Manchester City W.F.C.

Manchester City Women
Full name Manchester City Women's Football Club
Nickname(s) The Citizens, The Blues, City, Man City
Founded November 1988 (1988-11)
Ground Academy Stadium, Manchester
Capacity 7,000 (5,000 seated)
Chairman Lauryn Grant
Manager Nick Cushing
League FA WSL
2017–18 FA WSL 1, 2nd of 10
Website Club website

Manchester City Women's Football Club (formerly Manchester City Ladies F.C.) are an English women's football club based in Manchester who play in the FA Women's Super League. They are affiliated with Manchester City F.C. who play in the Premier League.

History

Manchester City Ladies was formed in November 1988, playing their first match against Oldham on Boundary Park's artificial pitch. City won the friendly 4–2 and joined the North West Women's Regional Football League the following season.[1]

During 2000–01, the club experienced the most successful season in its history, with four teams winning their respective leagues, one successful in a league and cup double and the under-13's completing a treble.

Season 2002–03 proved to be another successful campaign, with first team finishing mid-table and consolidating their position at this level, while the under-12's won their league without dropping a single point. This was followed in 2003–04 when the under-13's won the Tameside League and Cup double, narrowly missing out in the final of the League Cup. Following on, the under-13 team competing in the following season (2004–05) had a clean sweep of the honours, winning the treble.

In 2003 the club achieved The FA Charter Standard Club award for both junior and adult sections.

In 2007–08 now former manager Leigh Wood was appointed which proved to ignite an upturn in the Ladies fortunes. With constant improvement season on season the 2011–12 Season proved to be the most successful yet, with the title run in during 2010–11 proving to be very close with City just missing out. The following season despite losing their opening 3 fixture Wood guided City to top spot in the Premier League Northern Division, winning 1–0 against Sporting Club Albion on 22 April 2012 to secure promotion to the National Division for the first time in their history, going on a club record unbeaten 14 game run in the process.

With the announced expansion of the Women's Super League competition – the top level of women's football in England – to an 18-team, two-tiered league system, Manchester City Ladies were revealed to have entered the bidding to join the expanded league, bidding for a place in either division.[2] To some surprise and controversy,[3] on 26 April City Ladies were announced to have been reassigned to the new first division of the WSL, replacing established team Doncaster Rovers Belles, who were downgraded to the second division and were the only team to lose their top division status.[4]

In anticipation of their first WSL season the club began a complete renovation of the playing squad, signing a number of England internationals and promising players, including the likes of England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley,[5] 74-times capped midfielder Jill Scott[6] and new club captain Steph Houghton,[7] intending to make an impression on the league from the start. On 23 January 2014, the club was relaunched with a minor renaming to Manchester City Women's Football Club, ready for the new season.[8]

Nick Cushing was appointed first team manager, with Sidharth Raj moving to 1st team head coach. In August 2014, following the managerial restructure of the Development Squad and Youth Section, Wood's contract was terminated by the club and latterly former assistant manager Kevin Sims also followed.

Following a poor start to the season in 2015, City Women returned from the summer break for the Women's World Cup a different side, with England's third-place finish seemingly rejuvenating both players and fans. Embarking on a 13-match unbeaten run, including 12 wins,[9] the club turned its bottom-half league form into a late challenge for the title, losing out only on the last day of the season.[10] Despite their disappointment, the runners-up position was enough to secure them European football for the first time in their history.[10] As they embarked on their late-season surge, City also broke the league attendance record not once[11] but twice.[12]

Stadium

Since the opening of Academy Stadium directly across the Ashton New Road and Alan Turing Way from the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester City Women have been based at the training complex's 7,000 capacity stadium in tandem with the men's academy's senior side. The stadium has on three occasions since the middle of 2015 set an attendance record for a FA WSL league game.

Prior to moving into Academy Stadium, the women's side were based in the Manchester Regional Athletics Arena.

Affiliation With Manchester City F.C.

Throughout their history, MCWFC have had an affiliation with Manchester City, being established within its corporate structure in 1988. Replica kits of the men's team were still worn and the team was financially supported by the professional side, yet organisationally it managed itself for much of its existence. Established as part of City in the Community in 1988 with its development during the 1990s and beyond relying on the dedication of a number of Manchester City Ladies officials, individuals and volunteers.

Following an announcement on 28 August 2012, Manchester City Ladies' position as an official part of the club became formalised under a new agreement. Consequently the women's side shares not only corporate links and resources with the male team but also their training facilities, as well as being included in the marketing and social media of the Premier League side.

Honours

Leagues

Cups

Doubles

  • 2016: League and League Cup

Record in UEFA Women's Champions League

All results (home, away and aggregate) list Manchester City's goal tally first.

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2016–17 Round of 32 Russia Zvezda Perm 2–0 f 4–0 6–0
Round of 16 Denmark Brøndby 1–0 f 1–1 2–1
Quarter-final Denmark Fortuna Hjørring 1–0 1–0 f 2–0
Semi-final France Olympique Lyon 1–3 f 1–0 2–3
2017–18 Round of 32 Austria Sankt Pölten 3–0 3–0 f 6–0
Round of 16 Norway Lillestrøm 2–1 5–0 f 7–1
Quarter-final Sweden Linköping 2–0 f 5–3 7–3
Semi-final France Olympique Lyon 0–0 f 0–1 0–1
2018–19 Round of 32 Spain Atlético Madrid 0–2 1–1 f 1–3

f First leg

Current squad

As of 23 July 2018[13]

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

No. Position Player
1 England GK Karen Bardsley
2 Denmark DF Mie Jans
3 England DF Demi Stokes
4 England DF Gemma Bonner
5 Scotland DF Jennifer Beattie
6 England DF Steph Houghton (captain)
7 England FW Melissa Lawley
8 England MF Jill Scott
9 Germany FW Pauline Bremer
10 Denmark FW Nadia Nadim
11 Canada FW Janine Beckie
12 England FW Georgia Stanway
No. Position Player
14 England DF Esme Morgan
15 England FW Lauren Hemp
17 England FW Nikita Parris
19 Scotland FW Caroline Weir
20 Republic of Ireland DF Megan Campbell
21 Republic of Ireland GK Marie Hourihan
22 Scotland FW Claire Emslie
23 England DF Abbie McManus
24 England MF Keira Walsh
25 Belgium FW Tessa Wullaert
26 England GK Ellie Roebuck
33 England MF Jess Park

Former players

For details of current and former players, see Category:Manchester City W.F.C. players.

Current technical staff

Name Job title
England Nick Cushing Manager
Republic of Ireland Alan Mahon Assistant coach
England Julie Twaddle Strength and conditioning coach
England Scot McAllister Physiotherapist
England Chris Williams Goalkeeping coach

Records

  • Record attendance: 4,096 vs Chelsea, FA WSL 1, 25 September 2016[14]

References

  1. ↑ Mather, Neil (28 January 2014). "Guest Blog: Neil Mather on the original City Ladies". Manchester City F.C. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Man City join Women's Super League bidding process". BBC Sport. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "Women's football: Doncaster Belles demotion 'scandalous'". BBC Sport. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Manchester City to compete in WSL top tier after restructure". BBC Sport. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Karen Bardsley: Manchester City Ladies sign England goalkeeper". British Broadcasting Corporation. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Jill Scott: England midfielder joins Manchester City". BBC Sport. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Steph Houghton signs for City". mcfc.co.uk. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Manchester City Women's Football Club re-launched". mcfc.co.uk. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "City 6 Bristol Academy 1". mcfc.co.uk. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  10. 1 2 "WSL 1: Manchester City Women 2–1 Notts County Ladies". BBC Sport. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "FA WSL breaks attendance records after England's World Cup heroics". Sky Sports. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Christiansen ecstatic with 'exceptional year'". FA WSL. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Team". mancity.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  14. ↑ Man City Women make history and become Women's Super League champions for first time Manchester Evening News, 25 September 2016
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