Rangers W.F.C.

(Redirected from Rangers L.F.C.)

Rangers Women's Football Club is a women's football team that plays in the Scottish Women's Premier League, the top division of women's football in Scotland. The team is the female branch of Rangers.

Rangers Women
Full nameRangers Women's Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blue Belles
Founded2008
GroundBroadwood Stadium
Cumbernauld, Scotland[1]
Capacity8,086
OwnerThe Rangers Football Club Ltd
ChairmanJohn Bennett
ManagerJo Potter
LeagueSWPL 1
2022–23SWPL 1, 3rd of 12
WebsiteClub website
Current season

History

Paisley City Ladies, formerly Arthurlie Ladies, was founded at the start of the 1999–2000 season. As a new club they started in the third (lowest) tier.[2] In 2001–02 they played in Division One, directly under the Premier League, and stayed there until 2008.[3] In the 2007–08 season they suffered financial problems, and began to search for a partnership with another club.

Rangers L.F.C. was founded in 2008, as Rangers followed the example of Celtic, Hibernian and Aberdeen in developing a women's section. The formation of the team involved a partnership with Paisley City Ladies.[4][5][6] Former Rangers youth academy coach Drew Todd was brought in to coach the team. Scotland player Jayne Sommerville was signed as the new team's first captain.[7][8] They took the league place of Paisley City and many players switched too.[9] Rangers won the league in their debut season.[10] They also reached the final of the Scottish Women's Cup but lost 5–0 to Glasgow City;[11] they were the first side playing in a lower division to reach the final.[12]

Former East Stirlingshire footballer Scott Allison was appointed manager in 2010.[13] The club reached the Cup final again but were beaten 2–1 by Hibernian.[14]

In May 2011, Alana Marshall became the first female Rangers player to be called up by the senior Scotland team.[15]

In February 2012, The Herald newspaper reported that the financial crisis engulfing Rangers also threatened the existence of the club's women's section.[16] The team continued to operate under budgetary constraints, and having appointed Angie Hind as coach (who was able to add quality to the squad using her extensive network of contacts in the women's game)[8] they ended the 2014 SWPL season with a second place finish, the club's best result up to that point.

Ahead of the 2018 season, the official name of the team was changed to 'Rangers Women' from the previous 'Rangers Ladies'.[17] In July 2019, the club announced a significant commitment to women's football by integrating their teams more fully into its operations and providing further financial support with the aim of becoming professional. To this end, the incumbent coach Amy McDonald was installed in a new position as Women's Manager, with former player and youth trainer Grégory Vignal appointed as head coach of the senior team.[18][19] A few months later the team moved their home fixtures to the Rangers Training Centre in Milngavie following improvements made to its facilities, having previously been using New Tinto Park (home of Benburb F.C.) in the Govan area of Glasgow, near to the club's Ibrox Stadium.[20] In January 2020 Malky Thomson was appointed joint first-team coach alongside Vignal,[21] in June of the same year Vignal left the club Thomson was named head of the women's first team.[22] In 2022, an arrangement was reached to play home fixtures at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld, due to capacity and parking issues at the training venue.[1]

Current squad

As of 12 June 2024[23]

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

No.Pos. NationPlayer
15FW  SCOLizzie Arnot
16DF  SCOEilidh Austin
17MF  SCOSarah Ewens
19MF  SCOChelsea Cornet
DF  SCOLeah Eddie
22GK  NZLVictoria Esson
23MF  SCOKirsty Maclean
24MF  ENGOlivia McLoughlin
26FW  SCOJodi McLeary
FW  ENGKatie Wilkinson

Out on loan

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

Former players

Coaching staff

PositionStaff
Head Coach Jo Potter
Assistant Coach Jay Bradford
Assistant Coach Craig McPherson
Women’s and Girls Managing Director Donald Gillies
Goalkeeping Coach Daniel Tobin
Women and Girls' Performance Analyst Jake Boon
Sport scientist Faye Bennett
Women’s and Girls’ Operations Co-ordinator Sara Spiers
Kit Controller Heather Renicks

Season-by-season records

Rangers Women F.C. seasons
SeasonLeague divisionPWDLFAPtsPosScottish Woman's CupSWPL CupChampions League
2008–09Scottish Women's First Division1818008912541stFinaln/adid not qualify
2009Scottish Women's Premier League114072027127thFinalSemi-finaldid not qualify
20102284105253288thThird RoundQuarter-finaldid not qualify
2011207585150267thQuarter-finalSemi-finaldid not qualify
20122173113741249thSemi-finalQuarter-finaldid not qualify
20132110385535335thQuarter-finalFirst Rounddid not qualify
20142113447124432ndSemi-finalFirst Rounddid not qualify
20152180133057246thThird RoundFirst Rounddid not qualify
20162190123557275thSemi-finalSemi-finaldid not qualify
20172162133351206thSecond RoundQuarter-finaldid not qualify
20182181123346254thSemi-finalQuarter-finaldid not qualify
20192111193557344thQuarter-finalSemi-finaldid not qualify
2020[24]1100303xno competitionno competitiondid not qualify
2020–212116057610483rdno competitionno competitiondid not qualify
2021–222725209711771stFourth RoundQuarter-finaldid not qualify
2022–2332246211191023rdFinalWinnersRound 2
2023–2432264211318822ndWinners[25]Winnersdid not qualify

European history

SeasonCompetitionRoundOppositionResult
2022–23UEFA Women's Champions League
Champions Path
QF Round 1 Semi-final Ferencváros3–1
QF Round 1 Final PAOK0–4
Round 2 1st leg Benfica2-3
Round 2 2nd leg1–2 (a.e.t.)

Honours

See also

References