Watford F.C. Women

Last updated

Watford
Watford.svg
Full nameWatford Football Club Women
Nickname(s)The Golden Girls
Founded2014;10 years ago (2014)
Ground Grosvenor Vale
Capacity4,085
ManagerRenée Hector
League FA Women's National League South
2023–24 Women's Championship, 12th of 12 (relegated)
Website Club website

Watford F.C. Women are an English women's football club affiliated to Watford F.C. The club compete in the FA Women's National League South, with their home games played at Grosvenor Vale.

Contents

Watford played in the Women's Championship from the league's inception in 2014, after finishing runners-up in the FA Women's Premier League in 2013, until 2018–19. The club played in the third tier of the pyramid, the FA Women's National League South, from 2018–19 to 2020–21, before they were promoted back to the Women's Championship. They returned to the FA Women's National League following relegation in the 2021-22 season, before being promoted again to the Women's Championship at the end of the 2022-23 season. [1]

History

Back in 2013 the Hornets finished second in the FA Women's Premier League. On the pitch success was matched off the pitch as the club's application for a license to compete in the newly formed Women's Super League 2 was accepted.

The inaugural season got underway in April 2014, and the first game for Watford resulted in a 2–2 draw against Millwall Lionesses, with 330 in attendance. Impressive form away from home meant that Watford were in third place as the season approached the half-way point; however, some misfortune with injuries meant this form couldn't be maintained, and the club finished seventh.

The follow-up season ultimately proved to be a difficult one in terms of results, but there was success in other avenues. Watford's opening home league game against Aston Villa was held at Vicarage Road and attracted a fantastic crowd of 1,102. It wasn't the only impressive attendance of the season, as respective crowds of 465 (v Yeovil) and 514 (v Durham) saw the team play at Berkhamsted FC.

The team line up against MK Dons in 2020 Milton Keynes Dons FC Women line up against Watford FC Ladies.jpg
The team line up against MK Dons in 2020

Having taken over the managerial position in the 2011–12 season and the general manager role for the start of the WSL, John Salomon had plenty to do with the upward trajectory at the Hornets. He stepped down from both roles at the end of the season to begin a new role with the FA. It meant there were two positions to fill. Ellie Kemp came on board as general manager, while Katie Rowson took on the position of head coach.

The third season again proved to be a difficult one on the field, but back-to-back home wins were recorded against Everton and Oxford United. Most importantly it was a campaign where Watford Ladies came under the umbrella of Watford FC for the first time, with the men's set-up giving plenty of support. One of the big changes was the club moving away from the grassroots set-up and Watford Ladies Youth.

With the WSL transitioning from a summer league to a winter league, it meant a mini nine-game season took place at the beginning of 2017. It was a much better time on the pitch, as the Golden Girls led by new head coach Keith Boanas earned eight points in a five-game period, more than they had earned in the entirety of either 2015 or 2016.

Watford also moved to a new home ground, with Kings Langley becoming the home of the Hornets, a partnership that continues to be fruitful for both to this day. Ed Henderson had helped stabilise the club during the Spring Series, having taken over as interim general manager. His work continued in the summer as he secured several new sponsorships and continued to build the profile of Watford, with 823 turning up for the game against Arsenal. It was another challenging season, however there were plenty of bright spots in the second half of 17–18. Armand Kavaja and Clinton Lancaster were put in charge and handed a number of young players their opportunities in the first-team fold. The coaching staff had played a big role in developing the players and performances were much-improved towards the end, with a 2–1 win at Oxford United the highlight.

The new make-up of the Women's football pyramid was confirmed on 28 May 2018 and despite a strong application, Watford were put in the FA Women's National League (Tier 3) rather than the FA Women's Championship (Tier 2).

In September 2019, Clinton Lancaster took the position of head coach, with Kavaja taking up an assistant role. [2] The Golden Girls were on-track for potential promotion when the 2019–20 season was declared null and void due to the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. [3]

The name 'Watford FC Women' replaced the name 'Watford FC Ladies' in August 2020, with the club saying the new name was "representative of a modern view on language and equality and is in keeping with the way our governing bodies, supporters, squad and management regard the women's game". [4]

In the 2020–21 season, Watford were promoted back into the second tier after a three season absence, due to The FA approving the club’s application for upward movement. [5]

In the middle of 2022 Watford F.C. Women agreed to play the upcoming season at Grosvenor Vale the home of Wealdstone F.C. [6] and on 1 July they signed striker Bianca Baptiste from Crystal Palace to join them for their 2022/2023 season. [7]

Players

Current squad

As of 17 September 2024.

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 Ireland.svg  IRL Maria O'Sullivan
3 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Ellie Bishop
4 MF Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  WAL Anna Filbey
5 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Anne Meiwald
6 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Sophie McLean
7 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Gemma Davison
8 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Lachante Paul
9 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Madison Perry
10 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Annie Rossiter
11 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Elkie Bowyer
12 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Ellie Head
13 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Jacqui Goldsmid
14 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Maia Lazaro
No.Pos.NationPlayer
15 MF Flag of Cyprus.svg  CYP Andria Georgiou
16 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Clarabella Hall
17 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Megan Chandler
18 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Poppy Wilson
19 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Daisy Hind
20 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Kalani Peart
21 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Flo Fyfe
22 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Jade Bradley
23 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Coral-Jade Haines
24 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Jessie Gale
25 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Melis Mehmet
26 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Lily Whitelock

Former players

Club officials and support staff

PositionName
Secretary Football Flag of Indonesia.svg Muhammad Yusuf Chatyawan
Head of Women's Football Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Helen Ward
First Team Head Coach Flag of England.svg Renée Hector
First-team coach Flag of England.svg Laura Dyer
First-team coach Flag of Cyprus.svg Spyros Mylordos
Goalkeeping coach Flag of England.svg Sophie Harris

Honours

League

Cup


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References

  1. "Women: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Watford". www.watfordfc.com.
  2. "Staff Profiles: Clinton Lancaster". watfordfc.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  3. "Statement: Ladies Season Ends With Immediate Effect".
  4. "Statement: Watford FC Women Name Change". watfordfc.com. 17 August 2020.
  5. "Women: Promotion To Championship Confirmed!". watfordfc.com. 2 June 2021.
  6. "Watford Women to play at the Vale". 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  7. "Women: Bianca Baptiste Signs". Watford FC. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  8. "Women: Fatuga-Dada Reflects On 100 Appearances For Watford". Watford FC. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  9. "Nottingham Forest seal FA WNL Cup victory". Football Association. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.