Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C.

Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club is an English women's football club affiliated with Brighton & Hove Albion. The club currently compete in the Women's Super League and the first team play at the Broadfield Stadium, home of Crawley Town F.C. Former England women manager Hope Powell is the current first team manager, having been appointed in July 2017.

Brighton & Hove Albion
Full nameBrighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club
Nickname(s)The Seagulls,
The Albion
Founded1991 (1991)
GroundBroadfield Stadium, Crawley
Capacity6,134
ManagerHope Powell
LeagueFA WSL
2020–21FA WSL, 6th of 12
WebsiteClub website

History

In their original guise as Brighton GPO, the club reached the semi-final of the FA Women's Cup in 1975–76.[1] In 1990 they linked up with the men's club and became founder members of the Premier League in 1991–92, in Division 1 South.

Before it was departed, the club played three matches at the Goldstone Ground, the old home of Brighton's men's side, against Milton Keynes, Horsham and Whitehawk.[2]

Brighton & Hove Albion with the Sussex County Cup in March 2012

In 2015, the club set a five-year plan to reach the FA WSL 1 and UEFA Women's Champions League qualification.[3] That season they missed promotion to the FA WSL 2 though by finishing runners-up to Portsmouth. In 2015–16 they won the Southern Division and the following play-off against Northern Champions Sporting Club Albion.[4] Following the play-off victory, their promotion to the FA WSL 2 was confirmed.[5]

The team joined the FA WSL 1, the top tier of women's football in England, for the 2018–19 season having had their application to join the restructured league approved. During the day of the announcement of the promotion, the club also revealed they would relocate to Crawley Town's Broadfield Stadium for first team matches.[6]

Women's Super League (2018-present)

Albion's first season in the Barclays FA Women's Super League saw them finish ninth in what was then an 11 team league, finishing 19 points clear of relegated Yeovil Town. Hope Powell's team secured four wins from their 20 league matches, while Ellie Brazil finished as top scorer with four goals. Their first WSL win came in a 2-1 home win over Yeovil Town, with Jodie Brett and Victoria Williams getting on the scoresheet.

The 2019/20 season was curtailed with four games left to play due to the outbreak of the Covid-19, with Albion again finishing in ninth place in the WSL. Aileen Whelan finished as top scorer that campaign with five league goals, while Albion drew in their second league game of the season against Chelsea - just one of three sides who took a point off the eventual champions.

Powell would lead her side to their highest placed finish in the WSL in the 2020/21 season, finishing in sixth place. An opening day victory against Birmingham City marked one of just two victories Albion enjoyed in the league until February, before going on an incredible run that saw them win six of their last nine matches. That rich vein of form included a 2-1 victory over Chelsea, that ended the Blues' run of 33 matches unbeaten in league football. Summer signing Inessa Kaagman finished as top scorer with nine goals in all competitions, as they also recorded notable victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.


Managerial history
Name Nationality From To Ref.
James Marrs  England 11 June 2014 22 April 2016 [7][8]
George Parris (interim)  England 23 April 2016 18 July 2017 [8][9]
Hope Powell  England 19 July 2017 Present [10]

Former players

For details of current and former players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. players.

Players and staff
Brighton & Hove Albion team in April 2018

Current squad
As of 2 September 2021.[11]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  IRL Megan Walsh
2 DF  FIN Emma Koivisto
3 DF  ENG Felicity Gibbons
4 MF  ENG Danielle Bowman (captain)
5 DF  NED Danique Kerkdijk
6 DF  ENG Maya Le Tissier
7 FW  ENG Aileen Whelan
8 MF  IRL Megan Connolly
9 FW  KOR Lee Geum-min
10 MF  NED Inessa Kaagman
12 FW  ENG Libby Bance
15 FW  WAL Kayleigh Green
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 FW  ENG Ellie Brazil
17 DF  SWE Emma Kullberg
18 FW  ENG Danielle Carter
19 MF  ENG Emily Simpkins
20 DF  ENG Victoria Williams
21 MF  SWE Julia Zigiotti Olme
24 MF  ENG Maisie Symonds
— GK  ENG Fran Stenson (on loan from Arsenal)

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
22 FW  ENG Katie Robinson (at Charlton Athletic until 30 June 2022)
40 GK  ENG Katie Startup (at Liverpool Until 30 June 2022)

Coaching staff
Position Name
Manager Hope Powell
Assistant Manager Amy Merricks
Goalkeeping coach Alex Penny
General Manager Polly Bancroft
Strength & Conditioning Coach Ivo Nunez Miguel
Physiotherapist Lisa Walsh
Lead Analysis Edward Filmer
Club Doctor Dr. Timothy Buck
Kit Manager Maurice Bane

See also

References
  1. "Administrator: June Jaycocks". Women's Football Archive. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  2. Club, Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football. "Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club | Biography & Wiki | VAVEL International". VAVEL. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  3. "Brighton & Hove Albion WFC's five-year Champions League plan". BBC Sport. 30 April 2015.
  4. "NEWS Archives".
  5. "Brighton & Hove Albion Women promotion to Women's Super League approved". BBC News. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  6. "ALBION ACHIEVE TIER ONE STATUS". BBC News. 2 June 2016. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  7. Dalton, Neville (11 June 2014). "Marrs leaves Gillingham for Brighton Super League challenge". Sent Her Forward. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  8. "Brighton dismiss women's manager James Marrs after disciplinary hearing". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  9. "George Parris to keep Brighton interim manager role for Spring Series". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  10. "Hope Powell: Brighton and Hove Albion Women appoint ex-England boss as new head coach". BBC Sport. BBC. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  11. "Brighton & Hove Albion - Women's Team". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.