Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C.

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Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion logo.svg
Full nameBrighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club
Nickname(s)The Seagulls,
The Albion
Founded1967;57 years ago (1967) as Brighton GPO
Ground Broadfield Stadium, Crawley
Capacity6,135
ManagerMikey Harris (interim)
League Women's Super League
2022–23 WSL, 11th of 12
Website Club website
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

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.

Contents

History

The club was originally founded in 1967 as Brighton GPO. This team was created by workers at the Post Office's telephone exchange. They were one of the founding six members of the Sussex Martlet Women's League in 1969 - which has now transitioned into the South East Counties Women's Football League, and in that same year, the Women's Football Association was founded. [1]

The club reached the semi-final of the FA Women's Cup in 1975–76. [2] 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 the club sold the ground, the club played three matches at the Goldstone Ground, the old home of Brighton's men's side, against Milton Keynes, Horsham and Whitehawk. [3]

Brighton & Hove Albion with the Sussex County Cup in March 2012 Brightonandhovealbionwomen2012.jpg
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. [4] 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. [5] Following the play-off victory, their promotion to the FA WSL 2 was confirmed. [6]

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. [7]

Women's Super League (2018–present)

Albion's first season in the 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 pandemic, 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 run that saw them win six of their last nine matches. That included a 2–1 victory over Chelsea, that ended their 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

NameNationalityFromToRef.
James MarrsFlag of England.svg England11 June 201422 April 2016 [8] [9]
George Parris (interim)Flag of England.svg England23 April 201618 July 2017 [9] [10]
Hope Powell Flag of England.svg England19 July 201731 October 2022 [11]
Amy Merricks (interim)Flag of England.svg England31 October 202228 December 2022
Jens Scheuer  [ de ]Flag of Germany.svg Germany28 December 20226 March 2023 [12]
Amy Merricks (interim)Flag of England.svg England6 March 20237 April 2023 [13]
Melissa Phillips Flag of the United States.svg United States7 April 20231 February 2024 [14] [15] [16]
Mikey Harris (interim)Flag of England.svg England1 February 2024Present [17]

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 London Bees v Brighton & Hove Albion WFC, 18 April 2018 (02).jpg
Brighton & Hove Albion team in April 2018

Current squad

As of 31 January 2024

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 Norway.svg  NOR Maria Thorisdottir
3 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Poppy Pattinson
5 DF Flag of Norway.svg  NOR Guro Bergsvand
6 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Vicky Losada (captain)
7 MF Flag of Greece.svg  GRE Veatriki Sarri
8 FW Flag of Germany.svg  GER Pauline Bremer
9 FW Flag of South Korea.svg  KOR Lee Geum-min
10 FW Flag of Sweden.svg  SWE Julia Zigiotti Olme
11 FW Flag of Norway.svg  NOR Elisabeth Terland
13 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Taylor Smith (on loan from Gotham FC)
14 DF Flag of Colombia.svg  COL Jorelyn Carabalí
16 DF Flag of Sweden.svg  SWE Emma Kullberg
No.Pos.NationPlayer
17 MF Flag of Portugal.svg  POR Tatiana Pinto
18 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Maisie Symonds
20 MF Flag of Serbia.svg  SRB Dejana Stefanović
21 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Madison Haley
22 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Katie Robinson
26 DF Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  CHN Li Mengwen
28 GK Flag of Germany.svg  GER Melina Loeck
32 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Sophie Baggaley
33 MF Flag of Australia (converted).svg  AUS Charlize Rule
40 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Katie Startup
45 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Lily Dent

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.NationPlayer
12 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Libby Bance (at Rangers until 30 June 2024)
23 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Lulu Jarvis (at Reading until 30 June 2024)

Coaching staff

PositionName
Head coach (caretaker)Mikey Harris
Assistant coachesPerry Northeast
Owen Fisher (interim)
Goalkeeping coachNikita Runnacles
Managing directorZoe Johnson
Recruitment managerEdward Gallagher
PhysiotherapistLisa Walsh
Lead analystEdward Filmer
Club doctorTimothy Buck
Kit managerMaurice Bane

See also

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The 2019–20 Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. season was the club's 29th season in existence and their second in the FA Women's Super League, the highest level of the football pyramid. Along with competing in the WSL, the club also contested two domestic cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup.

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References

  1. ↑ "Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club". vavel.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Administrator: June Jaycocks". Women's Football Archive. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  3. ↑ Club, Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football. "Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club | Biography & Wiki | VAVEL International". VAVEL. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Brighton & Hove Albion WFC's five-year Champions League plan". BBC Sport. 30 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "NEWS Archives".
  6. ↑ "Brighton & Hove Albion Women promotion to Women's Super League approved". BBC News. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "ALBION ACHIEVE TIER ONE STATUS". BBC News. 2 June 2016. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  8. ↑ Dalton, Neville (11 June 2014). "Marrs leaves Gillingham for Brighton Super League challenge". Sent Her Forward. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Brighton dismiss women's manager James Marrs after disciplinary hearing". BBC Sport . BBC. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "George Parris to keep Brighton interim manager role for Spring Series". BBC Sport . BBC. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. ↑ "Jens Scheuer confirmed as new women's head coach". Brighton & Hove Albion FC. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Club statement: Jens Scheuer". Brighton & Hove Albion FC. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Albion Appoint Phillips". Brighton & Hove Albion FC. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  15. ↑ "Brighton appoint Melissa Phillips as head coach of Women's Super League side". 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "Phillips leaves head coach role". 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  17. ↑ "Phillips leaves head coach role". 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
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