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
Capacity5000
ChairmanMark Palmer
Manager David Wilson
League Gibraltar Football League
2023–24 10th
Website Official Website

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 [lower-alpha 1] 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

[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. 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
14 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Mikael Ndjoli
No.Pos.NationPlayer
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
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
— DF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Leon Payas
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Harvey Welch

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

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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.
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