Aston Villa Women Football Club is the women's football team of Aston Villa, currently playing in the English 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.

Aston Villa W.F.C.

Full name	Aston Villa Women Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Villans, The Villa, The Lions
Short name	Villa, AVWFC
Founded	1973; 49 years ago (1973) (as Solihull FC)
Ground	Bescot Stadium, Walsall Villa Park, Birmingham
Capacity	11,000
Owner	NSWE Group
Chairman	Nassef Sawiris
Manager	Carla Ward
League	Women's Super League
2021–22	FA WSL, 9th of 12
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

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 will play four of their eleven home matches at Villa Park, where the men's team play.

Players

Current squad

As of 9 August 2022.[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  ENG Hannah Hampton 2 MF  ENG Sarah Mayling 3 DF  ENG Meaghan Sargeant 4 MF  ENG Remi Allen 6 DF  SCO Rachel Corsie 7 FW  SUI Alisha Lehmann 8 FW  ENG Rachel Daly 9 FW  AUS Emily Gielnik 10 MF  FRA Kenza Dali 11 FW  ENG Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah 14 DF  ENG Danielle Turner

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF  ENG Anna Patten (on loan from Arsenal) 16 DF  ENG Olivia McLoughlin 17 FW  WAL Natasha Harding 18 MF  ENG Freya Gregory 19 MF  ENG Laura Blindkilde 20 FW  SCO Kirsty Hanson (on loan from Manchester United) 21 GK  NZL Anna Leat 22 FW  NIR Simone Magill 26 FW  ENG Isobel Goodwin 28 DF  ENG Evie Rabjohn 31 FW  IRL Ruesha Littlejohn 33 DF  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 5 DF  ENG Elisha N'Dow (on loan at Charlton Athletic until June 2023) 23 GK  ENG Sian Rogers (on loan at Charlton Athletic until June 2023) — FW  WAL Mary McAteer (on loan at Coventry United until June 2023)

Former players

Honours

• FA Women's Premier League (Northern Division) (Level 2)
  Winners (4): 1992–93, 1994–95, 2002–03, 2010–11
• FA Women's Premier League Cup
  Winners (1): 2012–13
• FA Women's Championship (Level 2)
  Winners (1): 2019–20

Non-playing staff

Corporate hierarchy

Reference:[10]

Management hierarchy

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.[12]

References

External links

• AVFC Ladies official website

На других языках

[ru] Астон Вилла (женский футбольный клуб)