Full name | Bradford City AFC Women | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | City | |||
Founded | 1988 | |||
Ground | Horsfall Community Stadium, Bradford Park Avenue | |||
Capacity | 3,000 | |||
Chairperson | Qasim Akhtar | |||
Manager | Nick Buxton | |||
League | North East Regional Women's Football League Premier Division | |||
2022–23 | FA Women's National League Division One North, 11th of 12 (relegated) | |||
Website | Club website | |||
Bradford City AFC Women is an English women's football club which represents the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire. Founded in 1988, they currently play in the North East Regional Women's Football League Premier Division, and have competed in the Women's National League since promotion from the Northern Combination Women's Football League in 2013. Previously under the title of Bradford City Women's FC, the club announced its merger with Bradford City AFC in January 2021, through the Community Foundation, and has since adopted the name Bradford City AFC Women and Girls
After realigning the club with its former junior girls set up, Bradford City AFC Women has a player pathway from Under 9's through to Senior Football. A new Under 23's Development Team was launched for the 2021–22 season, with an aim of providing a stronger pathway for the young women of Bradford to play National League football.
Founded in 1988 [1] under the auspices of Bradford City's Football in the Community department, the club became founder members of the Yorkshire and Humberside League the following year. After success at local level, the club won promotion into the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division in 1996. [2] The club earned a second successive promotion in 1996–97, into the top level of Women's football in England. [3]
In 1997–98 the club avoided relegation [4] and also reached the semi–final of the FA Women's Premier League Cup – losing on penalties to eventual winners Arsenal after a 2–2 draw. [5] This was despite Arsenal's goalkeeper Sarah Reed being sent–off and defender Tina Mapes taking over in goal. [6] City dropped out of the top division in 1998–99, [7] and suffered a further relegation in 1999–00, [8] into the Northern Combination Women's Football League.
The club gained promotion back to the FA Women's Premier League ahead of the 2013/2014 season. In 2017/18 striker Laura Elford was among the WPL Northern top scorers. Only Leicester's Rosie Axten (30), and Middlesbrough's Emily Scarr (28) scored more than Elford's 25 in all competitions. [9]
Following announcement that long serving Chairwoman Sally Thackray would step down, discussion began with a number of parties over the future running of the club. It was announced on 17 December 2020 that the club would move under the stewardship of Bradford City FC Community Foundation. This would mark the first time in the clubs history that it stood as a part of the 'men's' club at Bradford City AFC. As well as this, the club announced a restructure of its previous committee model, to one that fits into the new system, with Qasim Akhtar announced as the clubs Chairman, overseeing the day-to-day running of the club
Position | Season 2017/18 |
---|---|
8th (Tier 3) | WPL Northern |
3rd Round | Women's FA Cup |
1st Round | WPL Cup |
Runners-up | County Cup |
The club currently shares Bradford Park Avenue's home, Horsfall Community Stadium, having previously played home matches at Thackley FC's Dennyfield ground, Peel Park and the grounds of and Guiseley.
[10] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2012) |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2012) |
The following is a list of the officially appointed captains of the Bradford City WFC first-team.
Name | Nation | Years |
---|---|---|
Dawn Lindley | England | 2006–2007 |
Becky Griggs | England | 2007–2009 |
Mel Garside-Wight | England | 2009–2010 |
Sarah Binns | England | 2010-2011 |
Bridie Hannon | England | 2011– |
Harriet Jakeman | England | 2018–2019 |
Maisie Norde | England | 2019 |
Zoe Roberts | England | 2019- |
Bradford City Women have always traditionally adopted the colours of Bradford City AFC, despite no formal link between the two clubs. In 2015 BCWFC adopted the same crest and kits as the men's side in order to bring relationships closer together, gaining further support publicly from the club, in particular, the women's team were favoured as a natural exit route for players from Bradford City's girls Centre of Excellence before its closure. Recently, the clubs has both co–operated with sports charity One in a Million [11] with its Junior Girls set-up.
In 2008 an exhibition on the women's team was staged at the bantamspast museum at Valley Parade, with the aim of forging closer links between the clubs. [12]
The women's Under–16 section played at Wembley Stadium as a curtain-raiser to the 1996 Football League Second Division play-off final. [13]
As of 2021 Bradford City Women's has been brought under the umbrella of Bradford City AFC, through the clubs community department, and the adoption of the clubs new title as Bradford City AFC Women, signifying the club as the official Women's side of Bradford City. This merger also realigned the clubs Girls junior set up, ahead of plans to form an official girls academy pathway, leading into a new Under 23's set up. Ryan Sparks, CEO of Bradford City, announced the merger to all staff in January 2021 stating that "No longer will we have Bradford City AFC and Bradford City WFC, but just Bradford City AFC with both Men's and Women's teams"
|
|
Champions | Runners-up | Promoted | Relegated |
Division shown in bold when it changes due to promotion or relegation. Top scorer shown in bold with † when they set or equalled a club record.
Season | League | FA Women's Cup [14] | West Riding's County Cup [15] | Europe / Other | Top scorer | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | |||||||
1988–89 | no data | ||||||||||||||
1989–90 | |||||||||||||||
1990–91 | |||||||||||||||
1991–92 | |||||||||||||||
1992–93 | |||||||||||||||
1993–94 | |||||||||||||||
1994–95 | |||||||||||||||
1995–96 | |||||||||||||||
1996–97 | PL North [16] | 16 | 45 | 1st | |||||||||||
1997–98 | PL National [17] | 18 | 12 | 8th | |||||||||||
1998–99 | PL National [18] | 18 | 10 | 9th | |||||||||||
1999–2000 | PL North [19] | 22 | 17 | 11th | |||||||||||
2000–01 | Northern Comb | no data | |||||||||||||
2001–02 | Northern Comb | ||||||||||||||
2002–03 | Northern Comb | ||||||||||||||
2003–04 | Northern Comb | ||||||||||||||
2004–05 | Northern Comb | R2 | |||||||||||||
2005–06 | Northern Comb | 2Q | W | ||||||||||||
2006–07 | Northern Comb | R1 | SF | ||||||||||||
2007–08 | Northern Comb | R1 | SF | ||||||||||||
2008–09 | Northern Comb | R2 | R3 | ||||||||||||
2009–10 | Northern Comb | R1 | QF | ||||||||||||
2010–11 | Northern Comb [20] | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 37 | 28 | 7th | 3Q | SF | ||||
2011–12 | Northern Comb [21] | 22 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 54 | 25 | 43 | 3rd | 3rd | RU | ||||
2012–13 | Northern Comb [22] | 21 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 54 | 20 | 47 | 3rd | 2nd | QF | ||||
2013–14 | FA WPL Northern Division [23] | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 36 | 33 | 35 | 3rd | 3rd | |||||
2014–15 | FA WPL Northern Division [24] | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 49 | 28 | 39 | 4th | 4th | |||||
2015–16 | FA WPL Northern Division [25] | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 48 | 31 | 38 | 5th | 3rd | |||||
2016–17 | FA WPL Northern Division | ||||||||||||||
Garforth Town Association Football Club is a football club based in Garforth, West Yorkshire, England. They are members of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division and play at Wheatley Park.
Ashton United Football Club is a football club in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football, and play at Hurst Cross.
Football Club United of Manchester is a semi-professional football club based in Moston, Manchester, England, that competes in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system, and plays home matches at Broadhurst Park.
The FA Women's National League, formerly WFA National League and FA Women's Premier League (WPL), is a group of six football divisions which was run by the English Football Association until 2014 when it changed to become an FA branded league run by an independent elected management committee. Originally founded in 1991 by the Women's Football Association, the League included England's top division from 1991 to 2010.
Amalgamated Football Club Sudbury is a football club based in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. The club was formed in 1999 by the merger of Sudbury Town and Sudbury Wanderers, the process giving rise to the name Amalgamated Football Club Sudbury. and went on to win the Eastern Counties League Premier Division five seasons in a row as well as reaching the final of the FA Vase in three successive seasons, records for both competitions. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division Central and play at the King's Marsh Stadium in the Ballingdon-Brundon area of Sudbury.
Fleetwood Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Sutton Common Rovers Football Club is a semi-professional football club currently competing in the Isthmian League South Central Division. Originally based in Carshalton, the club moved southwest to Leatherhead, Surrey, in 2007 upon joining the Combined Counties League. At the start of the 2009–10 season the club moved into a groundshare with Cobham at the Reg Madgwick Stadium, and further away from Carshalton. At the end of the 2014–15 season the club announced that it would be groundsharing with Sutton United for the 2015–16 season. For the 2022–23 season, the club announced a move to Church Road now privately owned by a company called IRama. The club are now equal tenants with newly reformed AFC Whyteleafe.[9]
Sunderland Association Football Club Women is an English women's football club that plays in the Women's Championship. They play their home games at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground in Hetton-le-Hole, in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
Newcastle United Womens' Football Club is a professional English women's football club, affiliated with Newcastle United F.C. They were founded in 1989 and are based at the Newcastle United Academy Training Centre, Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, and play their home matches at Kingston Park, Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. They are currently members of the FA Women's National League North.
Scott Anthony Kerr is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Tranmere Rovers Ladies Football Club are an English team founded in 1990, based in the Wirral, and affiliated with Tranmere Rovers F.C. Between 1996 and 2004 they competed in the FA Premier League National Division, then the top tier of the English women's football pyramid. They are currently members of the North West Women's Regional Football League Premier and play their home games at the Ellesmere Port Sports Village.
AFC Fylde Women is an English women's football club affiliated with AFC Fylde and currently playing in the FA Women's National League North.
Bridgwater United Women's Football Club are an English women's association football club based in Bridgwater, Somerset who were previously known as Yetminster Ladies, Sherborne Ladies, Yeovil Town Ladies and Yeovil United. Founded in 1990, they now play in the FA Women's National League Division One South West.
BradfordAssociation Football Club is an association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in Northern Premier League Premier Division, at the seventh tier of the English football league system. The name derived from their former home at Park Avenue, and was used to avoid confusion with Bradford derby rivals Bradford City.
Adam Joseph Boyes is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a striker for Marske United.
Alexander Edward Flett is an English semi-professional footballer who plays for Cleethorpes Town, as a midfielder.
Ross Hannah is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Rossington Main.
Michael James Duckworth is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for National League club York City. He has played in the English Football League for Hartlepool United, Fleetwood Town and Morecambe.
Jodie Michalska is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Barnsley WFC of the FA Women's National League North. She previously spent four seasons with Lincoln Ladies of the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division.
Liverpool Feds Women's Football Club is an English women's association football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. The first team currently plays in the FA Women's National League North and during the 2019–20 season the reserve team play in North West Women's Regional Football League Division One South. They play their home games at the Jericho Lane Football Hub in Aigburth area of Liverpool.