Manchester City W.F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Manchester City Women's Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Citizens, The Blues, City, Man City | |||
| Founded | November 1988 | |||
| Ground | Joie Stadium, Manchester | |||
| Capacity | 7,000 (5,000 seated) | |||
| Director | Therese Sjögran | |||
| Manager | Gareth Taylor | |||
| League | FA WSL | |||
| 2019–20 | FA WSL, 2nd of 12 | |||
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Manchester City Women's Football Club (also known as Manchester City Women or Man City Women) is a professional women's football team. They are based in Manchester, England. The team plays in the FA Women's Super League, which is the top league for women's football in England. They are connected to the famous Manchester City men's team.
Contents
History of Manchester City Women
Early Days: 1988-2013
Starting the Team (1988-1996)
Manchester City Ladies Football Club began in November 1988. It was started by Neil Mather, who worked for Manchester City F.C.'s community program. He became the team's first manager. Their very first game was a friendly match against Oldham, which they won 4–1.
In their second year, the team joined the North West Women's Regional Football League. To help women's football get more attention, Colin Hendry, a player from the men's team, became the Club President in 1990. This was a time when Manchester City was one of the first big clubs in the north-west to have a women's team.
At first, Manchester City Ladies found it tough in the league. They were placed in the second division because of the club's name. But they soon got better and earned their first promotion.
However, the team faced challenges. They didn't have much money on their own. Their success often depended on how well the men's team was doing. When the men's team was relegated in 1996, the women's team also struggled. They even thought about joining another club, Stockport County Ladies.
Building Strength (1997-2013)
Things started to change when Derek Heath joined the club in 1997. He brought in new players and created the first junior team. Even though Heath sadly passed away a year later, Manchester City had a great season in 1997–98. They won the second division title without losing a game, which was their first official trophy!
This win started a successful period for the club. They won the Premier Division in 1999–2000. This helped them move up to the Northern Combination Women's Football League. The next season, they won that league too, and joined the WFA National League (now called the Women's Premier League).
Moving up to the WPL was a big step. For several seasons, the team struggled and often finished near the bottom. But when Leigh Wood became manager in 2007, the team improved a lot. They went from trying to avoid relegation to hoping for titles.
Joining the Women's Super League
Becoming Professional (2014-2015)
In 2010, a new top league was created called the FA Women's Super League (WSL). Manchester City Women didn't get in at first. But in 2013, the WSL expanded, and Manchester City was chosen to join the top division. This was a big surprise to some, as another team, Doncaster Rovers Belles, lost their spot.
Before their first WSL season, the club made big changes. They signed many top players, including England stars like Karen Bardsley, Jill Scott, and Steph Houghton. These players aimed to make a big impact right away. On January 23, 2014, the club officially changed its name to Manchester City Women's Football Club. Nick Cushing became the new first-team manager.
In their first professional season, Manchester City finished fifth. But they won their first major trophy! They beat Arsenal in the 2014 FA WSL Cup Final. The next season started slowly. However, after the Women's World Cup, the team played much better. England's third-place finish seemed to inspire them. They won twelve of their last thirteen league games. They almost won the league title, finishing second. This earned them a spot in the European competition for the first time. During this time, they also broke the league attendance record twice!
Domestic Success (2016-2020)
The next few years saw Manchester City become one of the strongest teams in English women's football. They won the league title in 2016. By the end of the decade, they had also won two Women's FA Cup titles and two more WSL Cups.
Recent Years (2020-Present)
In 2020, manager Nick Cushing left the club. Gareth Taylor took over as manager and had a good start.
From 2021 to 2022, the team faced many injuries to key players. This made it harder for them to do well in domestic games and especially in Europe.
In the summer of 2022, several important players left Manchester City. Some retired, like Bardsley, Scott, and Ellen White. Others moved to different clubs, such as Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh to Barcelona, and Georgia Stanway to Bayern Munich. This was a big change for the team. People wondered if the club would still be strong with so many new faces. Keira Walsh's move was even a world-record transfer fee for a women's player!
After a tough start to the 2022–23 season, including a loss to Aston Villa, Manchester City improved. They finished fourth in the league. They couldn't beat the top teams, but they stayed strong among the title contenders. New players seemed to fit in quickly. In the 2023-24 season, Manchester City finished with the same points as Chelsea, but lost the title because of goal difference.
Home Stadium
Manchester City Women play their home games at the Joie Stadium. This stadium is part of the club's training complex. It has seats for 7,000 fans. The women's team shares this stadium with the men's academy team. The Joie Stadium has broken the attendance record for a FA WSL league game three times since 2015.
Before moving to the Joie Stadium, the team played at the Manchester Regional Athletics Arena. In September 2023, the stadium was renamed Joie Stadium after a baby gear brand became its official naming partner.
Connection to Manchester City F.C.
Since it started in 1988, Manchester City Women's Football Club has always been connected to Manchester City F.C. The women's team used to wear the same kits as the men's team. The main club also helped them financially. For a long time, the women's team managed itself. Its growth in the 1990s depended on the hard work of many volunteers.
In 2012, Manchester City Ladies officially became a formal part of Manchester City F.C. This meant the women's team now shares more resources with the men's team. They use the same training facilities and are included in the club's marketing and social media.
Players
First-team squad
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Players on Loan
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Past Players
For a full list of players, both current and former, you can check out Category:Manchester City W.F.C. players.
Team Achievements
League Titles
- FA Women's Super League (Top League)
- Winners: 2016
- Runners-up (7 times): 2015, 2017, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2023–24
- FA Women's National League North (Level 3)
- Winners: 2011–12
- Northern Combination Women's Football League (Level 3)
- Winners: 2000–01
- North West Women's Regional Football League Premier Division (Level 4)
- Winners: 1999–2000
- Runners-up: 1998–99
- North West Women's Regional Football League Division Two (Level 4)
- Winners : 1997–98
Cup Wins
- Women's FA Cup
- Winners: 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Runners-up: 2021–22
- FA Women's League Cup
- Winners: 2014, 2016, 2018–19, 2021–22
- Runners-up: 2017–18
- North West Challenge Trophy
- Winners: 1999–2000
- North West League Cup
- Winners: 1999–2000
Winning Doubles
- Doubles (winning two major trophies in one season)
- 2016: League and League Cup
- 2018–19: FA Cup and League Cup
Season by Season Records (since 2014)
| Season | League Performance | FA Cup | League Cup |
Europe | Other Competitions | Top Scorer(s) | Goals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division (level) | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Competition | Result | ||||||
| 2014 | WSL 1 (1) | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 5th | QF | W | Toni Duggan | 11 | |||
| 2015 | WSL 1 (1) | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 11 | 30 | 2nd | SF | QF | Toni Duggan | 12 | |||
| 2016 | WSL 1 (1) | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 4 | 42 | 1st | SF | W | SF | Jane Ross | 13 | ||
| 2017 | WSL SS (1) | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 2nd | W | Lucy Bronze Jill Scott Toni Duggan |
4 | ||||
| 2017–18 | WSL 1 (1) | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 51 | 17 | 38 | 2nd | SF | RU | SF | Nikita Parris | 18 | ||
| 2018–19 | WSL 1 (1) | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 53 | 17 | 47 | 2nd | W | W | Ro32 | Nikita Parris | 24 | ||
| 2019–20 | WSL 1 (1) | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 9 | 40 | 2nd | W | SF | Ro16 | Pauline Bremer | 22 | ||
| 2020–21 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 65 | 13 | 55 | 2nd | SF | QF | QF | Community Shield | RU | Chloe Kelly Ellen White |
15 |
| 2021–22 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 60 | 32 | 47 | 3rd | RU | W | 2QR | Lauren Hemp | 10 | ||
| 2022–23 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 25 | 47 | 4th | QF | SF | 1QR | Khadija Shaw | 31 | ||
| 2023-24 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 61 | 15 | 55 | 2nd | QF | SF | Khadija Shaw | 22 | |||
| Champions | Runners-up |
UEFA Women's Champions League Record
Manchester City Women have also played in the UEFA Women's Champions League, a top European competition. All results (home, away and aggregate) list Manchester City's goal tally first.
| Season | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Round of 32 |  Zvezda Perm |
2–0 f | 4–0 | 6–0 |
| Round of 16 |  Brøndby |
1–0 f | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Quarter-final | Fortuna Hjørring |
1–0 | 1–0 f | 2–0 | |
| Semi-final |  Olympique Lyon |
1–3 f | 1–0 | 2–3 | |
| 2017–18 | Round of 32 |  St. Pölten |
3–0 | 3–0 f | 6–0 |
| Round of 16 |  Lillestrøm |
2–1 | 5–0 f | 7–1 | |
| Quarter-final |  Linköping |
2–0 f | 5–3 | 7–3 | |
| Semi-final | Olympique Lyon |
0–0 f | 0–1 | 0–1 | |
| 2018–19 | Round of 32 |  Atlético Madrid |
0–2 | 1–1 f | 1–3 |
| 2019–20 | Round of 32 |  Lugano |
4–0 | 7–1 f | 11–1 |
| Round of 16 | Atlético Madrid |
1–1 f | 1–2 | 2–3 | |
| 2020–21 | Round of 32 | Kopparbergs/Göteborg |
3–0 | 2–1 f | 5–1 |
| Round of 16 |  Fiorentina |
3–0 f | 5–0 | 8–0 | |
| Quarter-finals | Barcelona |
2–1 | 0–3 f | 2–4 | |
| 2021–22 | Second qualifying round | Real Madrid |
0–1 | 1–1 f | 1–2 |
| 2022–23 | First qualifying round |  Tomiris-Turan |
6–0 | ||
| Real Madrid |
0–1 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Second qualifying round | Paris FC |
3–0 | 5–0 f | 8–0 |
| Group D | Barcelona |
2–0 f | |||
| St. Pölten |
3–2 f | ||||
| Hammarby |
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f First leg
Current Staff
| Name | Job Title |
|---|---|
 Charlotte O'Neill |
Managing Director |
 Gareth Taylor |
Head Coach |
Team Records
- The highest number of fans at a Manchester City Women's game was 44,259. This happened when they played against Manchester United on December 11, 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Manchester City Women's Football Club para niños
