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.
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| Full name | Brighton & Hove Albion Women Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Seagulls, The Albion | |||
| Founded | 1967 as Brighton GPO | |||
| Ground | Broadfield Stadium, Crawley | |||
| Capacity | 6,135 | |||
| Manager | Dario Vidošić | |||
| League | Women's Super League | |||
| 2023–24 | WSL, 9th of 12 | |||
| Website | https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/women/ | |||
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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]
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
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Marrs |  England |
11 June 2014 | 22 April 2016 | [8][9] |
| George Parris (interim) | England |
23 April 2016 | 18 July 2017 | [9][10] |
| Hope Powell | England |
19 July 2017 | 31 October 2022 | [11] |
| Amy Merricks (interim) | England |
31 October 2022 | 28 December 2022 | |
| Jens Scheuer |  Germany |
28 December 2022 | 6 March 2023 | [12] |
| Amy Merricks (interim) | England |
6 March 2023 | 7 April 2023 | [13] |
| Melissa Phillips |  United States |
7 April 2023 | 1 February 2024 | [14][15][16] |
| Mikey Harris (interim) | England |
1 February 2024 | 18 May 2024 | [17] |
| Dario Vidošić |  Australia |
10 July 2024 | Present | [18] |
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
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Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dario Vidošić |
| Assistant coach | Chris Roberts |
| Goalkeeping coach | Nikita Runnacles |
| Managing director | Zoe Johnson |
| Recruitment manager | Edward Gallagher |
| Physiotherapist | Lisa Walsh |
| Lead analyst | Edward Filmer |
| Club doctor | Timothy Buck |
| Kit manager | Maurice Bane |
See also
References
External links
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