Cliftonville Ladies
Full nameCliftonville Ladies
GroundSolitude, Belfast
Capacity8,000 (3,000 seated)
ManagerMartin Douglas
CoachJohn McGrady
LeagueWomen's Premiership
20221st
WebsiteClub website

Cliftonville Ladies Football Club is a women's association football club from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club is the women's team of Cliftonville, and plays in the Women's Premiership, the top tier women's football league of Irish League.

Cliftonville have won their first Irish League Women's Premiership title in 2022,[1][2] and made their debut in the UEFA Women's Champions League in the 2023–24 season.[3]

History

Background

On June 18, 1895, Cliftonville's home ground, Solitude, hosted a match between two sides formed by British Ladies' Football Club players, a game that has since been recognized as the first women’s association football match to take place in Ireland; four days later, on June 22, the British Ladies' played their second match in Belfast, taking on a local male selection.[4][5] Both games were considered a success,[4][5] and were credited to have helped future developments of women's football both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.[4]

2003–2022: From Cliftonville Girls to Cliftonville Ladies

Cliftonville Ladies initially played as Cliftonville Girls in the regional Greater Belfast League,[6] before joining the Women's Premier League, the top tier of Northern Irish women's football, in 2004.[7] Following their rebranding as Cliftonville Ladies,[8] the club became founding members of the Women's Premiership in 2016, as a result of the Northern Ireland Football League's decision to take over the running of the WPL.[9][10]

In August 2019, Cliftonville player Billie Simpson was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award for a goal she scored in a league match against Sion Swifts:[11][12] in the process, she became the second Northern Irish player to ever receive a nomination for the prize, following Matty Burrows in 2011, and the third all-Ireland player to do so, if Stephanie Roche is included in the count.[13]

In June 2022, six Cliftonville players, including national team captain Marissa Callaghan, were called-up to the 23-women Northern Irish senior squad that took part in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.[14][15]

2022–: First national title and professional status

On October 26 of the same year, the club won their first ever national title,[1][2] having won 15 of their 16 league matches throughout the season,[1] under head coach John McGrady.[2][16] As a result, they qualified for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time in their history.[3]

On March 1, 2023, Cliftonville became the first women's football team in the Irish League to announce professional contracts for their players since their introduction in December 2022,[17] having officially tied down twelve footballers.[17][18][19] However, they did not become the first club to register a professional player in Northern Ireland women's football, with Sion Swifts Ladies' Siobhan Higgins being the first player on a full-time contract to be registered on the Irish FA’s Comet system, instead.[20][21]

In June 2023, Cliftonville were one of the five football teams from the Irish League that took part in the inaugural edition of the All-Island Cup,[22][23] where they reached the final,[24][25] before finishing as runners-up following a defeat to Galway United.[26][27] During the same campaign, the club won their first Women’s County Antrim Cup in eight years,[28] while also lifting the Women’s Premiership League Cup.[29][30]

In September 2023, Cliftonville made their debut in the UEFA Women's Champions League against Benfica in the first qualifying round.[3][31] On 6 September, they suffered an 8–1 away defeat to the Portuguese side: however, Caitlin McGuinness scored the club's first goal ever in a European competition in the process.[32][33]

Players

Current squad

As of 28 April 2023[34]

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 Northern Ireland NIR Rachael Norney
2 DF Northern Ireland NIR Yasmin White
3 DF Northern Ireland NIR Kelsie Burrows
4 DF Northern Ireland NIR Megan Moran
5 DF Northern Ireland NIR Fi Morgan
6 DF Northern Ireland NIR Toni Leigh Finnegan
7 FW Northern Ireland NIR Danielle Maxwell
8 MF Northern Ireland NIR Louise McDaniel
9 FW Northern Ireland NIR Caitlin McGuinness
10 MF Northern Ireland NIR Erin Montgomery
11 FW Northern Ireland NIR Kirsty McGuinness
12 GK Northern Ireland NIR Lauren Welsh
14 DF Northern Ireland NIR Shona Davis
15 DF Northern Ireland NIR Grace McKimm
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 FW Northern Ireland NIR Tara Reilly
17 MF Northern Ireland NIR Marissa Callaghan
18 DF Northern Ireland NIR Abbie McHenry
21 MF Northern Ireland NIR Vicky Carleton
22 DF Northern Ireland NIR Chelsea Irvine
23 DF Northern Ireland NIR Natasha Wilton
24 GK Northern Ireland NIR Shauna Murphy
25 MF Northern Ireland NIR Kayla Campbell
26 DF Northern Ireland NIR Hollie Mailey
27 DF Northern Ireland NIR Cerys Madden
28 FW Northern Ireland NIR Megan Copeland
30 DF Northern Ireland NIR Rachel McKnight
33 DF Northern Ireland NIR Abbie Magee

European record

UEFA Women's Champions League

Honours

Senior

Winners (1): 2022[1][2]
Runners-up (2): 2016, 2021[35]
Winners (1): 2015[36]
Winners (1): 2023[29][30]
  • Women’s County Antrim Cup
Winners (2): 2015, 2023[28]
Runners-up (1): 2023[26][27]

Youth sector

The youth sector of Cliftonville Ladies includes several ranks, with teams competing at under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-19 level.[37] The club's under-19 team, Cliftonville Corinthians,[37][38] plays in the Electric Ireland Women's Academy League, formed and hosted by the Northern Ireland Football League, since its foundation in 2019.[39][40]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McKinley, Stuart (26 October 2022). "Cliftonville Ladies seal their place in history books with first ever Women's Premiership title success". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gray, Andy (26 October 2022). "Cliftonville win first Women's Premiership title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 McKendry, Adam (30 June 2023). "Cliftonville Ladies to face Portuguese giants in Champions League first round". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Gibbs, Stuart (3 June 2021). "When Women's Football Came to the Island". Studies in Arts and Humanities. 7 (1): 35–57. doi:10.18193/sah.v7i1.201. ISSN 2009-8278. S2CID 236287316. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 "It's Ladies first at Solitude". Cliftonville FC. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Armitage, Darryl (11 May 2003). "Women's Football: A terri good start". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Cliftonville Ladies". Northern Ireland Football League. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "NIFL are delighted to find a new home at Windsor Park". Belfast Telegraph. 5 March 2016. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "2016 DANSKE BANK WOMEN'S PREMIERSHIP LAUNCHED". Northern Ireland Football League. 14 April 2016. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Luney, Graham (14 April 2016). "Women's football in Northern Ireland is on rise". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "FIFA Puskás Award 2019 Nominees". FIFA.com. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Simpson nominated for world goal of year". BBC Sport. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  13. ↑ Omoigui, Nosa (20 August 2019). "Fifa Puskás Award 2019: breakdown of the 10-strong shortlist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "Northern Ireland UEFA Women's Euro squad announced". Irish FA. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  15. ↑ McKendry, Adam (27 June 2022). "Northern Ireland name squad for Euro 2022 as Marissa Callaghan set to captain side in England despite injury". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Grad expectations". Cliftonville FC. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Cliftonville Ladies: Twelve players sign professional contracts". BBC Sport. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  18. ↑ McKinley, Stuart (28 February 2023). "Cliftonville Ladies create history as 12 players sign professional deals". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "Contract thrillers". Cliftonville FC. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  20. ↑ McKinley, Stuart (3 March 2023). "Siobhan Higgins makes history as the first female professional footballer in NI". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  21. ↑ McCann, Lauren (19 April 2023). "Women's Premiership – club-by-club guide to season". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  22. ↑ Halligan, Fiona (18 May 2023). "Draw for inaugural All Island Cup has been made". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  23. ↑ McCann, Lauren (15 June 2023). "All-Island Cup: Everything you need to know about the new cross-border competition". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  24. ↑ "All-Island Cup: Cliftonville beat Cork City to reach final against Galway". BBC Sport. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  25. ↑ "REDS THROUGH TO ALL ISLAND DECIDER". Northern Ireland Football League. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Galway United win first edition of Avenir Sports All-Island Cup". RTÉ. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  27. 1 2 McKinley, Stuart (24 July 2023). "Cliftonville pipped by Galway United to all-island glory". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  28. 1 2 McKinley, Stuart (31 July 2023). "Cliftonville hit Crusaders for six in County Antrim decider to keep treble hopes alive". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  29. 1 2 "McGuinness hits hat-trick as Cliftonville win cup". BBC Sport. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  30. 1 2 McKinley, Stuart (31 August 2023). "Caitlin McGuinness fires Cliftonville to League Cup glory with stunning hat-trick against Sion Swifts". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "Champions: Irlandesas no caminho do Benfica (Futebol Feminino)". A Bola (in European Portuguese). 30 June 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "Reds hammered by Benfica in Champions League debut". BBC Sport. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  33. ↑ Casey, Shaun (6 September 2023). "Cliftonville ladies lose heavily Women's Champions League debut". The Irish News. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "LADIES SQUAD". Cliftonvillefc.net. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  35. ↑ "Women's Premiership: Glentoran retain title with home win over Cliftonville in thriller". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  36. ↑ "IFA Womens Cup 2015". Irish FA. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  37. 1 2 "Ladies first". Cliftonville FC. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  38. ↑ "Cliftonville Corinthians". Northern Ireland Football League. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  39. ↑ "New Women's Academy league aiming to help Northern Ireland's young talent reach international level". Belfast Telegraph. 29 May 2019. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  40. ↑ "Electric Ireland Women's Academy League ready for Friday kick-off". The Irish News. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
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