Coventry United L.F.C.

Coventry United Ladies Football Club is an English women's football club affiliated with Coventry United F.C. They were founded in 2013 as Coventry City Ladies; on 4 July 2015 the club announced that they had merged with Coventry United, a local non-league side only two years old at the time.[1] They currently play in the FA Women's Championship.

Coventry United Ladies
Full nameCoventry United Ladies Football Club
Nickname(s)Cov United Ladies
Founded2013
GroundButts Park Arena, Coventry
ChairmanMarcus Green
ManagerJay Bradford
LeagueFA Women's Championship
2021–22FA Women's Championship, 11th of 12
WebsiteClub website

The club also comprises youth teams at u-11, u-13, u-15, u-16, u18 and a reserve team.

History

Founded in 1991, the club began in the West Midlands Regional League. In 1997, as Coventry City, they were promoted into the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, where they stayed until relegation in 2002.

In 2002–03 the club developed closer relations with Coventry City F.C. while revamping and expanding the youth centre of excellence. In 2004 the club were promoted back to the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, but lasted only a season at the higher level.

After three consecutive runners-up finishes, Coventry won the Midland Combination again in 2010 – scoring 66 goals in 22 league games.[2]

The club played at Coventry University Sports and Conference Centre, Westwood Heath and at Coventry Sphinx FC, before moving to the Oval, Bedworth. In August 2014 the club announced a move to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry for the 2014–15 season.[3] Midway through the 2014–15 season, Coventry Ladies were forced out of the Ricoh Arena after the arrival of Wasps RFC to the Ricoh. They found themselves playing at the Bedworth Oval once again.

In July 2015 they merged with Coventry United and moved into the Butts Park Arena, home of Coventry R.F.C. where Coventry United play. April 2019 saw the side win the National League South, the third tier in the women's game, seeing them gain promotion to the FA Women's Championship. There followed two hard-fought seasons in 2019/20 and 2020/21 where the club have established themselves in the FA Women's Championship with a 9th and 10th place finish respectively.

In 2021 Steve Quinlan, Paul Marsh and Darren Langdon bought a 49% stake in the club.[4] The club announced plans to turn professional and are beginning their first season as a fully professional club in 2021/22. They were liquidated on 24 December 2021.[5] The club's last fixture before liquidation was a 1-0 home victory over fellow FA Women's Championship side, Watford.[6] With a formal deadline set for 4 January 2022, investor Lewis Taylor made a bid to acquire the club and clear the debts to ensure the club could complete the season.[7] The offer was accepted and the club rescued although the FA handed down a 10 points deduction for triggering an insolvency event.[8]

In February 2022 Jay Bradford managed her 150th game as manager of Coventry United.[9]

Players

Current squad
As of 21st January 2021[10]

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  WAL Olivia Clark
2 DF  ENG Natalie Haigh (on loan from Aston Villa)
3 DF  NIR Natalie Johnson
4 MF  ENG Charlotte Estcourt
5 DF  ENG Anna Wilcox
6 DF  ENG Grace Riglar
7 MF  ENG Fran Orthodoxou
8 MF  IRL Phoebe Warner
9 FW  ENG Katie Wilkinson
11 FW  ENG Olivia Fergusson
12 DF  NIR Hayley Crackle
13 DF  ENG Elisha N'Dow (on loan from Aston Villa)
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW  ENG Becky McGrother
15 MF  ENG Andria Georgiou
16 MF  ENG Mollie Green
17 MF  ENG Anna Colville
18 MF  ENG Freya Thomas
20 MF  ENG Destiney Toussaint
21 MF  ENG Katy Morris
22 DF  ENG Naomi Hartley
23 GK  ENG Lucy Thomas
24 DF  ENG Alanah Mann
28 FW  ENG Keeley Davies

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
25 GK  ENG Jodie Whiteman (at Solihull Moors until 30 June 2022)[11]

Former players

For details of former players, see Category:Coventry United L.F.C. players.

Honours

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Interview: Paul Cudby (Coventry City Ladies manager)". She Kicks. 28 April 2010. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  3. "Coventry City Ladies Football Club will call the Ricoh Arena home this season". BBC News. BBC. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  4. "Exclusive: Coventry United "Not finished yet"". Her Football Hub. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  5. "Coventry United Ladies to be placed in voluntary liquidation". BBC News. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  6. Freville, Chris (18 December 2021). "Championship: Coventry take on Watford in relegation battle". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  7. Garry, Tom (3 January 2022). "Investor facing race against time to save Coventry United from liquidation says takeover is 'right thing to do'". The Telegraph.
  8. "Coventry United: Women's Championship club handed 10-point penalty by FA after entering voluntary liquidation". Sky Sports.
  9. Freville, Chris (28 February 2022). "Coventry United through to FA Cup quarter-finals for first time in history". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  10. "Squad 2021/22". culfc-media.co.uk.
  11. "Coventry United's teenage goalkeeper Whiteman loaned to Solihull Moors". FAWSL Full-Time. 12 July 2021.
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