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Stoke City F.C. Women

Full name	Stoke City Football Club Women
Nickname(s)	The Potters
Founded	2001
Ground	Community Drive Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent
Head Coach	Marie Hourihan
League	FA Women's National League North
2023–24	FA Women's National League North, 5th of 12
Website	https://www.stokecityfc.com/club/women
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Stoke City Football Club Women are an English women's association football club affiliated with Stoke City. They are currently members of the FA Women's National League North the third tier of women's football in England.

The club were formed in the summer of 2001 and had a successful first season in the West Midlands league Division One finishing third before gaining promotion to the Premier Division via the play-offs. Season 2008–09 saw the Ladies gain promotion into the Midland Combination League. A title-winning 2012–13 campaign saw the team gain promotion to the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division.

History

Early history

An early Stoke Ladies team was formed in 1921 by Len Bridgett, a director at Stoke. His side were generally referred as "Stoke United" and their games were mostly for charitable causes. They played against Dick, Kerr's Ladies from Preston twice in April 1921 in aid of the Royal Staffordshire Infirmary. However, in December 1921 the FA banned woman's football claiming it to be "unsuitable for females". Undeterred Bridgett arranged for his side to play in Barcelona against French side Les Sportives de Paris. They played two matches against Paris and won both. Their final match was against Dick Kerr's in Colne, on 22 September 1923.

Modern history

Stoke City Ladies were formed in 2001 and began playing in the West Midlands League Division One, the sixth tier of Woman's football in England. They finished in third position gaining promotion to the West Midlands League Premier Division. They spent the next seven season's in the fifth tier before winning the league title in 2008–09 after amassing 81 points scoring 95 goals and conceding only 14 in just 22 matches. They also won the Staffordshire County Cup four time in a row from 2009 to 2012. In March 2013 with the side well on top of the Midland Combination League the club decided to apply to join the expanding FA Woman's Super League, however their attempt was unsuccessful. They won their sixth County Cup by beating their reserve team 5–1 on 19 March 2013. They won the Midland Combination League title on 26 March 2013 beating Leafield Athletic 1–0.

The club re-branded in July 2019 dropping the "Ladies" sub-title becoming Stoke City F.C. Women. In March 2023 it was announced that the team are to turn semi-professional for the 2023–24 season. In July 2023, the team appointed Marie Hourihan as their first full-time head coach.

Honours

Leagues

• Midland Combination League champions: 2012–13
• West Midlands League Premier Division champions: 2008–09
• West Midlands League Division One third-place promotion: 2001–02

Cups

• Staffordshire County Cup: (14) 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23
• Midland Combination League Cup: 2012–13

League history

Source:

References

1. ^ "Stoke Ladies FC". Donmouth. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
2. "Ladies in bid to join big league". The Sentinel. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
3. "Stoke City Ladies win County Cup". The Sentinel. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
4. "Stoke City ladies on course for treble after winning league title". The Sentinel. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
5. "New Name For Club's Female Team". Stoke City. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
6. "Ricky Martin: Stoke City technical director says Potters women are to turn semi-pro". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
7. "Marie Hourihan appointed head coach of women's team". Stoke City. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
8. "Stoke City FC Women - League History & League Tables". Stoke City Ladies FC. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2020.

External links

• Official website

• Women's football clubs in England
• Association football clubs established in 2001
• Sport in Stoke-on-Trent
• 2001 establishments in England
• Stoke City F.C.
• FA Women's National League teams