Lions Gibraltar F.C.

Lions Gibraltar is a professional football club in Gibraltar. They play in the country's top level league, the Gibraltar Premier Division.

Lions Gibraltar
Full nameLions Gibraltar Football Club
Short nameLions
Founded1966
GroundVictoria Stadium,
Winston Churchill Avenue Gibraltar
Capacity2,000
Board of DirectorsAlexander Grech (President)
Daniel Buhagiar (Vice President)
Kadrian Bugeja (Secretary)
ManagerAlbert Ferri[1]
LeagueGibraltar National League
2019–20Championship Group: 6th
Overall: 6th[lower-alpha 1]
WebsiteClub website

They were created by a merger of Gibraltar United F.C. and Lions FC in 2011.[2]

History

Lions Gibraltar was founded as Lions Football Club in 1966 when a group of friends decided to take up a team after the euphoria of England winning the 1966 World Cup, thus the three lions on its club badge. After a quiet 45-year history, the club merged with league giants Gibraltar United in 2011 to create a much stronger side. After 3 years, however, Gibraltar United broke away to form their own side once again in 2014.

Their time together saw the side consistently compete in the Gibraltar Premier Division, and the side continued this upon the GFA's admittance to UEFA in 2013. The 2013-14 season, their final season united with Gibraltar United, saw them narrowly avoid a relegation playoff with a 6th-place finish. After this, Gibraltar United joined the Gibraltar Second Division and Lions restructured, with English coach Jeff Wood appointed manager with ambitions to challenge the top sides and qualify for the UEFA Europa League. In February 2015 the club announced plans to become a feeder club with Premier League club Swansea City, although these plans eventually fell through.

However, after a disappointing season in which the club finished bottom of the league (avoiding relegation due to the league's expansion), the club announced in July 2015 that it was to be taken over by Hercules Sports Promotion, Ltd, headed by Andrew Flowers (who had previously attempted to purchase Leeds United in 2013). Significant investment by the new ownership meant that Lions would now become a semi-professional club with the aim of toppling Lincoln Red Imps' dominance.[3] The following season saw immediate improvement, with the club finishing 4th, however they remained significantly off the pace compared to the region's top two sides Lincoln Red Imps and Europa.

On 31 May, the board announced former national team coach David Wilson as their new manager for the 2016–17 season. However, after the collapse of the club owners' other companies left Lions' future uncertain, Wilson resigned before the beginning of the season to take over at FCB Magpies and the previous season's co-caretaker Rafael Bado was announced as manager. A season spent primarily in the bottom two ended in safety, however, after an upturn in form from the beginning of 2017 despite only winning one game in the first 4 months of the season.

Seasons (since UEFA acceptance)
Season Division League record Rock Cup Notes
P W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2013–14 Premier144282333146thSemi-final—
2014–15 Premier21151594888thQuarter-final—
2015–16 Premier27143104944454thSemi-final—
2016–17 Premier2749141754218thQuarter-final—
2017–18 Premier2765162763238thSecond round—
2018–19 Premier273024177799thQuarter-final—

Current squad

First team
As of 15 August 2019

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 John-Paul Hernandez
2 DF Thomas Hastings
3 DF James Parkinson
4 DF Adrián Vera
5 MF Jay Bosio (vice-captain)
6 MF Alan Parker
7 MF Kaylan Rumbo
8 DF Antonio Cintas
9 FW Abri Pomares
10 FW Alberto Caravaca (captain)
11 FW Jonas Luque
12 DF Craig Bossano-Anes
14 DF Iván Ruiz
No. Position Player
15 MF Jordan Carnegie
17 FW Brendan Ramagge
18 MF Louis Parral
19 FW Luisma
21 DF Jared Buhagiar
22 FW Raymond Gomez
23 MF John Charles Gaivizo
25 FW Martin Gándara
37 GK Juan Antonio Mateo Pérez
39 DF Lee Coombes
55 GK Francisco Pérez
— GK Borja Valadés
— MF Germán Cortés

Intermediate League squad

Players below are registered to play in the Gibraltar Intermediate League. Players from the first team may also appear for this team.

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

No. Position Player
14 MF Álvaro Rodríguez López
16 MF Naseem Ben Youssef
26 DF Leon Ridley
27 DF Jayce Perez-Carreras
28 FW Jayce Marsh
29 DF Julian Garcia
30 MF Jamie Brunt
31 MF Julian Grech
32 MF Aiman Mkerreff
33 GK Lewis Victor
34 MF Nathan Fortunato
No. Position Player
35 MF Richie Parral
36 MF Pedro Pablo Rosa Hernández
38 MF Callum Hellier
40 MF Nikolaj Forrester
41 MF Houssam Ohassan
42 DF Marouan Akhrif
43 DF Ryan Danino
44 MF Julian Serrano
45 MF Liam Yeo
47 MF Klayton Monteverde
49 MF Stefan Thorne

References
  1. Premier Division 2018-19 Season Preview Football Gibraltar. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  2. "Division Structure". footballgibraltar.wordpress.com. 2 October 2011.
  3. LIONS GIBRALTAR TAKEOVER COMPLETE GibFootballTalk. 10 July 2015. Accessed 20 July 2015.
  1. Season abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic
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