Leicester City W.F.C.

Early years

Leicester City WFC achieved four successive promotions since they were founded in 2004, they gained promotion into the FA Women's Premier League in 2008. They finished 5th in their first season in the Northern Division (Second Tier) before three consecutive third-place finishes. In 2013, Leicester City WFC were relegated from the Northern Division having picked up just four points from their 16 matches.

Leicester City WFC applied to join the FA Women's Super League in December 2009.^[1]

But in March 2010 they were announced as a losing bidder for the inaugural 2011 season.^[2][3]

After relegation in 2013, Leicester City WFC dropped into the Midlands Women's Combination League - which due to the introduction of the FA Women's Super League meant they were now playing 4th tier football. Having gone through a succession of Managers in the 2012-13 season, the Club appointed A Licensed coach Stuart Wilson in the Summer of 2013 with the ambition of getting the club back into the Northern Division at the first time of asking.

Relegation to the 4th tier (2013-2016)

Leicester City Women suffered relegation to the 4th tier of Women's football in May 2013 having picked up just four points from 16 games. The club hired Stuart Wilson as Manager as they looked for an immediate return to the Northern Division. Unfortunately, the club lost out on promotion to Copsewood FC (Copsewood became Nuneaton Town Ladies before folding^[4]) Leicester City WFC did, however, regain the County Cup having lost in the final the previous season.

When Stuart Wilson left in the Summer of 2014, Reserves manager Jonathan Morgan stepped up to take charge of First Team affairs in a 'Management Trio' along with James and Ryan who also stepped up from the Reserves. Halfway through the season, with the club sitting second, but eight points behind the Leaders Loughborough Foxes, Chairman Rohan Morgan felt a change in Management was needed and Jonathan Morgan was given the sole responsibility whilst James and Ryan departed the club. Michael Makoni stepped up from the Reserves to become Jonathan's assistant.

Leicester would finish the 2014/15 season in second place after a 3-3 draw with Loughborough Foxes and a 2-1 defeat to third-placed Leafield.

After a number of squad changes for the 2015/16 season, Leicester City WFC started brightly picking up three wins in August, scoring 20 goals and conceding just one. The Foxes continued their fine form through until Christmas, losing just once in the opening four months, a league cup match against Bradford City from the Division above.

Despite being knocked out of the County Cup and FA Cup in successive weeks early in 2016, Leicester City WFC maintained their incredible 100% record in the league and confirmed promotion back to the Northern Division with a 10-0 win over Rotherham United Ladies. Leicester City WFC came from behind to win late on in a number of games that season, but their impressive 22 wins out of 22 games was confirmed on the final day of the season when Helen Busby netted in the 91st minute away to Wolves having been pegged back at 1-1 just a few minutes before.

Promotion to the Northern Division (2016-2018)

Leicester enjoyed a largely successful first season back in the Northern Division, despite suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to AFC Fylde on the opening day of the season. The Foxes picked up some big wins throughout the season and ended up finishing 3rd, again their joint-highest finish in the Division. Leicester reached the County Cup Final before losing 2-1 to Loughborough Foxes, they also reached the League Plate Semi-Final and the FA Cup 4th Round before narrow defeats in both stopped their progress.

Still under the stewardship of Jonathan Morgan and Michael Makoni, Leicester City WFC made a number of big signings in the Summer of 2017, picking up key players with experience in the Northern Division. The club finished second in the league, 10 points behind Blackburn Rovers Ladies, with Rosie Axten the top goalscorer for both the Club and the Northern Division. They also made it to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, reached the League Cup final and regained the County Cup.

FA Women's Championship (Tier 2) (2018-)

In May 2018, Leicester City Women were awarded a licence for Tier 2 following an extensive application process. The Foxes were one of five new teams to be added to the new FA Women's Championship.