Southampton F.C. Women
Full nameSouthampton Football Club Women
Nickname(s)The Saints
Founded2017 (2017)[1]
GroundSt Mary's Stadium
Capacity32,384[2]
OwnerSport Republic[3]
ChairmanHenrik Kraft
ManagerMarieanne Spacey-Cale, MBE
LeagueWomen's Championship
2022–23Women's Championship, 6th of 12
WebsiteClub website

Southampton Football Club Women is an English women's football club affiliated with Southampton FC. Based in Southampton, the club plays in the FA Women's Championship in the 2023–24 season after winning promotion from the FA Women's National League South in 2022.

History

Other clubs

In 1970, Southampton Women's F.C. was formed by female fans of the men's Southampton F.C., but the two clubs were unaffiliated. Southampton Women's F.C. went on to great success in England, winning the WFA Cup (Women's FA Cup) eight times.

Another team, Southampton Saints Girls & Ladies F.C. were formed in 1979 as Red Star FC, who were founder members of the WFA Women's National League in 1991. The club adopted the name Southampton Saints Girls & Ladies on affiliating to Southampton F.C. in 1995, and was absorbed by Southampton F.C. in 2001. The club had financial difficulties in 2005; the men's senior side were relegated from the Premier League after 27 years of top-flight football, and Southampton F.C. withdrew support for the female side. Southampton Saints Girls & Ladies continued without major club support for another 14 years, before announcing their demise due to financial difficulties in July 2019.[4]

Revival

By 2016 Southampton FC, under new ownership, saw the need for a competitive senior women's team as the profile of women's football in the UK grew. With the club's Regional Talent Centre, a Southampton Under-16 team was formed,[5] and an Under-21 side in May 2017.[6] The club formed an adult women's side for the 2017–18 season and were admitted to the Hampshire Women’s League Division 1.[7] In March 2018, Southampton unsuccessfully applied to enter the FA Women's Championship (Tier 2).[8][9]

In June 2018, after winning the Hampshire Women's League Division 1, the senior team was listed for the following season's Southern Region Women's Football League First Division South.[10] In July 2018, the club appointed former England international Marieanne Spacey-Cale as head of Women's and Girls' Football.[11] Spacey-Cale has 91 senior England caps.

In the 2018–19 season, the club in fact played in the Southern Region Premier Division, and won the title with a perfect record of 18 wins,[12] earning promotion to the FA Women's National League Division One. They also beat Oxford City Women in the League Cup, achieving a domestic Double.[13]

In both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, the club were top of the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South West at the point when the season was curtailed due to the coronavirus outbreak.[14][15]

The club applied for, and were granted, upward club movement in the summer of 2021, being placed in the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division for the 2021–22 season.[16]

In the 2021–22 season, the club won the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division to earn a chance to get promoted to the second-tier by beating the FA WNL Northern Premier Division champions in a play-off.[17] On 21 May 2022, Southampton earned a first ever promotion to the FA Women's Championship by defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 in the play-off.[18]

Womens Championship

Following promotion to the FA Women's Championship, the club announced they would turn professional and play all of their home games at St Mary's.[19][20] After a 0–1 defeat to Sheffield United in the final game of the season, the club finished in sixth place in the league.[21]

Squad

As of 3 September 2023[22][23]

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 England ENG Kayla Rendell
2 DF England ENG Ella Morris
3 DF England ENG Milly Mott
4 MF England ENG Lucia Kendall
5 DF England ENG Rosanna Parnell (captain)
6 DF Northern Ireland NIR Laura Rafferty
7 MF England ENG Lexi Lloyd-Smith
8 MF Scotland SCO Chloe Peplow
9 FW England ENG Katie Wilkinson
10 FW England ENG Rianna Dean
11 MF Wales WAL Megan Wynne
No. Pos. Nation Player
12 FW England ENG Sophia Pharoah
14 MF England ENG Molly Pike
16 FW England ENG Emma Thompson
17 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Emily Kraft
18 DF England ENG Izzy Milne
19 MF Wales WAL Alice Griffiths
20 FW Jamaica JAM Atlanta Primus
21 DF England ENG Jemma Purfield
22 GK England ENG Bethany-May Howard
23 DF England ENG Megan Collett
24 DF England ENG Paige Peake

    Coaching Staff

    Position Staff
    First-Team Manager England Marieanne Spacey-Cale
    First Team Assistant Manager England Lauren Phillips

    Youth Development

    Southampton F.C. are well known for their youth development and scouting programmes.[24] The club run a female-specific development programme, spanning talent clubs, summer camps, and the FA-approved Premier League Girls' Football Programme. In May 2017 the club announced the formation of a dedicated U-21 women's squad to complement their coaching programme and provide a feeder route into the women's first team.[6]

    Honours

    Hampshire Women’s Football League Division 1
    • Champions (2017–18)
    Southern Region Women's Football League Cup
    • Champions (2018–19)
    Southern Region Women's Football League Premier Division
    • Champions (2018–19)[12]
    Hampshire FA Women's Challenge Cup
    Runners up (2021)
    • Withdrew from Final due to fixture congestion (2022)
    FA Women's National League South Southern Premier Division
    • Champions (2021–22)
    FA Women's National League Cup
    • Champions (2021–22)
    FA Women's Championship Playoff
    • Champions (2021–22)

    References

    1. ↑ "Hampshire Women's Football League".
    2. ↑ "Premier League Handbook 2020/21" (PDF). Premier League. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
    3. ↑ "Serb mogul completes Saints takeover". BBC Sport. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    4. ↑ Garry, Tom (4 January 2020). "Women's FA Cup third round: Southampton's eight-time winners among sides bidding to join WSL giants". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
    5. ↑ "International recognition for Saints' girls". Southampton FC. 11 October 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022.
    6. 1 2 "Saints announce new under-21 women's team". Southampton FC. 16 May 2017. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    7. ↑ "Hampshire Women's Football League". The FA. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    8. ↑ Garry, Tom (23 March 2018). "Southampton apply to join Women's Championship". BBC Sport.
    9. ↑ Walker, Marc (28 May 2018). "Southampton: Saints' application for Women's Championship team denied". Saints Marching. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    10. ↑ Canning, Tom (19 June 2018). "2018/19 Southern Region Women's League constitutions confirmed". Football in Berkshire. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    11. ↑ "Saints appoint Marieanne Spacey-Cale MBE". Southampton FC. 16 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    12. 1 2 "Southern Region Women's Football League". The FA. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    13. ↑ "Saints complete domestic double!". Southampton FC. 19 May 2019. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    14. ↑ "FA Women's National League season ends amid coronavirus pandemic". The Offside Rule. 27 March 2020.
    15. ↑ "FA Women's National League". The FA. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    16. ↑ "Southampton FC Women granted promotion". Southampton FC. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    17. ↑ "Saints Women crowned league champions". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
    18. ↑ Downey, Sophie (21 May 2022). "Southampton Women win promotion to second tier after victory against Wolves". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
    19. ↑ Tanner, Jack (25 May 2022). "Southampton FC Women turn full-time after promotion to FA Women's Championship". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    20. ↑ Tanswell, Jacob (19 August 2022). "Southampton Women FC – from rebirth to Championship in six years". The Athletic. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    21. ↑ "Women's Report: Saints 0-1 Sheffield United". Southampton FC. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    22. ↑ "First team". Southampton F.C.
    23. ↑ "Squad numbers confirmed for 2019/20". Southampton F.C. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
    24. ↑ Hytner, David (22 July 2019). "Southampton continue to invest in youth after Gao Jisheng's reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
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