Lions Gibraltar F.C.

Last updated

Lions Gibraltar
Lions Gibraltar F.C.png
Full nameLions Gibraltar Football Club
Short nameLions
Founded1966
Ground Victoria Stadium,
Winston Churchill Avenue Gibraltar
Capacity5,000
ChairmanMark Palmer
Manager David Wilson
League Gibraltar Football League
2023–24 10th
Website www.lionsgibraltarfc.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Lions Gibraltar is a professional football club in Gibraltar. They play in the country's top-level league, the Gibraltar Football League.

Contents

They were created by a merger of Gibraltar United F.C. and Lions FC in 2011. [1] Aside from their first team, they also run an intermediate (under-23) team, several youth teams, futsal teams and a women's team.

History

Lions Gibraltar was founded as Lions Football Club in 1966 when a group of friends decided to take up a team after the euphoria of England winning the 1966 World Cup, thus the three lions on its club badge. After a quiet 45-year history, the club merged with league giants Gibraltar United in 2011 to create a much stronger side.

Their time together saw the side consistently compete in the Gibraltar Premier Division, and the side continued this upon the GFA's admittance to UEFA in 2013. The 2013–14 season, their final season united with Gibraltar United, saw them narrowly avoid a relegation playoff with a 6th-place finish. After this, Gibraltar United joined the Gibraltar Second Division and Lions restructured, with English coach Jeff Wood appointed manager with ambitions to challenge the top sides and qualify for the UEFA Europa League. In February 2015 the club announced plans to become a feeder club with Premier League club Swansea City, although these plans eventually fell through.

However, after a disappointing season in which the club finished bottom of the league (avoiding relegation due to the league's expansion), the club announced in July 2015 that it was to be taken over by Hercules Sports Promotion, Ltd, headed by Andrew Flowers (who had previously attempted to purchase Leeds United in 2013). Significant investment by the new ownership meant that Lions would now become a semi-professional club with the aim of toppling Lincoln Red Imps' dominance. [2] The following season saw immediate improvement, with the club finishing 4th, however they remained significantly off the pace compared to the region's top two sides Lincoln Red Imps and Europa.

On 31 May, the board announced former national team coach David Wilson as their new manager for the 2016–17 season. However, after the collapse of the club owners' other companies left Lions' future uncertain, Wilson resigned before the beginning of the season to take over at FCB Magpies and the previous season's co-caretaker Rafael Bado was announced as manager. A season spent primarily in the bottom two ended in safety, however, after an upturn in form from the beginning of 2017 despite only winning one game in the first 4 months of the season.

On 28 January 2024, it was announced that Solihull Moors CEO Mark Palmer had purchased a controlling stake in the club, becoming owner and chairman. [3]

On 5th June 2024, Lions Gibraltar FC announced The Online Betting Guide, OLBG as their lead partner and front-of-shirt sponsor on a multi-year deal. [4]

Seasons (since UEFA acceptance)

SeasonDivisionLeague record Rock Cup
PWDLGFGAPtsPos
2013–14 Premier144282333146th Semi-final
2014–15 Premier21151594888th Quarter-final
2015–16 Premier27143104944454th Semi-final
2016–17 Premier2749141754218th Quarter-final
2017–18 Premier2765162763238th Second round
2018–19 Premier273024177799th Quarter-final
2019–20 National2044121333166th [a] Quarter-final
2020–21 National2044121333166th First round
2021–22 National1815121345811th Quarter-final
2022–23 GFL185492537198th First round
2023–24 GFL20341316501310th Quarter-final

Current squad

First team

As of 18 August 2024 [5]

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Poland.svg  POL Konrad Skuza
2 MF Flag of Germany.svg  GER Leon Volz
3 DF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Luke Bautista
4 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Connor Peters
5 DF Flag of Algeria.svg  ALG Adam Hamdi
6 DF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Shea Breakspear(captain)
7 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Kye Livingstone
8 MF Flag of Germany.svg  GER Nico Theisinger
9 FW Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Connor Flynn-Gillespie
10 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Ben Seaton
11 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Alan Parker
12 DF Flag of Austria.svg  AUT Milan Ziric
13 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Raynner Marques Silva
No.Pos.NationPlayer
14 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Mikael Ndjoli
15 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Mark Edzes
16 FW Flag of Lithuania.svg  LTU Edvinas Valatka
17 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Louis Parral
18 FW Flag of Germany.svg  GER Patrick Dulleck
19 DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Ross Gray(player-coach)
20 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Greyson Basso
21 DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Mel-Jose Brown
22 MF Flag of Germany.svg  GER Temilola Awoyale
23 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Evan Green
24 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Brian Perez
25 GK Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Jordan Perez
33 GK Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB John Paul Hernandez

Club staff

PositionName
Club Management
Head coach Flag of Scotland.svg David Wilson
Assistant coach Flag of Gibraltar.svg Peter Hyde
Head Physio Flag of Hungary.svg Kopi Godri
Sports Therapist Flag of Gibraltar.svg Luke Henshaw
Team delegate Flag of Spain.svg Ángel Luis Chozas
Board
Chairman
CEO		 Flag of England.svg Mark Palmer
Director Flag of England.svg James Pickering
Flag of England.svg Darryl Eales
Sporting Director Flag of England.svg Neale Marmon [6]
Club Secretary Flag of Gibraltar.svg Kadrian Bugeja
Head of Operations Flag of Gibraltar.svg Alex Grech
Head of Communications Flag of England.svg Sharon Millar
Head of Facilities Flag of Gibraltar.svg Daniel Buhagiar

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Season abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Related Research Articles

Gibraltar United F.C. was a football team from Gibraltar. Founded in 1943 in the midst of World War II, they play in the Gibraltar Football League's Premier Division. In 2011 Gibraltar United joined forces with fellow local club Lions Football Club, with the club's new name Lions Gibraltar FC who played in Gibraltar's Premier Division. In 2014 the club announced their reformation as an independent club and played in the Gibraltar Football League's second tier once again in the 2014–15 season, winning promotion as champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Red Imps F.C.</span> Football club in Gibraltar

Lincoln Red Imps Football Club is a professional football club from Gibraltar. They play in the Gibraltar Football League, and share Victoria Stadium with all other clubs in the territory. They are the country's record champion with 27 league titles, including fourteen consecutive titles between 2003 and 2016, and in 2014 were the first team to represent Gibraltar in the UEFA Champions League's qualifying stage. In August 2021, Lincoln became the first club from Gibraltar to ever reach the group stages of a European club competition after defeating the Latvian champions Riga FC in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

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

Glacis United Football Club is a professional football club from Gibraltar, founded in 1965 and a member of the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA). The club share the Victoria Stadium with all other teams in the territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Walker</span> Gibraltarian association football player

Liam Walker is a Gibraltarian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gibraltar Football League side St Joseph's and the Gibraltar national team.

The 2013–14 Gibraltar Premier Division is the 115th season of the national amateur football league in Gibraltar since its establishment - the highest level of football in Gibraltar. The league was expanded this season, and will be contested by eight clubs, a requirement for entry into UEFA competitions. The season began on October 7, 2013, with Glacis United defeating Lions Gibraltar 3–2. Lincoln are the defending league champions, having sealed their 11th successive title win in 2012–13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Europa F.C.</span> Association football club in Gibraltar

Europa FC is a professional football club from Gibraltar that competes in the Gibraltar National League. As other clubs in the territory, Europa FC currently shares the Victoria Stadium on Winston Churchill Avenue. The club also operates a women's team which competes in the Gibraltar Women's Football League.

The Gibraltar Women's Football League is the top level amateur women's football championship of Gibraltar. Due to the lack of resources available for women's football, the league has been contested by five teams since 2021, and the league is treated as a development competition. This status means that, as of the 2021 season, clubs are ineligible to enter the UEFA Women's Champions League.

Rafael Jesús Bado Blanco is a Spanish-Gibraltarian former footballer who plays for Tercera Andaluza Cádiz side AD Taraguilla, and formerly represented the Gibraltar national team, as a central midfielder. From 2016 to 2018 he served as player-manager of Lions Gibraltar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mons Calpe S.C.</span> Sports club in Gibraltar

Mons Calpe S.C. is a professional football and sporting club in Gibraltar. Founded in 2013, the club's first team competes in the Gibraltar Football League. Mons Calpe also has a U-23 squad, futsal teams and darts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F.C. Bruno's Magpies</span> Association football club in Gibraltar

Football Club Bruno's Magpies, also known as FCB Magpies, is a semi-professional football team from Gibraltar. They play in the Gibraltar Football League and the Rock Cup.

James Louis Bosio is a futsal coach and former professional footballer. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he was able to play at left-back or centre-back in a career that saw him play at Glacis United, Europa, Lincoln Red Imps and Gibraltar United, alongside loan spells in England with Ashford United and Canterbury City. Born in the Republic of Ireland, he earned 12 caps for the Gibraltar national team.

The 2015–16 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 117th season of the national amateur and semi-professional football league in Gibraltar since its establishment - the highest level of football in Gibraltar. The league was contested by ten clubs, expanded from eight clubs in the last two seasons, including all clubs from last season and two promoted clubs from 2014–15 Gibraltar Second Division. The winner of the Gibraltar Premier Division, Lincoln Red Imps was allocated a spot in Champions League qualification, and as they won the Rock Cup a spot in the Europa League was given to the runners-up Europa FC.

The 2016–17 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 118th season of the national amateur and semi-professional football league in Gibraltar since its establishment - the highest level of football in Gibraltar. The league was contested by ten clubs, the top eight clubs from last season and two promoted clubs from 2015–16 Gibraltar Second Division. Lincoln Red Imps were the reigning champions, sealing a record 22nd title last season. The season began on 21 September 2016 and ended on 22 May 2017. Europa won the title, ending Lincoln's 14 title run and winning their first title since 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Pusey</span> Gibraltarian footballer

Jason Lee Pusey is a Gibraltarian former footballer. Beginning his career in the famed youth set up at Atlético Madrid, Pusey has gone on to play in Spain and Gibraltar, as well as earning 4 caps for his national side. His final club was East Riding County League side South Cave United, with whom he played for the 2022–23 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Gibraltar Premier Division</span> Football league season

The 2017–18 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 119th season of the top-tier national football league in Gibraltar, as well as the fifth season since the Gibraltar Football Association joined UEFA in 2013. The league was contested by ten clubs. It began on 26 September 2017 and ended on 3 June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tjay De Barr</span> Gibraltar football player

Andre Tjay De Barr is a Gibraltarian professional footballer who plays for Gibraltar Football League club Lincoln Red Imps and the Gibraltar national football team as a forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 Gibraltar Premier Division</span> Football league season

The 2018–19 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 120th season of the top-tier state football league in Gibraltar, as well as the sixth season since the Gibraltar Football Association joined UEFA in 2013. The league was contested by ten clubs, and began on 13 August 2018.

Lions Gibraltar Football Club Women is an amateur football club in Gibraltar, currently playing in the Gibraltar Women's Football League. The club is affiliated to Lions Gibraltar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 Gibraltar Football League</span> Football league season

The 2022–23 Gibraltar Football League season is the fourth season of the Gibraltar Football League in Gibraltar, and the 124th season of football on the territory overall. The league is due to kick off in Autumn 2022. Lincoln Red Imps are the reigning champions, winning their second title in April 2022. Due to the league's fall down the UEFA coefficient rankings, this season only 2 teams will qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 Gibraltar Football League</span> Football league season

The 2024–25 Gibraltar Football League season is the sixth season of the Gibraltar Football League in Gibraltar, and the 126th season of football on the territory overall. Lincoln Red Imps are the reigning champions, winning their fourth successive title on the final day of the season with a late draw against title rivals St Joseph's. Due to the league's fall down the UEFA coefficient rankings, this season only 2 teams qualified for the UEFA Conference League.

References

  1. ↑ "Division Structure". footballgibraltar.wordpress.com. 2 October 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  2. ↑ LIONS GIBRALTAR TAKEOVER COMPLETE GibFootballTalk. 10 July 2015. Accessed 20 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Lions Gibraltar FC announce change of ownership Archived 29 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine Gibraltar Chronicle. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Lions Gibraltar x OLBG Sponsorship Announcement". OLBG . 20 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  5. ↑ Lions Gibraltar Squad Lions Gibraltar FC. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  6. ↑ BREAKING: New Sporting Director Appointed Archived 14 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine Lions Gibraltar FC. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.