Chelsea L.F.C.

Full name Chelsea Ladies Football Club
Nickname(s) The Blues
Founded 1992 (1992)
Ground Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames
Ground Capacity 4,850 (2,265 seated)
Presidents John Terry[1]
Peter Steward
Chairman Bruce Buck
Manager Emma Hayes
League FA WSL 1
2017 Spring Series, 1st
Website Club website
Imperial Fields Chelsea's 2011 home ground

Chelsea Ladies Football Club are an English women's football club based in Fulham, England. Since 2004, the club has been affiliated with Chelsea F.C., a men's team in the Premier League. Chelsea L.F.C. was a founding member of the FA WSL in 2010, the top level of women's football in England since 2011. From 2005 to 2010, the side competed in the Premier League National Division, the top tier of women's football in England at the time.

History

Establishment

Chelsea Ladies Football Club was formed in 1992 after supporters of Chelsea FC expressed demand for a women's side.[2] In June 2004, Chelsea Ladies voted to be taken over and funded by Chelsea FC's Football in the Community department.[3] The club then won promotion as champions from the Southern Division in 2004–05 to the Premier League National Division and have participated at the top level ever since.

FA Premier League National Division, 2005–2010

After starting 2005–06 with one point from six games, manager George Michealas was fired in September after four years in charge.[4] They finished bottom of the league that season under Shaun Gore, but won a promotion/relegation play-off against Northern Division runners-up Liverpool 4–1 on aggregate to stay in the Premier League National Division.[5] During the season the club had been linked with a transfer bid for North American star players Tiffeny Milbrett and Christine Sinclair.[6]

After an eighth-placed finish in 2006–07, Gore drafted in England players Siobhan Chamberlain, Casey Stoney and Eniola Aluko that summer.[7] American World Cup winner Lorrie Fair, regarded as one of the best midfielders in the women's game, joined in January as Chelsea finished 2007–08 in fifth position.[8]

Chelsea Ladies introduced a new manager for the 2008–09 season, former Arsenal Ladies reserve team coach Steve Jones. On 2 July 2008 Chelsea surprisingly signed Lianne Sanderson and Anita Asante from Arsenal Ladies,[9] in addition to veteran Mary Phillip. Then Arsenal Ladies manager Vic Akers criticised his former players as disrespectful,[9] while pursuing players from other clubs to bolster his own squad.

Chelsea Ladies finished the 2008–09 season third behind Arsenal and Everton. Mary Phillip retired a month into the new season,[10] Eniola Aluko and Anita Asante left for the new WPS in March 2009,[11] while Lorrie Fair missed the whole campaign with a cruciate ligament injury sustained in May 2008.[12] Jones departed as manager in January 2009, leaving Casey Stoney to act as player/manager.[13]

At Casey Stoney's recommendation, Matt Beard became manager for 2009–10.[14] Cuts to the Ladies club's funding were offset by financial assistance from John Terry and other Chelsea FC players.[14] A further blow arrived when Lianne Sanderson left for the 2010 WPS season.[15]

FA Women's Super League (FAWSL), 2011–present

The club bid successfully to be one of eight founding teams in the FA Women's Super League in March 2011.[16] Beard led the club to the FA Women's Cup final for the first time in 2012, but Chelsea were eventually beaten by Birmingham City on a penalty shootout after twice taking the lead in a 2–2 draw.[17] In July 2012 Matt Beard resigned as manager after three years in the post,[18] to be replaced by Emma Hayes.

In May 2013, Edda Garðarsdóttir revealed that club rules prevent Chelsea Ladies players from talking to their male clubmates, unless the male player initiates the conversation.[19]

The 2014 season was successful for Chelsea, as they finished second in the FA Women's Super League behind Liverpool on goal difference, after eight wins, two draws and four losses. A final day win would have clinched them the league title, but they lost 2–1 away to Manchester City. Their second-place finish meant that they qualified for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time in the club's history. They also reached the semi finals of both the FA and Continental Cups, where they lost to both eventual winners, Arsenal and Manchester City respectively.

In 2015, it was announced that many of Chelsea's players would be becoming full professionals for the first time.[20]

On 1 August 2015, Chelsea won their first ever FA Women's Cup. They beat Notts County Ladies at Wembley Stadium. Ji So-yun scored the only goal at the 39th-minute while Eniola Aluko won the player of the match award.[21] The team then beat Sunderland 4–0 in October 2015 to secure the FA WSL title and a League and Cup "double".[22]

Players

Current squad

As of 15 July 2017.[23]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Sweden GK Hedvig Lindahl
3 England DF Hannah Blundell
4 England MF Millie Bright
5 England DF Gilly Flaherty (vice-captain)
6 Republic of Ireland DF Niamh Fahey
7 England MF Gemma Davison
8 England MF Karen Carney
9 England FW Eniola Aluko
10 South Korea MF Ji So-Yun
11 England DF Claire Rafferty
12 England GK Becky Spencer
14 England FW Fran Kirby
15 England MF Beth England
No. Position Player
16 Sweden DF Magdalena Eriksson
17 England MF Katie Chapman (captain)
18 Norway MF Maren Mjelde
19 United States FW Crystal Dunn
20 England MF Jodie Brett
21 England DF Deanna Cooper
22 Scotland MF Erin Cuthbert
23 Switzerland FW Ramona Bachmann
24 England MF Drew Spence
25 England MF Jade Bailey
27 England GK Carly Telford
29 England FW Millie Farrow
40 England GK Fran Kitching

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player

Former players

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

Stadium

As of the 2017-18 season, Chelsea L.F.C. will play at Kingsmeadow in Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames, London, which the Chelsea organization has agreed to purchase from current occupant AFC Wimbledon in order for them to finance a new stadium for their own use. [24] Kingsmeadow has a capacity of 4,850 (2,265 of which is seated).

Until 2017, the team played their home games at Wheatsheaf Park, the home of the Staines Town F.C..[25] The stadium is located in Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex and features capacity for 3,002 spectators.[26]

The team previously played at Imperial Fields during the 2011-12 season, the home ground of Isthmian League club Tooting & Mitcham United.[27]

Honours

Chelsea players celebrating winning the 2014–15 FA Women's Cup win.

Domestic Competitions

Record in UEFA Women's Champions League

Main article: English women's football clubs in international competitions
All results (home, away and aggregate) list Chelsea's goal tally first.

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2015–16 Round of 32 Scotland Glasgow City 1–0 a 3–0 4–0
Round of 16 Germany Wolfsburg 1–2 a 0–2 1–4
2016–17 Round of 32 Germany Wolfsburg 0–3 a 1–1 1–4
2017–18 Round of 32 – – –

a First leg.

References

  1. ↑ "John Terry saved Chelsea Ladies, says vice- captain Gilly Flaherty as they prepare for first Women's FA Cup final at Wembley". Daily Mail. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "Club history". Chelsea L.F.C. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "Chelsea FC Take Over Ladies". Fair Game. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  4. ↑ "Chelsea Sack Manager". Fair Game. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "Sunderland & Chelsea Survive Play-Offs". Fair Game. Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  6. ↑ Cocozza, Paula (13 February 2006). "Tiffeny breaks Chelsea fast". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Chelsea Ladies Start Season". Chelsea FC. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "Lorrie Fair Joins Chelsea". Fair Game. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  9. 1 2 "Chelsea Ladies sign Arsenal pair". BBC. 3 July 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  10. ↑ "Mary Phillip Retires". Fair Game. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  11. ↑ Gray, Ashley (30 March 2009). "It was a wrench to leave Arsenal but I couldn't pass up the American dream, says England striker Kelly 'Zidane' Smith". London: The Daily Mail. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "Chelsea F.C. likes the Carolina way". The Chapel Hill News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  13. ↑ "FA Women's Cup Quarter-Finals". Fair Game. 22 February 2009. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  14. 1 2 Leighton, Tony (18 October 2009). "John Terry digs deep to rescue Chelsea Ladies after funding cuts". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  15. ↑ Leighton, Tony (24 January 2010). "Lianne Sanderson cites Super League delay as reason for US move". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  16. ↑ "Lincoln Ladies FA Women's Super League bid success". BBC. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  17. ↑ Nisbet, John (2012-05-27). "Shoot-out has unhappy ending for Chelsea Ladies". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  18. ↑ "Matt Beard leaves Chelsea". She Kicks (magazine). 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  19. ↑ Ólafsson, Guðjón (31 May 2013). "Atvinnumaðurinn Edda Garðarsdóttir: "Ekki leyfilegt að tala við karlalið Chelsea nema þeir eigi frumkvæðið"". Pressan.is. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "Chapman targets Wembley double". Sporting Life. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2015. Chelsea Ladies turned full-time at the beginning of this season and are based alongside the men at the club’s Cobham training complex.
  21. ↑ "Chelsea lift FA Cup in front of record crowd". She Kicks. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  22. ↑ Garry, Tom (4 October 2015). "WSL 1: Chelsea Ladies 4-0 Sunderland Ladies". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Player profiles". Chelsea FC. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  24. ↑ https://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/2017/may/chelsea-ladies/
  25. ↑ "Getting to the ground". Chelsea L.F.C. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  26. ↑ "Wheatsheaf Park". Soccer Way. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  27. ↑ Lomas, Mark (14 April 2011). "A new day for women's football". ESPN. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  28. ↑ Garry, Tom (3 June 2017). "WSL 1 Spring Series: Chelsea Ladies win title on final day". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 June 2017.

Coordinates: 51°24′18.3″N 0°16′55.0″W / 51.405083°N 0.281944°W / 51.405083; -0.281944

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