Arsenal W.F.C.

Arsenal Women Football Club, founded as Arsenal Ladies in 1987, is an English professional women's football club affiliated with Arsenal.[2][3] The club plays in the Women's Super League, the top flight of English women's football.

This article is about the women's football club. For the men's football club, see Arsenal F.C. For other uses, see Arsenal (disambiguation).

Arsenal Women
Full nameArsenal Women Football Club
Nickname(s)The Gunners
Founded1987 (1987) (as Arsenal Ladies)
GroundMeadow Park, Borehamwood
Capacity4,502 (1,700 seated)
OwnerKroenke Sports & Entertainment[1]
General ManagerClare Wheatley
ManagerJoe Montemurro
LeagueFA WSL
2019–20FA WSL, 3rd of 12
WebsiteClub website

Arsenal have won more trophies than any other club in English women's football, and have won the most titles in each domestic competition they have played in. The club have won 15 League titles, 14 FA Women's Cup, 5 FA WSL Cups, 10 Women's Premier League Cups, 5 FA Women's Community Shield, and one UEFA Women's Champions League. In the 2006–07 season, the club became the first in the history of women's football to achieve the continental European sextuple.

Arsenal were founded in 1987 following an initiative by Vic Akers, who became the club's first manager. He guided Arsenal to continued success until his departure in 2009, winning the most top-flight matches in English football history. The club have sustained this record,[4] and have won the most doubles and trebles in English football history. Arsenal have also completed a record seven unbeaten league seasons, setting a number of English records for longest top-flight unbeaten run, for goals scored, and points won.[5][6]

Arsenal have played their home games at Meadow Park, Borehamwood, since their founding.

Arsenal W.F.C. are the only club in European football to have won a continental treble, doing so while also going unbeaten in all competitions.

History
Further information: List of Arsenal W.F.C. seasons

In 1987, long-term Arsenal men's team kit manager Vic Akers helped found a women's football club, and was appointed as their initial manager. The club began operating as Arsenal Ladies Football Club.[7] Due to the status of women's football in England suffering from an overall decline in interest, Arsenal were limited to sparse, nomadic cup appearances for the first four years of their existence, and didn't turn professional until 2002.[8][9] They won their first major honour, the Women's League Cup, in the 1991–92 season. Also in 1992, they won promotion to the FA Women's Premier League from the FA Women's National League South, and a season later, won the top division title at the first time of asking.[10]

This began a period of sustained dominance for the club, who soon permanently moved into Meadow Park in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, in a groundshare agreement with non-league side Boreham Wood. Following the storied successes of the men's team, Arsenal made a conscious effort to brand women's football as equitable. Over the next twenty years, Arsenal approached all facets of the game, such as training, tactics, scouting, and finance, with the goal to maximize the growth of the club and attain trophies. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Arsenal lavished atop the Premier League for many seasons, boasting academy graduates like Marieanne Spacey and Faye White, as well as utilizing the club's income on stars like Emma Byrne, to allow the club to win a slew of trophies.[11]

Under Akers' stewardship, Arsenal enjoyed unilateral domestic success, as the club claimed 11 league titles, nine FA Women's Cup titles, ten FA Women's Premier League Cup titles, and five FA Women's Community Shield wins. This included seven straight league wins from the 2003–04 season to 2008–09 season, as well as six unbeaten campaigns.[12][13] Moreover, Akers lead the team to the most successful club season in English women's football in the 2006–07 season, as the team won every single competition available to them, including the ever elusive UEFA Women's Champions League. The win marked Arsenal's only trophy won from European competition, and the first time an English club won the competition.[14][15] This unique sextuple was recognized with The Committee Award by the Sports Journalists' Association in the 2007 Sports Journalists' Awards.[16]

Akers also led the team to a number of English women's football records, including a six-year league unbeaten run from October 2003[17] to March 2009, marking 108 games without defeat. During that spell, Arsenal won a record 51 league games in a row, between November 2005 and April 2008.[7] Following a domestic treble in the 2008–09 season, Akers retired from management, and was succeeded by Tony Gervaise.[18] However, in February 2010, after eight months in charge, Gervaise resigned, suggesting his position had been undermined by outside interference.[18] In an unusual development, reserve coach Laura Harvey became first-team manager and Gervaise became reserve coach.[19] This appointment marked the club's first female coach in any capacity.

FA Women's Super League

After a year break in play in preparation for a reformatted league, Arsenal were named as founder members of the FA Women's Super League, which commenced in the spring of 2011.[20] Arsenal won the inaugural season, marking their eighth consecutive English title, and secured another domestic double by also winning the FA Cup.[21] After a two-year period without a league triumph, Shelley Kerr was announced as Harvey's successor in 2013. Under her management, the club won two FA Women's Cups, including a win in 2014, two weeks after the men's team won the 2014 FA Cup, completing a rare FA Cup double for the club. But after a poor run of form which saw Arsenal gain only one point from the opening four league matches of the 2014 season, including exits from the Champions League to minnows Birmingham and a shock lose to Reading, Kerr resigned.[22] She was replaced by Pedro Losa.[23] Losa led the team to the 2015 FA WSL Cup[24] and the 2016 FA Women's Cup.[25] Moreover, he helped the squad rebuild, notably recruiting younger stars like Daniëlle van de Donk, Kim Little, Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema. Losa also brought through youngsters like Leah Williamson. However, following the season's end, Losa resigned, and was replaced by Joe Montemurro.

In July 2017, the club rebranded as Arsenal Women Football Club,[3][10] in a move described by Arsenal as "clear signal of togetherness and unity", and to retain the progressive ethos of the club.[2] Utilizing the core Losa helped build, Montemurro led Arsenal to the 2018–19 Women's Super League title, with a game to spare. The win marked their first title in seven years, and marked the club's return to the Champions League for the first time in five years.

The women's side has the full backing and support of Arsenal Football Club. David Dein, former vice-chairman of Arsenal F.C., held the position of club President until he left the club on 18 April 2007, and was replaced by Keith Edelman, Arsenal's managing director, until his departure from the club on 1 May 2008.

A number of the playing staff are employed by Arsenal to develop and co-ordinate the women's teams and club Academy. Ties between the two are close; sponsorship by Emirates and Adidas (Puma and Nike before that) is shared, and the women's club played on occasion at Arsenal's home stadium (Highbury until 2005–06 and Emirates Stadium since then).

Over the years, the women's team has been lauded by and done promotional work with counterparts from the men's team such as Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira. Ahead of a 2008 North London men's derby against Tottenham Hotspur, Cesc Fàbregas (then Arsenal's men's captain) told Loaded that he didn't believe that Arsenal Women would lose to the Tottenham men, saying, "They would do really well. I'm sure they would get a point!"

Stadium

Arsenal Women play most of their home matches at Meadow Park, home of Vanarama National League side Boreham Wood, in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. It has a capacity of 4,500, although attendances for most league matches are around 1,000. Arsenal's home UEFA Women's Champions League matches are also played here. However, due to the connection with Arsenal F.C., they are permitted to play in the Emirates Stadium on occasion.

Arsenal celebrate a Cup double in 1998

Players
Arsenal Ladies in 2009

First-team squad
As of 25 June 2020.[9]

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

No. Position Player
1 GK Manuela Zinsberger
3 DF Emma Mitchell
5 DF Jennifer Beattie
6 DF Leah Williamson
7 MF Daniëlle van de Donk
8 MF Jordan Nobbs
10 MF Kim Little (captain)
11 FW Vivianne Miedema
13 MF Lia Wälti
No. Position Player
14 MF Jill Roord
15 FW Katie McCabe
17 FW Lisa Evans
19 FW Caitlin Foord
20 DF Leonie Maier
22 MF Viktoria Schnaderbeck
23 FW Beth Mead
24 GK Fran Stenson

Reserves

Arsenal also operate a reserve team, which is mainly formed from Academy players. The reserves have won four FA Women's Premier Reserve League titles and five FA Women's Premier Reserve League Cups in their history.

Former players

For notable current and former players, see Category:Arsenal W.F.C. players.

Management

Current technical staff
Joe Montemurro, who has been the manager of Arsenal since 2017.

As of 16 December 2018.[26]

Position Name
Honorary President Vic Akers
General Manager Clare Wheatley
Manager Joe Montemurro
Assistant Coach Aaron D'Antino
Scout Kelly Smith
Strength & Conditioning Coach Eoin Clarkin
Football Operations Officer Angela Cuerden
Assistant First Team S&C Coach Fran Silver
Non-Football operations officer Lauren Chester
Team Doctor Jo Price
Academy Manager Tessa Payne
Lead physiotherapist Rose Glendinning
First Team Analyst Jonny Dixon
Academy Operations Officer Holly Skinner
Academy Head Coach Lauren Phillips
Academy Assistant Coach Elliot Allum
Development Officer Tom Hartley
Marketing Officer Faye White
Marketing Officer Phoebe Marshall

Managerial history
NameNationalityFromTo
Vic Akers  England 1987 10 May 2009
Tony Gervaise  Scotland 22 July 2009 11 February 2010
Laura Harvey  England 11 February 2010 January 2013
Shelley Kerr  Scotland 1 February 2013 1 June 2014
Pedro Martínez Losa  Spain 29 August 2014 25 October 2017
Joe Montemurro  Australia 7 November 2017 Present

Honours

As of 12 December 2019.[27]

Domestic
Winners (3) (record): 2011, 2012, 2018–19
Winners (12) (record): 1992–93, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
  • FA Women's Cup
Winners (14) (record): 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
  • FA WSL Cup
Winners (5) (record): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017–18
  • FA Women's Premier League Cup
Winners (10) (record): 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09
Winners (5) (record): 2000 (shared), 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008

European
Winners (1): 2006–07

County
  • London County FA Women's Cup
Winners (10) (record): 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

See also

References
  1. "Kroenke completes Arsenal takeover as fans forced to sell shares". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  2. "Important update from our women's team". Arsenal F.C. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  3. "Women's Super League One : Arsenal drop 'Ladies' from name". BBC Sport. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  4. "Arsenal WFC – Records and Statistics". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  5. "Arsenal Women – History". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  6. "England – Arsenal WFC". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  7. Kessel, Anna (4 May 2008). "The invincibles". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  8. Tony Leighton (15 May 2002). "Banks stays with semi-pro Gunners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  9. "Players". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  10. Trehan, Dev (28 July 2017). "Arsenal Ladies renamed Arsenal Women". Sky Sports. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  11. "Arsenal and its Greatest Women of All Time". DailyCannon. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  12. "Arsenal Ladies Honours". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 12 August 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  13. "Arsenal Ladies 4–1 Chelsea". Arsenal F.C. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
  14. Tony Leighton (29 April 2007). "Arsenal boss hails Uefa Cup win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
  15. "FA Women's Premier League". The FA. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2007.
  16. "Sports Journalists' Awards 2007". sportsjournalists.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  17. "Ladies complete unbeaten League century". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  18. Tony Leighton (20 February 2010). "Arsenal Ladies boss Tony Gervaise reveals reasons behind shock exit". BBC. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  19. "Laura Harvey becomes Arsenal Ladies manager". Arsenal F.C. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  20. "Lincoln Ladies FA Women's Super League bid success". BBC. 22 March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  21. "Arsenal take English WSL title". UEFA. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  22. Arsenal miss Champions League next season Archived 20 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine fitaa.com. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  23. "Arsenal Ladies: Pedro Martinez Losa appointed new manager". BBC Sport. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  24. "Continental Cup final: Arsenal Ladies 3–0 Notts County Ladies". BBC Sport. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  25. "Women's FA Cup final: Arsenal Ladies 1–0 Chelsea Ladies". BBC Sport. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  26. "Women Arsenal.com". Arsenal W.F.C. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  27. "Honours". Arsenal F.C.
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