Crystal Palace F.C. (Women)

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Crystal Palace Women
Full nameCrystal Palace Football Club Women
Nickname(s)The Eagles
Founded1992
GroundGander Green Lane
Capacity5,032
ChairmanSteve Parish
ManagerLaura Kaminski
LeagueWomen's Super League
2023–24Women's Championship, 1st of 12 (promoted)

Crystal Palace Football Club Women, formerly known as Crystal Palace Ladies Football Club, is a women's association football club based in south-east London which competes in the Women's Super League, the highest level of English women's football, after gaining promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2023–24 season.[1] The team, known as the "Eagles", is affiliated with the men's equivalent Crystal Palace F.C., after being brought under the umbrella of CPFC LTD, to become part of the Crystal Palace group in June 2022. From here, they began to transition into the full-time, professional outfit which competes today.

The club has played its home matches at Gander Green Lane, Sutton, since the start of the 2023–24 season, as well as select matches at Selhurst Park stadium. They previously played at Hayes Lane, the home ground of Bromley F.C., between 2014 and 2023.

History[edit]

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 joined the FA Women's Premier League regional section in 2013–14. The club won the South East Division One title in 2015–16 after going the whole season undefeated and 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.[2][3] The club announced in 2019, it would play as "Crystal Palace FC" instead of "Crystal Palace Ladies F.C.", following the growing trend within the women's game to move away from the term "Ladies".[4]

After 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.[5][3] In the summer of 2023, the club appointed Grace Williams,[6] as Head of Women’s Football, and Laura Kaminski,[7] as Head Coach.

In 2023, Palace received full professional status, 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).[1]

At the end of the 2023–24 Championship season, the club was promoted to the Women's Super League as champions, scoring 55 goals – and conceding just 20 – in 22 matches. This marked Palace’s inaugural promotion to the top-flight of women’s football.[8][3] The promotion was sealed with a final-day draw against Sunderland at Selhurst Park, in front of a record crowd of 6,796.[9][3]

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

As of 18 May 2024

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 England ENG Fran Kitching
3 DF England ENG Felicity Gibbons
4 MF Scotland SCO Chloe Arthur
6 DF England ENG Aimee Everett (captain)
7 MF England ENG Isabella Sibley
8 FW England ENG Molly-Mae Sharpe
9 FW Wales WAL Elise Hughes
No. Pos. Nation Player
10 FW England ENG Annabel Blanchard
11 MF Scotland SCO Kirsten Reilly
15 MF Republic of Ireland IRL Hayley Nolan
24 FW England ENG Shanade Hopcroft
27 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Abbie Larkin
31 GK England ENG Annis-Clara Wright
77 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Isibeal Atkinson

Former players[edit]

Club staff[edit]

Position Name
Chairman England Steve Parish[10][11]
Head of women's football England Grace Williams[6]
Head Coach England Laura Kaminski[7]
Assistant Coach England Adam Jeffrey[12]
Goalkeeping Coach Italy Daniel Matrazek
Physical Performance Coach Portugal Chico Lyons
Physiotherapist Italy Tadej Citti

Honours[edit]

Leagues[edit]

Cups[edit]

  • Surrey County Cup: Winners 2011, 2016

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Crystal Palace – 23/24 Women's Championship winners! - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ a b c d "Crystal Palace promoted: WSL awaits for Championship winners". BBC Sport. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ^ "A new identity for Crystal Palace Ladies Football Club". CPFC Official Site. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Crystal Palace Women announce 22/23 squad – with 15 additions - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Crystal Palace appoint new Head of Women's Football - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Palace Women appoint Laura Kaminski as head coach". cpfc.co.uk. Crystal Palace FC. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  8. ^ 'No-one expected this' - Crystal Palace reach WSL, Emma Smith, BBC Sport, 28 April 2024
  9. ^ "Report: Palace win Women's Championship crown at Selhurst Park - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Why I'm backing the Premier League's Project Restart". The Times. 9 May 2024. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 May 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.

External links[edit]