. ↑ Andrew Drake. "http://www.btinternet.com/~a.drake/women/Basics/changeN.htm". The Owl Football Historian. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2011. 
  6. ↑ "Ladies sack boss Bradley". Liverpoolfc.tv. 20 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2008. 
  7. ↑ "Key figures honoured at Women's awards". TheFA.com. Retrieved 5 September 2010. 
  8. ↑ "Lincoln Ladies FA Women's Super League bid success". BBC. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010. 
  9. ↑ "Ladies manager steps down". Liverpool F.C. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012. 
  10. ↑ "Andy Williams era starts with defeat for Liverpool FC Ladies". Liverpool Echo. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012. 
  11. ↑ Garrity, Paul (6 August 2012). "Liverpool Ladies appoint Matt Beard as new manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 August 2012. 
  12. ↑ "Ladies release 10 players". Liverpool Ladies FC. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Ladies confirm stadium move". Liverpool FC. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013. 
  14. ↑ "The Team". Liverpool Ladies FC. Retrieved 7 July 2012. 

External links

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