Manchester United W.F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Manchester United Women Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Red Devils | ||
| Founded | 28 May 2018 | ||
| Ground | Leigh Sports Village | ||
| Capacity | 12,000 | ||
| Owner | Manchester United plc (75%) Ineos (25%) |
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| Co-chairmen | Joel and Avram Glazer | ||
| Head coach | Marc Skinner | ||
| League | FA WSL | ||
| 2019–20 | FA WSL, 4th of 12 | ||
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Manchester United Women Football Club is a professional football team from Leigh, England. They play in the Women's Super League (WSL). This is the top league for women's football in England. The team joined the WSL after winning the Championship in their first season (2018–19).
Manchester United Women won their first big trophy in 2024. They lifted the 2023–24 Women's FA Cup. In the same season, they also played in the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time.
Contents
History of Manchester United Women
Early Teams: 1970s to 2001
For many years, women's football was not allowed at clubs linked to The Football Association. This ban was lifted in 1971.
Around 1970, an unofficial team called United Ladies of Manchester started. They trained at the club's training ground, The Cliff. They played friendly matches against other unofficial women's teams.
Later, in the late 1970s, the Manchester United Supporters Club Ladies team began. They were seen as the club's main women's team, even if not officially. They started as a charity team, playing games to raise money. In 1979, they joined the Three Counties League. This was their first time playing in a competitive league.
In 1982, the Women's FA approved a new local league. It was called the Manchester & District League. Manchester United Supporters Club Ladies was a founding member. They won the league for the first three seasons.
By 1989, several leagues merged to form the North West Women's Regional Football League. At this time, the team asked Manchester United F.C. for more support. The club agreed. The team could now use the name Manchester United Ladies FC. Their games were advertised, and they could train at The Cliff. The team became very competitive in the 1990s. They played at different levels of the FA Women's National League until 2001.
Official Partnership and Disbanding: 2001 to 2005
In 2001, the team officially partnered with Manchester United. However, the team's performance slowed down. They often finished in the middle of the third division.
The team was stopped four years later, in 2005. This happened after Malcolm Glazer took over the club. The new owners felt the women's team was not a "core business" and did not make enough money. A club spokesperson also said they wanted to focus on their women's youth academy instead.
The Current Team: 2018 to Today
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In March 2018, Manchester United announced they would bring back a women's team. Manchester United Women Football Club was officially started on May 28, 2018. This was after the club successfully applied to join the new 2018–19 FA Women's Championship. It marked the club's return to women's football after 13 years. During this time, the club's academy still ran. Players like Izzy Christiansen and Katie Zelem came from United's Centre of Excellence academy.
Casey Stoney became the team's first head coach on June 8, 2018. The first 21 players for the team were announced a month later.
The team's first game was on August 19, 2018. They won 1–0 away against Liverpool in the FA Women's League Cup. Lizzie Arnot scored their first goal in 13 years. Three weeks later, their first Championship league game was a huge 12–0 win against Aston Villa.
On April 17, 2019, United won promotion to the FA Women's Super League. They beat Aston Villa 5–0. Three days later, they won the FA Women's Championship title. They beat Crystal Palace 7–0 at home. In May 2019, Manchester United was named the FA Women's Championship Club of the Year.
The 2019–20 season was their first in the FA WSL. The first game was a Manchester derby against Manchester City. City won 1–0 in front of a record crowd of 31,213 fans. The season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. United finished in fourth place.
Manchester United Women played their first game at Old Trafford in March 2021. They won 2–0 against West Ham United.
On May 12, 2021, Casey Stoney announced she would leave her role as head coach. On July 29, 2021, Marc Skinner became the new head coach. In 2023, the team reached a major cup final for the first time. They lost 1–0 to Chelsea in the 2023 Women's FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
After finishing second in the WSL, the team qualified for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time in the 2023–24 season. They played against Paris Saint-Germain. They drew 1–1 at home but lost 3–1 away. This ended their first European journey.
On May 12, 2024, United beat Tottenham Hotspur 4–0 in the 2024 Women's FA Cup final. This was their first major title. For the 2024–25 season, the club played three games at Old Trafford. This was more than the two games they played in the previous two seasons.
Home Ground
When the club joined the FA Women's Championship in 2018, it was planned that the women's team would be based at The Cliff training ground. They were to play their games at Leigh Sports Village until The Cliff was ready. However, Leigh Sports Village became the team's official home ground. The move to The Cliff never happened.
Moss Lane and Ewen Fields were sometimes used as backup stadiums. In March 2021, the women's team played their first game ever at Old Trafford. This was against West Ham United. In March 2022, the team played at Old Trafford again. This time, fans were there. They beat Everton 3–1 in front of a record 20,241 fans.
Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Player of the Year Awards
Manchester United Women give out awards each season to their best players.
- 2018–19: Katie Zelem (Midfielder) was the first Player of the Year.
- 2019–20: Hayley Ladd (Midfielder) won Player of the Year.
- 2020–21: Ona Batlle (Defender) was the first non-British Player of the Year.
- 2021–22: Ella Toone (Midfielder) won Player of the Year. Alessia Russo (Forward) won the Players' Player of the Year award for the first time.
- 2022–23: Alessia Russo (Forward) won both Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year. Hannah Blundell (Defender) also won Players' Player of the Year.
- 2023–24: Ella Toone (Midfielder) won both Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year. She was the first player to win both awards in the same season. Maya Le Tissier (Defender) also shared the Players' Player of the Year award.
- 2024–25: Ella Toone (Midfielder) won Player of the Year again. Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Goalkeeper) was the first non-British Players' Player of the Year.
Coaching Staff
First-Team Coaches
- Head Coach:
Marc Skinner - Assistant Coaches: Dan Bale, Carl Green
- Goalkeeping Coach: Joe Potts
- Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ben Voyce
- Head Of Physiotherapist: Amy Cranston
Club Management
- Director of Football: Jason Wilcox
- Head of Women's Football: Matt Johnson
Manager Statistics
Here are the managers for Manchester United Women and their records:
- Casey Stoney (
England): She managed the team from June 8, 2018, to May 16, 2021. In 77 games, she won 52, drew 6, and lost 19. She led the team to one Championship title. - Marc Skinner ( England): He has been the head coach since July 29, 2021. As of May 10, 2025, in 124 games, he has won 78, drawn 23, and lost 23. He has led the team to one FA Cup title.
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Trophies Won
Manchester United Women have won these major titles:
- Women's FA Cup
- Winners: 2023–24
- FA Women's Championship
- Winners: 2018–19
Season Summary
This table shows how Manchester United Women have performed in different competitions each season.
- QR2 = Second qualifying round
- GS = Group stage
- QF = Quarter-finals
- SF = Semi-finals
| Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Champions League | Top goalscorer | ||||||||||
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| Division | Games Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Points | Final Position | Name | Goals | |||||
| 2018–19 | Championship | 20 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 98 | 7 | 55 | 1st | QF | SF | N/A | Jessica Sigsworth | 18 | |
| 2019–20 | WSL | 14 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 12 | 23 | 4th | R4 | SF | Lauren James | 9 | ||
| 2020–21 | WSL | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 44 | 20 | 47 | 4th | R5 | GS | Did not qualify | Ella Toone | 10 | |
| 2021–22 | WSL | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 45 | 22 | 42 | 4th | R5 | SF | Alessia Russo | 11 | ||
| 2022–23 | WSL | 22 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 56 | 12 | 56 | 2nd | RU | GS | Alessia Russo | 13 | ||
| 2023–24 | WSL | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 42 | 32 | 35 | 5th | W | GS | QR2 | Nikita Parris | 16 | |
| 2024–25 | WSL | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 41 | 16 | 44 | 3rd | RU | QF | Did not qualify | RU | Elisabeth Terland | 12 |
Youth Teams and Academy
Even when there was no senior women's team, Manchester United kept running a girls' talent club for players up to 16 years old. The Manchester United Foundation, a charity linked to the club, also coaches girls of all ages in the Greater Manchester area.
Before the 2019–20 season, Manchester United started a full-time Under-21 (U21) team. This team joined the FA WSL Academy League. Charlotte Healy was their manager. The club's development team had played in the WSL Academy Cup final the season before.
Academy Honours
Under-21 Team
- Professional Game Academy
- National champions (1): 2023–24
- Northern Division (1): 2023–24
- FA WSL Academy League
- National champions (1): 2021–22
- Northern Division (1): 2021–22
- FA WSL Academy Cup: 1
- 2021–22
Under-16 Team
- U16 Professional Game Academy Cup: 1
- 2023–24
- SuperCupNI: 1
- 2024
Academy Graduates
Many players from the Manchester United academy have gone on to play for the senior team. Players whose names are in bold are still with the club.
Carrie Jones- Ella Toone
- Emily Ramsey
- Fran Bentley
- Gabby George
Karna Solskjær- Katie Zelem
Kirsty Hanson- Millie Turner
- Naomi Hartley
- Rebecca May
- Tara Bourne
- Jess Simpson
- Safia Middleton-Patel
- Mared Griffiths
See also
In Spanish: Manchester United Women Football Club para niños
