Bridgwater United W.F.C.

Last updated

Bridgwater United
Full nameBridgwater United Football Club Women
Founded1990 (as Yetminster Ladies)
GroundFairfax Park, Bridgwater
Capacity2,500 (128 seated)
ChairmanSarah Murry
ManagerAdam Murry and Kevin Braybrook
League FA Women's National League Division One South West
2022–23 FA Women's National League South, 11th of 12 (relegated)
Website Club website

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.

Contents

Prior to moving to the FA WSL in 2013, the club played in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division after gaining promotion from the South West Combination Women's Football League for a second time in 2012. The team merged with men's side Bridgwater Town in 2021 to become Bridgwater United.

History

The team was formed by Tony Baverstock as Yetminster Ladies, and originally competed in South West League Division Two, the club's first game was against Weymouth Vikings on 16 September 1990. The club was renamed Sherborne Ladies in 1993, and in 1997 the team reached the 4th Round of the Women's FA Cup, finally going out to Everton in front of a crowd of over 500 at Huish Park. The team was renamed Yeovil Town Ladies in 1999, and progressed well under the management of John Flatters. After Flatters departed the club, first team coach Steve Phelps took over. [1]

The 2004–05 season saw Yeovil Town Ladies win the Somerset County Cup Final against Keynsham Town Ladies, with the end of this season also seeing the departure of young talent Helen Bleazard, who had been playing for Yeovil since the age of nine. Bleazard left to play for Bristol City Ladies, who at the time were playing in the Women's Premier League. The following season saw the team missing out on league promotion to Frome Town by one point, leaving them in the League runner's up position, and losing League Cup finalists. The 2006–07 season saw the Glovers at last seal promotion to the South West Combination League. [1]

The club embarked upon its first season back up in the South West Combination in 2007–08. It was another good campaign too, with the team acclimatising well to their new status and gaining a very respectable fourth-place finish. The 2008–09 season again saw fine progress, Yeovil Town footballer Nathan Jones joined as first team coach in November 2009. Yeovil finished the season third, behind league champions Queens Park Rangers and second place Plymouth Argyle. The Reserves finished the season as League champions, gaining promotion to the South West League, Division One. [1]

The following season saw the team hit the headlines following a 21–0 victory over Reading Town in the August. [2] This inspired them to race to the top of the league with a 9–1 win over Cullompton, a hard-fought victory at Forest Green Rovers and a 2–2 draw at Havant & Waterlooville. The season was disrupted by poor weather for almost four months, but this allowed the team to concentrate on the FA Cup, with victories over Saltash United, Forest Green Rovers and Newquay taking them to an exciting fourth round tie with Norwich City, a game that saw them come out 3–0 winners, setting up a tie with Nottingham Forest. They lost this narrowly 1–0, but clearly showed their higher league promise. The team won the South West Combination Women's League, having won seventeen, drawn one and lost just two of their twenty matches, scoring 103 goals, conceding just fifteen. [1]

The 2010–11 season saw the club competing in FA Women's Premier League Southern Division for the first time, however, they unfortunately found themselves relegated back to the South West Combination at the end of the season after a brave battle. They however fared better in the county cup, getting through to the final thanks to a 3–1 victory over Keynsham Town. March 2011 saw the departure of the long serving first team manager Steve Phelps and his assistant manager Nigel Wolfe from their positions at the club. Steve cited work and personal commitments for his resignation. [1]

Nigel Williams and Sarah Lawler took over as joint managers of the first team, with Chris White installed as assistant manager. They initially steadied the ship with draws against Cardiff City and Colchester United, but defeats against West Ham United and Portsmouth in their final two matches confirmed the return to the South West Combination. The season ended with a 3–0 win over Larkhall Athletic in the final of the Somerset Women's Senior Cup. [1]

Yeovil Town playing Oxford United in 2014 Ellie Curson - Yeovil Ladies.jpg
Yeovil Town playing Oxford United in 2014

The 2011–12 season was the first full season under the tenure of the new joint first team managers saw two trophies won by the senior squad, with the lifting of both the South West Women's Combination Football League Trophy and the Somerset FA Women's Senior Cup. The club also had the honour of being awarded the FA National Respect Gold award for the English ladies football pyramid. The start of the season saw the departure from the club of the long serving and record goal scorer Jemma Tewkesbury, who moved to Portsmouth Ladies, but the league campaign starting with a 7–1 victory over Keynsham Development and this set the precedent for the season, with the girls staying unbeaten in the league throughout. The county cup campaign started well with a 1–0 win over Keynsham Town. The girls received a bye to the final, where they beat Larkhall Athletic 3–0 to lift the trophy for the second consecutive season. The girls were crowned champions in April, with two games to spare, confirming promotion back to the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division at the first time of asking. [1]

The 2012–13 season saw the club finish 3rd in the Premier League Southern Division, their highest ever finishing position, and reached the 5th round of the FA Women's Cup before losing 4–0 to Leeds United. In April 2013, it was confirmed that the club had been accepted in to the new expanded FA WSL Division 2. [3] Yeovil was named FAWSL 2 Club of the Year in 2014, where they finished fourth in the league with 22 points. They once again finished fourth in 2015, this time with 31 points. The 2016 season saw Yeovil win promotion to FA WSL 1, winning the WSL Division 2. [4] [5] They also won FAWSL 2 Club of the year for a second time.

Their entry into the top flight of English women's football came during the 2017 spring series, a series created to shift women's football calendar from a summer to a winter league. While they finished last in the spring series, this series saw no promotion or relegation before the 2017–2018 season which started in September 2017. [6] They subsequently finished last during this 2017–18 season but remained in the FA WSL through the FA club licensing application process. [7] [8]

In March 2019, the club was reported to have entered administration. [9] They were deducted 10 points during the 2018–19 season, finishing 15 points adrift and getting relegated. However, in May 2019, they were denied an operating licence for the Championship and would have to contest the following season as a third tier club instead. [10] In June 2019, owner Steve Allinson announced his intention to relinquish ownership of the team free of charge in order to find investors capable of sustaining the team. [11]

In July 2019, Yeovil Town's ownership was successfully transferred to Adam Murry who took control of A.F.C. Bournemouth men's team when they went into administration. [12] Murry promptly promoted Academy Head Coach Jamie Phillip to the senior position and rebranded the team, changing from Yeovil Town Ladies to Yeovil Town Women and creating a new team badge. Yeovil began the season strongly but faltered a few games in and Jamie Philip left the club by mutual consent. The appointment of former manager, Jamie Sherwood, was confirmed in November 2020. [13] In March 2020, the 2019–20 season was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with Yeovil sitting in 5th place. [14] [15] In late summer of 2020, the board of directors elected a new chair of the board in Sarah Murry and underwent a further name change in September, rebranding as Yeovil United FC. [16]

In March 2021, Yeovil United merged with men's club Bridgwater Town, forming Bridgwater United. [17] In January 2023, Yeovil Town W.F.C. was then re-formed. [18] [19]

In April 2023, following a 4–0 defeat at London Bees, Bridgwater United Women were relegated from the Southern Premier Division of the FA Women's National League.

Players

Current squad

As of 17 January 2022.

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
2 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Tia Asker
4 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Amy Goddard
5 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Holly Chandler
6 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Bow Jackson
7 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Laura Holden
8 MF Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  WAL Georgia Evans
9 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Chloe Gilroy
10 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Jenna Markham
11 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Meesha Dudley-Jones
12 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Emily Wilson-White
13 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Jasmine Read
15 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Charlotte Buxton
No.Pos.NationPlayer
16 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Ellie Strippel
17 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Sydney Hinchcliffe
18 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Ellie-Mae Bell
19 DF Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  WAL Ffion Llewellyn
21 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Keeley Banfield
22 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Daisy Ackerman

Former players

Backroom staff

Management

PositionStaff
Head Coach Flag of England.svg Kevin Braybrook
Head of Youth Flag of England.svg Rob Liddiard
Goalkeeping Coach Flag of England.svg Tony Rich
Sports Therapist Flag of England.svg Paige Burrows
Sports Science Data Analyst Flag of England.svg Tom Vincent

Source: [ citation needed ]

Honours

FA WSL 2

South West Combination

Somerset FA Women's Senior Cup

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeovil Town F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Yeovil Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Yeovil in Somerset, England. The team compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They will play in the National League in the 2024–25 season after gaining promotion in the 2023–24 season. The club's home ground is Huish Park, built in 1990 on the site of an old army camp. That stadium is named after their former home, Huish, known for its pitch, which had an 8 feet (2.4 m) sideline to sideline slope. The club's nickname "the Glovers" is a reference to the history of glove-making in the town of Yeovil, which became a centre of the industry during the 18th and 19th centuries.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's football in England</span> Historical summary of womens football in England

Women's football has been played in England for over a century, sharing a common history with the men's game in the country in which the Laws of the Game were codified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgwater United F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Bridgwater United Football Club is a football club based in Bridgwater, Somerset, England. Affiliated to the Somerset County FA, they are currently members of the Western League Premier Division and play at Fairfax Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunderland A.F.C. Women</span> Football club

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol City W.F.C.</span> English womens association football team

Bristol City Women's Football Club is a women's association football team from the city of Bristol. Formed in 1998 as Bristol Rovers W.F.C., they were renamed Bristol Academy W.F.C. in 2005 following the withdraw of support from Bristol Rovers and increased involvement and academy development from Bristol Academy of Sport, part of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. A second change of name, this time to Bristol City was approved by the FA Women's Football Board in time for the 2016 WSL season. With their home games relocating from SGS College’s Stoke Gifford Stadium to the Robins High Performance Centre and now Ashton Gate Stadium. Bristol City Women won promotion to the FA Women's Super League (WSL), the highest level of the women's game in England in 2016 and stayed there for five seasons before being relegated to the FA Women's Championship in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Ham United F.C. Women</span> Football club

West Ham United Women Football Club is an English women's football club affiliated with West Ham United. The club plays in the Women's Super League, the top tier of English women's football. They were formed in 1991 and play home games at Dagenham & Redbridge's Chigwell Construction Stadium on Victoria Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corinne Yorston</span> English footballer

Corinne Louise Yorston is an English international footballer who plays as a defender for Keynsham Town. Although primarily a left-back, who won most of her England caps playing in central defence, she has also played as a midfielder at club level. She has also previously represented English Universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Nobbs</span> English footballer

Jordan Nobbs is an English professional footballer who plays for Women's Super League club Aston Villa. She previously played for Sunderland and Arsenal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FA Women's League Cup</span> English womens football competition

The FA Women's League Cup is a league cup competition in English women's association football. The competition was originally open to the eight teams in the FA WSL, but since the WSL's restructuring to two divisions, it has featured 23 teams. Prior to this it was known as the FA WSL Cup. The sponsor Continental AG was announced on 19 August 2011, meaning that for sponsorship reasons the competition is referred to as the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading F.C. Women</span> Football club

Reading Football Club Women is an English women's football club affiliated with Reading FC. The Club plays in the Women's Championship, the second tier 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women</span> Football club

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Women, commonly referred to as Tottenham or Spurs, is an English women's football club affiliated with Tottenham Hotspur. The club currently plays in the Women's Super League (WSL), the top flight of women's football in England. The club gained promotion for the WSL after finishing second in the 2018–19 FA Women's Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham W.F.C.</span> Football club

Durham Women Football Club is a women's football club based in Durham, Northern England. The team has competed in the FA Women's Championship, the second tier of Women's football in England, since 2014 having been awarded a licence in its inaugural season. They play their home games at Maiden Castle, part of Durham University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Super League</span> Association football league in England

The Women's Super League (WSL), known as the Barclays Women's Super League (BWSL) for sponsorship reasons, is the highest league of women's football in England. Established in 2010, it is run by the Football Association and features twelve fully professional teams.

The 2015–16 season of the FA Women's Premier League is the 24th season of the competition, which began in 1992. Formerly the top flight of women's football in England, this season it sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the two divisions of the FA Women's Super League and above the eight regional football leagues.

The 2017 season was Yeovil Town Ladies Football Club's 27th season of competitive football and its first season in the FA WSL 1, at the top level of English women's football, after promotion from the FA WSL 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 FA WSL</span> Eighth season of the top English womens association football league

The 2018–19 FA WSL was the eighth edition of the FA Women's Super League (WSL) since it was formed in 2010. It was the first season after a rebranding of the four highest levels in English women's football. The previous FA WSL 2 became the Championship – eleven clubs competed in the 2018–19 FA Women's Championship.

The 2021–22 Western Football League season was the 120th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.

The 2021–22 FA Women's National League was the 30th season of the competition, and the fourth since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Starting in 1991, it was previously known as the FA Women's Premier League. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the FA Women's Championship and above the eight regional football leagues.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Yeovil Town Ladies Club History". Yeovil Town Ladies F.C. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Glovers ladies hit record score". BBC Sport. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  3. "Manchester City to compete in WSL top tier after restructure". BBC Sport. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  4. "WSL 2: London Bees 0–2 Yeovil Town Ladies". BBC Sport. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  5. "Congratulations to Yeovil Town Ladies Football Club". South Somerset Gov.
  6. "Women's Super League to switch to winter season in 2017 - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
  7. "FA announces decision on club licensing applications". www.fawsl.com.
  8. "Confirmation of clubs in 2018-19 FA Women's Super League". www.fawsl.com.
  9. "Yeovil Town Ladies: Women's Super League side to go into administration". BBC. 28 March 2019.
  10. "Yeovil Town Ladies: Championship licence denied and club to go down two tiers". BBC. 17 May 2019.
  11. Evans, Daniel (5 June 2019). "How to help Yeovil Town Ladies bounce back from double relegation". somersetlive.
  12. "Adam Murry excited for new challenge at Yeovil, a decade on from helping rescue Cherries". Bournemouth Echo. 5 July 2019.
  13. "Jamie Sherwood appointed first team manager". Twitter. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  14. Association, The Football. "Update on non-league, women's & grassroots football seasons amid COVID-19 outbreak". www.thefa.com.
  15. "National Leagues and grassroots to halt". BBC Sport.
  16. "The club are excited to announce an important update". Yeovil Town Women FC. 16 September 2020.
  17. "Yeovil United To Merge With Bridgwater Town To Form Bridgwater United FC". Since 71. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  18. "Yeovil Town Women's Football Club announced". Yeovil Town Football Club. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  19. Leaman, Tom (3 January 2023). "Women's and girls' football returns to Yeovil Town with community-based mantra". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 14 January 2024.

51°7′54.682″N2°59′21.739″W / 51.13185611°N 2.98937194°W / 51.13185611; -2.98937194