Crystal Palace F.C. (Women)

(Redirected from Crystal Palace L.F.C.)

Crystal Palace Football Club Women is a women's association football club based in South London, England, which competes in the Women's Super League, the highest level of English women's football. The team, known as the "Eagles", is affiliated to the men's equivalent Crystal Palace F.C..

Crystal Palace Women
Full nameCrystal Palace Football Club Women
Nickname(s)The Eagles
Founded1992
GroundVBS Community Stadium
Capacity5,013
ChairmanSteve Parish
ManagerLaura Kaminski
LeagueWomen's Super League
2023–24Women's Championship, 1st of 12 (promoted)
Current season

The club play its home matches at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton, South London, as well as select matches at Selhurst Park. They previously played at Hayes Lane, the home ground of Bromley F.C., between 2014 and 2023.

History

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The club was formed in 1992 as Crystal Palace Ladies F.C.. Since 2003, the club has risen up England's football pyramid, winning the South East Combination Women's Football League in 2003–04, and they later achieved their first cup success defeating Chelsea in the Surrey FA County Cup final in 2011. Palace won the London and South East Women's Regional Football League title in 2013–14, gaining promotion to the FA Women's National League regional section. They won the South East Division One title in 2015–16, after going the whole season undefeated. The club also won the Surrey FA County Cup that same season against AFC Wimbledon in the final.

In 2018, Palace were given semi-professional status, and secured a Tier 2 license, allowing them to become a founding member of the FA Women's Championship, the second highest tier in women’s football.[1] Then in 2019, it was announced by the club they would play under the name "Crystal Palace F.C." instead of "Crystal Palace Ladies F.C.", following the growing trend within the women's game at that time to move away from the term "Ladies".[2]

Following mixed results in their first three years in the Women's Championship, Palace recorded back-to-back top-five finishes in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons.[3] It was around this time that the club officially became part of the CPFC Limited group in June 2022, and they received full professional status in 2023, followed by the securing of a Tier 1 license in April 2024, which would allow their eventual entry into the Women's Super League (WSL).[4]

In the summer of 2023, the club appointed Grace Williams,[5] as Head of Women’s Football, and Laura Kaminski,[6] as Head Coach. This resulted in Palace gaining promotion to the Women's Super League as champions at the end of the 2023–24 Championship season. The club scored 55 goals – and conceded just 20 – in 22 matches. It also marked Palace’s inaugural promotion to the top-flight of women’s football.[7] The promotion was sealed with a final-day draw against Sunderland at Selhurst Park, in front of a record crowd of 6,796.[8]

Players

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Current squad

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As of 20 September 2024[9][10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF   DEN Katrine Veje
3 DF   ENG Felicity Gibbons
4 MF   SCO Chloe Arthur
5 MF   SWE My Cato
6 DF   ENG Aimee Everett (captain)
8 FW   ENG Molly-Mae Sharpe
9 FW   WAL Elise Hughes
10 FW   ENG Annabel Blanchard
11 FW   NED Ashleigh Weerden
12 FW   ENG Poppy Pritchard (on loan from Manchester City)
14 MF   WAL Josie Green
15 MF   IRL Hayley Nolan
17 MF   ENG Lexi Potter (on loan from Chelsea)
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 GK   FIN Milla-Maj Majasaari
20 FW   NZL Indiah-Paige Riley
22 MF   DEN Mille Gejl
23 DF   WAL Lily Woodham (on loan from Seattle Reign FC)
24 MF   ENG Shanade Hopcroft
27 FW   IRL Abbie Larkin
28 FW   USA Katie Stengel
29 DF   ENG Jorja Fox (on loan from Chelsea)
30 GK   USA Shae Yáñez
31 GK   ENG Annis-Clara Wright
32 DF   ENG Brooke Aspin (on loan from Chelsea)
77 DF   IRL Isibeal Atkinson

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   ENG Isabella Sibley (at Newcastle United until end of the 2024–25 season)

Former players

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Club staff

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Position Name
Chairman   Steve Parish[11]
Head of women's football   Grace Williams[5]
Head Coach   Laura Kaminski[6]
Assistant Coach   Adam Jeffrey[12]
Goalkeeping Coach   Daniel Matraszek
Physical Performance Coach   Chico Lyons
Physiotherapist   Tadej Citti

Honours

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Leagues

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Cups

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  • Surrey County Cup
    • Winners: 2010–11, 2015–16
    • Runners-up: 2005–06, 2007–08, 2012–13
  • Capital Women's Senior Cup
    • Runners-up: 2017–18

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "CLUB STATEMENT: FA Women's Championship - News - Crystal Palace Ladies FC". 9 February 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  2. ^ "A new identity for Crystal Palace Ladies Football Club". CPFC Official Site. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Crystal Palace Women announce 22/23 squad – with 15 additions - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Crystal Palace – 23/24 Women's Championship winners! - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Crystal Palace appoint new Head of Women's Football - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Palace Women appoint Laura Kaminski as head coach". cpfc.co.uk. Crystal Palace FC. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  7. ^ 'No-one expected this' - Crystal Palace reach WSL, Emma Smith, BBC Sport, 28 April 2024
  8. ^ "Report: Palace win Women's Championship crown at Selhurst Park - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Women Squad". Crystal Palace F.C. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Ready to take on foreign opposition 🙌". Instagram. Crystal Palace Women FC. 12 September 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Parish urges women's league overhaul to build on Euro 2022 - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Adam Jeffrey joins Palace Women as Assistant Coach". cpfc.co.uk. Crystal Palace FC. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
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