Originally founded in 2013 as Coventry City Ladies, the club merged with non-League football club Coventry United F.C. to form Coventry United Ladies Football Club in 2015.[1] Prior to the 2022–23 season, the club was renamed Coventry United Women Football Club. In June 2023, following the club's relegation from the Women's Championship, the second tier of women's domestic football in England, Coventry United F.C.'s association with the women's team was terminated and the club relocated from Coventry to Rugby and was given its present name, affiliating with Rugby Borough F.C.[2]
In addition to the first team squad, the club operates a reserve team as well as youth teams at a variety of levels including under-11, under-13, under-15, under-16 and under-18.
History
Coventry United Ladies logo, used prior to the 2022–23 season
After three consecutive runners-up finishes, Coventry won the Midland Combination again in 2010 – scoring 66 goals in 22 league games.[3]
The club played at Coventry University Sports and Conference Centre, Westwood Heath and at Coventry Sphinx FC, before moving to the Oval, Bedworth. In August 2014 the club announced a move to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry for the 2014–15 season.[4] Midway through the 2014–15 season, Coventry Ladies were forced out of the Ricoh Arena after the arrival of Wasps RFC to the Ricoh. They found themselves playing at the Bedworth Oval once again.[citation needed]
In July 2015 they merged with Coventry United and moved into the Butts Park Arena, home of Coventry R.F.C. where Coventry United play. April 2019 saw the side win the National League South, the third tier in the women's game, seeing them gain promotion to the FA Women's Championship. There followed two hard-fought seasons in 2019/20 and 2020/21 where the club established themselves in the FA Women's Championship with a 9th and 10th-place finish respectively.[citation needed]
In 2021 Steve Quinlan, Paul Marsh and Darren Langdon bought a 49% stake in the club.[5] The club announced plans to turn professional and are beginning their first season as a fully professional club in 2021/22. The club announced plans to liquidate on 23 December 2021 however the club never entered into liquidation.[6] The club's last fixture before the announcement on 23 December 2021 was a 1–0 home victory over fellow FA Women's Championship side, Watford.[7] With a formal deadline set for 4 January 2022, investors Angels Group, headed up by CEO Lewis Taylor, made a bid to acquire the club and clear the debts to ensure the club could complete the season.[8] The offer was accepted and the club was rescued although the FA handed down a 10 points deduction for triggering an insolvency event although the club did not officially enter liquidation.[9] Coventry United Women appealed the decision on various grounds, however the appeal was unsuccessful. With few games to play in the Women's Championship, the points deduction was the equivalent of a 21 points deduction in the Men's Champions due to the available points difference.
In February 2022 Jay Bradford managed her 150th game as manager of Coventry United.[10]
United managed to stay up in the FA Women's Championship, despite the 10 point deduction, thanks to a famous Mollie Green free kick in the 97th minute to beat and relegate Watford.
At the end of the 2021/22 season, Head Coach Jo Potter, left her role followed by Manager, Jay Bradford. On 1 July, Assistant Manager, Kate Rowson also left her post. During the closed season, Coventry United Women FC announced plans to run a hybrid model, supporting both part time and full time players in a bid to stabilise the club's finances and focus on off-field structure. With the Ukraine war ongoing, this affected the club owners ability to invest larger sums. Coupled with increasing costs within the club, it was decided to run a hybrid model for 12 months whist rebuilding and becoming a sustainable club. Plans are to return to a full time professional model by the 2023/24 season.
The club updated its name from Coventry United Ladies to Coventry United Women, ahead of the 2022/23 season.
In July 2022, the club announced a triple appointment in Jack Heaselden, General Manager, Lee Burch, Head Coach and Sian Osmond, Assistant Manager. These key appointments helped to lay the foundations behind the club's 'project rebirth', designed to professionalise the club from within.
Players
Current squad
As of 7 December 2023
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, England. The team currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive association football in England.
Nuneaton Borough Football Club was an English football club that was based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It withdrew from Southern League Premier Division Central on 18 January 2024 due to financial problems and faces liquidation.
The Coventry Building Society Arena is a complex in Coventry, England. It includes a 32,609-seater stadium which is currently home to football team, Championship club Coventry City F.C. along with facilities which include a 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft) exhibition hall, a hotel and a casino. The site is also home to Arena Park Shopping Centre, containing one of UK's largest Tesco Extra hypermarkets. Built on the site of the Foleshill gasworks, it is named after its sponsor, Coventry Building Society who entered into a ten-year sponsorship deal in 2021. For the 2012 Summer Olympics, where stadium naming sponsorship was forbidden, the stadium was known as the City of Coventry Stadium.
Bedworth United Football Club is a football club based in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands and play at the Oval.
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.
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.
Watford F.C. Women are an English women's football club affiliated to Watford F.C. The club play in the Women's Championship, the second tier of English women's football, with home games played at Grosvenor Vale.
William Emery Edjenguélé is an English footballer who plays for Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side Bedworth United, where he plays as a centre-back.
Derby County Women are an English women's football club affiliated with Derby County F.C. The first-team currently play in the FA Women's National League North Division.
Huddersfield Town Women Football Club is an English women's football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The team play their homes matches at the Stafflex Arena. They compete in the FA Women's National League North and are affiliated to the professional men's club Huddersfield Town. They were previously known as Huddersfield Town Ladies, but changed to Huddersfield Town Women in 2019.
The 2011–12 FA Women's Cup is the 41st season of the association football knockout competition. 276 clubs competed for the years trophy. The winners will not qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League. The current holders are now Birmingham City LFC. They beat Chelsea 3–2 in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw in the final at Ashton Gate.
Coventry United Football Club is an English association football club based in Coventry in the West Midlands. The team competes in the United Counties League Premier Division South, the 9th tier of English football, and is managed by Ellis Alleyne.
Middlesbrough Football Club Women is an English women's football club. Founded in 1976, they currently play in the FA Women's National League Division One North, with home games played at Bishopton Road West, Stockton.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club Women is an English women's football club affiliated with West Bromwich Albion F.C. The first team currently plays in the FA Women's National League North. In 2010–11, the then named Sporting Club Albion won the Midland Combination Women's Football League promoting them to the FA Women's Premier League.
The 2018–19 FA Women's National League is the 27th season of the competition, and the first since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Began in 1992, 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.
Rugby Borough Football Club is a football club based in Rugby, Warwickshire. They are currently members of the United Counties League Premier Division South and play at Kilsby Lane.
The 2020–21 FA Women's National League was the 29th season of the competition, and the third since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Starting in 1992, 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.
The 2021–22 FA Women's Championship was the fourth season of the rebranded FA Women's Championship, the second tier of women's football in England. It was renamed from the FA WSL 2 which was founded in 2014.
The 2022–23 Women's Championship season was the fifth season of the rebranded Women's Championship, the second tier of women's football in England.
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.
