Aston Villa W.F.C.
Full nameAston Villa Women Football Club
Nickname(s)The Villans, The Villa, The Lions
Short nameVilla, AVWFC
Founded1973 (1973) (as Solihull FC)
GroundBescot Stadium, Walsall
Villa Park, Birmingham
Capacity11,000
OwnerV Sports
ChairmanNassef Sawiris
ManagerCarla Ward
LeagueWomen's Super League
2022–23WSL, 5th of 12
WebsiteClub website

Aston Villa Women Football Club is the women's football team of Aston Villa, currently playing in the Women's Super League.[1] The club has been in existence since 1973. Originally titled Solihull F.C., the team affiliated to Aston Villa in 1989, becoming Villa Aztecs, and became the official Aston Villa women's side in 1996. The club have a senior team, a reserve team and several other teams of younger age groups under a Regional Talent Club FA license.

History

Aston Villa Women Football Club was formed in 1973 as Solihull FC. When Aston Villa asked for help in forming a ladies team in 1989, Solihull responded. The club agreed to change their name in 1996 to become the officially recognised ladies team of Aston Villa.

As Villa Aztecs, they reached the 1995 League Cup Final but lost 2–0 to Wimbledon, and played in the 1995–96 FA Women's Premier League but were relegated.

The senior team, renamed to Aston Villa Ladies F.C., continued to play mainly in the 2nd-tier Northern Division. The club won promotion twice more and played in the FA Women's Premier League National Division in 1999–2000[2] and in 2003–04, but ended in the relegation zone in both seasons.

The Lady Villans won the Northern Division for the fourth time in 2011 and gained promotion to the WPL National Division,[3] which had become the 2nd tier below the FA WSL.

On 5 May 2013, the club had its greatest achievement by winning its first ever trophy, the Women's Premier League Cup, beating Leeds United Ladies 5–4 on penalties.[4]

In 2014 they were one of ten teams who were elected to WSL2,[5] and in 2018 to the Women's Championship.[6]

On 4 July 2019, the team was renamed Aston Villa Women F.C., CEO Christian Purslow, said that the name "aligns more appropriately with women’s football in this country".[7] On the same day, Chief Commercial Officer, Nicola Ibbetson, was elected to the FA WSL and Women's Championship board - making Aston Villa Women one of only two Championship clubs to have a representative on the board.[8]

In 2019–20, Villa won promotion to the WSL and entered the top flight of women's football for the first time since 2004. For the 2022-23 Women's Super League season the women played four of their eleven home matches at Villa Park, where the men's team play.

Players

First team squad

As of 24 August 2023.[9]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Netherlands NED Daphne van Domselaar
2 MF England ENG Sarah Mayling
4 DF England ENG Anna Patten
5 MF England ENG Lucy Staniforth
6 DF Scotland SCO Rachel Corsie (captain)
7 FW Switzerland SUI Alisha Lehmann
8 MF England ENG Jordan Nobbs
9 FW England ENG Rachel Daly (vice-captain)
10 MF France FRA Kenza Dali
13 GK England ENG Sophia Poor
14 DF England ENG Danielle Turner
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 DF England ENG Lucy Parker
16 DF England ENG Olivia McLoughlin
17 FW England ENG Ebony Salmon
18 FW England ENG Georgia Mullett
19 MF England ENG Laura Blindkilde
20 FW Scotland SCO Kirsty Hanson
21 GK New Zealand NZL Anna Leat
22 FW Northern Ireland NIR Simone Magill
23 FW Canada CAN Adriana Leon
26 DF Switzerland SUI Noelle Maritz
33 DF England ENG Maz Pacheco

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
11 MF England ENG Freya Gregory (on loan at Reading)
28 MF England ENG Alice Keitley (on dual-registration loan at Nottingham Forest)[10]

Former players

Honours

Nadine Hanssen (left) in Aston Villa's 2018 game at Lewes F.C. Women

Non-playing staff

Corporate hierarchy

Source:[11]
Position Name
Executive ChairmanNassef Sawiris
Co-chairmanWes Edens
President of Business Operations Chris Heck[12][13]
President of Football Operations Monchi[14]

Management hierarchy

Position Name
ManagerCarla Ward
Assistant managerLeanne Hall
First Team CoachLuke Tisdale[15]
Goalkeeper CoachTom Freeman
Director of FootballLee Billiard
Club DoctorJodie Blackadder-Weinstien
Lead PhysiotherapistLiam Collins

Regional Talent Club

The club also run several other teams under the auspices of an FA Tier Two Regional Talent Club. This centre aims to develop the talent from within the local area. The RTC teams include an under-10, under-12, under-14, under-16 and development squad

In August 2010, Aston Villa Women FC supplied eight players to a 30-strong England Under-17 training camp.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "2012/13 National Division table". FA. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "About Aston Villa Ladies football club". AVLFC. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
  3. ↑ "2010/11 Northern Division table". FA. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "2012/13 FA Women's Premier League Cup fixtures". FA. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "INTRODUCING ASTON VILLA LADIES". FA Women's Super League. Aston villa women's team have won 18 major trophies. The FA. Archived from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "Villa Secure Place in FA Women's Championship". Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  7. ↑ Styles, Greg (4 July 2019). "Aston Villa Ladies become Aston Villa Women ahead of new season". Aston Villa F.C. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "Aston Villa Ladies become Aston Villa Women ahead of new season". avfc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "Aston Villa Women's Team". Aston Villa FC. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Forest Women Complete the Signing of Alice Keitley". Nottingham Forest. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Who's who". Aston Villa F.C. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  12. ↑ "V Sports and Aston Villa announce Chris Heck appointment". Aston Villa Football Club. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  13. ↑ Evans, Gregg (12 June 2023). "Villa CEO Purslow leaves club". The Athletic. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  14. ↑ "Monchi appointed President of Football Operations". Aston Villa Football Club. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "Aston Villa Women appoint two coaches". Aston Villa Football Club. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  16. ↑ "Training camp squad selected". TheFA.com. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
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