Reading F.C. Women

Reading Football Club Women is an English women's football club affiliated with Reading FC. The Club plays in the Women's Super League, the top flight of English women's football. Reading F.C. Women previously played in the FA Women's Premier League National Division after being promoted from the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division, which they were relegated to at the end of the 2011–12 season. They had previously won promotion to the National Division from the Southern Division in 2009–10. They gained entry to an expanded FA WSL in 2014.[1]

Reading FC Women
Full nameReading Football Club Women
Nickname(s)The Royals, RFCW
Founded2006 (2006)
GroundMadejski Stadium (rebranded as the Select Car Leasing Stadium from 2021)
Capacity24,161
Director of football Kelly Chambers
First-team manager Kelly Chambers
LeagueFA WSL
2020–21FA WSL, 7th of 12
WebsiteClub website

History

Reading FC began an association with women's football when it affiliated with Reading Royals LFC (previously Twyford Comets) in 1988.

In May 2006, Reading ended this affiliation and started their own women's team, Reading FC Women.[2] In their first season they achieved a Southern Region Women's Football League and Cup double[3] and were promoted to the South West Combination Women's Football League. They followed this with an unbeaten 2007–08 League season to gain promotion to the Premier League Northern Division (in which they competed due to an overload at the Southern).

After finishing sixth in the Northern Division, Reading were transferred to the Southern Division for the 2009–10 season. In 2010 they won their last four games of the season to finish runners–up to Barnet and secure promotion to the FA Women's Premier League National Division.[4]

On 3 April 2011 Reading successfully defended the Berks and Bucks County Cup trophy, cruising past Milton Keynes Dons 3–0 in the final.[5]

Their first season in the FA Women's Premier League National Division (the second highest league, following the formation of the Women's Super League) saw Reading finish third.[6] In March 2012 Reading lost top goalscorer Nikki Watts to WSL club Bristol Academy.[7] They finished 9th in the National Division in the 2011–12 season, resulting in their relegation back to the Southern Division for 2012–13.

In 2012–13 Reading FC Women won the FA Premier League Southern Division by eight points and a goal difference of 41,[8] while both the first and reserve team retained the County Cup.[9]

Reading's top scorer in 2012–13, Fran Kirby, was rewarded for her campaign by being named as Player of the Season – as well as receiving a call up to play for Great Britain in the World University Games in Kazan, Russia. Striker Kirby surpassed the 30-goal mark this season and was also selected for an England under-23s Camp.[10]

Reading were granted a licence to play in the FA Women's Super League 2 from 2014.[9] They won the division in the 2015 season and were promoted to the FA WSL. On 10 December 2015 it was announced that Reading would play their home games at Adams Park, the home of Wycombe Wanderers FC, for the next two seasons.[11]

Reading finished the 2017–18 season in 4th place[12] and 5th in both 2018–19 and 2019–20, reaching the Semi-Final of the FA Women's Cup in 2018-19.[13]

Management

Reading F.C. Women Director of Women's and Girls' Football and First Team Manager is former captain of Reading F.C. Women, Kelly Chambers. Chambers took over from former manager Jayne Ludlow who stepped down to manage Wales. She is assisted by Head Coach Phil Cousins.

Players

Current squad
As of 28 April 2022[14]

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  IRL Grace Moloney
2 DF  ENG Faye Bryson
3 DF  SCO Emma Mitchell
4 MF  ENG Chloe Peplow
5 DF  WAL Gemma Evans
6 MF  CAN Deanne Rose
9 FW  NOR Amalie Eikeland
10 FW  ENG Natasha Dowie
11 MF  WAL Natasha Harding (captain)
12 MF  ENG Emma Harries
14 DF  ENG Deanna Cooper
21 GK  ENG Rhiannon Stewart
23 MF  WAL Rachel Rowe
27 MF  BEL Justine Vanhaevermaet
No. Pos. Nation Player
28 DF  WAL Lily Woodham
31 DF  WAL Bethan Roberts
32 DF  ENG Jemma Woodcock
33 MF  ENG Leila Lister
34 MF  ENG Ella Wild
35 DF  ENG Sophie Baigent
36 MF  ENG Taylor MacDonald
37 FW  ENG Tia Primmer
38 MF  ENG Freya Meadows-Tuson
39 MF  ENG Anne Thomann
40 MF  ENG Lois Joslyn
41 GK  ENG Hannah Poulter
51 MF  DEN Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen

Former players

For details of current and former players, see Category:Reading F.C. Women players.

Stadium

Reading FC Women currently play at the Madejski Stadium (rebranded as the Select Car Leasing Stadium from 2021), having moved to it before the 2020–21 FA WSL season.[15] Before then, they played at Rushmoor Community Stadium in Farnborough, Hampshire before moving to Adams Park in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, the home of League One men's club Wycombe Wanderers FC when they gained promotion to the FA WSL in 2015.[16][17]

Honours

References
  1. "Women's success celebrated".
  2. "Background of our women's team". readingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  3. "Women secure league & cup double". readingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  4. "Royals celebrate promotion to top flight!". readingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  5. "Home of the Royals!".
  6. "Home of the Royals!".
  7. "Vixens announce new signings". Bristol Academy WFC. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  8. "Women seal the title".
  9. "Women secure cup double".
  10. "Ladies in the limelight!".
  11. @wwfcofficial. "Reading FC Women come to Adams Park".
  12. "England - FA WSL (Women's Super League) 2017/18 Standings".
  13. "England - FA WSL (Women's Super League) 2018/19 Standings".
  14. "Reading FC | Women's First Team". www.readingfc.co.uk.
  15. "Reading Women: Top-flight side to move to Madejski Stadium". BBC Sport. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  16. "Reading Women to move to Adams Park". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  17. "Reading FC Women come to Adams Park - News - Wycombe Wanderers". www.wycombewanderers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
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