Reading F.C. Women

Reading Football Club Women is an English women's football club affiliated with Reading FC. The Club plays in the Women's Super League, the top flight of English women's football. Reading F.C. Women previously played in the FA Women's Premier League National Division after being promoted from the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division, which they were relegated to at the end of the 2011–12 season. They had previously won promotion to the National Division from the Southern Division in 2009–10. They gained entry to an expanded FA WSL in 2014.[1]

Reading FC Women
Full nameReading Football Club Women
Nickname(s)The Royals, RFCW
Founded2006 (2006)
GroundMadejski Stadium
Capacity24,161
Director of footballKelly Chambers
First-team managerKelly Chambers
LeagueFA WSL
2019–20FA WSL, 5th of 12
WebsiteClub website

History

Reading FC began an association with women's football when it affiliated with Reading Royals LFC (previously Twyford Comets) in 1988.

In May 2006, Reading ended this affiliation and started their own women's team, Reading FC Women.[2] In their first season they achieved a Southern Region Women's Football League and Cup double[3] and were promoted to the South West Combination Women's Football League. They followed this with an unbeaten 2007–08 League season to gain promotion to the Premier League Northern Division (in which they competed due to an overload at the Southern).

After finishing sixth in the Northern Division, Reading were transferred to the Southern Division for the 2009–10 season. In 2010 they won their last four games of the season to finish runners–up to Barnet and secure promotion to the FA Women's Premier League National Division.[4]

On 3 April 2011 Reading successfully defended the Berks and Bucks County Cup trophy, cruising past Milton Keynes Dons 3–0 in the final.[5]

Their first season in the FA Women's Premier League National Division (the second highest league, following the formation of the Women's Super League) saw Reading finish third.[6] In March 2012 Reading lost top goalscorer Nikki Watts to WSL club Bristol Academy.[7] They finished 9th in the National Division in the 2011–12 season, resulting in their relegation back to the Southern Division for 2012–13.

In 2012–13 Reading FC Women won the FA Premier League Southern Division by eight points and a goal difference of 41,[8] while both the first and reserve team retained the County Cup.[9]

Reading's top scorer in 2012–13, Fran Kirby, was rewarded for her campaign by being named as Player of the Season – as well as receiving a call up to play for Great Britain in the World University Games in Kazan, Russia. Striker Kirby surpassed the 30-goal mark this season and was also selected for an England under-23s Camp.[10]

Reading were granted a licence to play in the FA Women's Super League 2 from 2014.[9] They won the division in the 2015 season and were promoted to the FA WSL. On 10 December 2015 it was announced that Reading would play their home games at Adams Park, the home of Wycombe Wanderers FC, for the next two seasons.[11]

Reading finished the 2017–18 season in 4th place[12] and 5th in 2018–19, reaching the Semi-Final of the FA Women's Cup the same season.[13]

Management

Reading F.C. Women Director of Women's and Girls' Football and First Team Manager is former captain of Reading F.C. Women, Kelly Chambers. Chambers took over from former manager Jayne Ludlow who stepped down to manage Wales. She is assisted by Head Coach Phil Cousins.

Players

Current squad
As of 24 June 2020[14]

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 Grace Moloney
2 DF Kristine Bjørdal Leine
4 MF Fara Williams
5 DF Molly Bartrip
6 MF Angharad James
9 FW Amalie Eikeland
10 FW Lauren Bruton
11 MF Natasha Harding (captain)
No. Position Player
19 MF Brooke Chaplen
23 MF Rachel Rowe
28 DF Lily Woodham
29 DF Kiera Skeels
31 DF Beth Roberts
35 DF Sophie Quirk
72 DF Rhiannon Stewart


Former players

For details of current and former players, see Category:Reading F.C. Women players.

Stadium

Reading FC Women will move to Madejski Stadium before the 2020–21 FA WSL season.[15] Before then, they played at Adams Park in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, the home of League One men's club Wycombe Wanderers FC.

Honours

References
  1. "Women's success celebrated".
  2. "Background of our women's team". readingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  3. "Women secure league & cup double". readingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  4. "Royals celebrate promotion to top flight!". readingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  5. http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/WomensNews/0,,10306~2330585,00.html
  6. http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/WomensNews/0,,10306~2352693,00.html
  7. "Vixens announce new signings". Bristol Academy WFC. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  8. "Women seal the title".
  9. "Women secure cup double".
  10. "Ladies in the limelight!".
  11. @wwfcofficial. "Reading FC Women come to Adams Park".
  12. https://www.scorespro.com/soccer/england/fa-wsl-womens-super-league/2017-2018/standings
  13. https://www.scorespro.com/soccer/england/fa-wsl-womens-super-league/2018-2019/standings/
  14. "Reading FC | Women's First Team". www.readingfc.co.uk.
  15. "Reading Women: Top-flight side to move to Madejski Stadium". BBC Sport. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
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