Rangers W.F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Rangers Women's Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Blue Belles | |||
| Founded | 2008 | |||
| Ground | Ibrox Stadium Glasgow, Scotland |
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| Capacity | 51,700 | |||
| Owner | The Rangers Football Club Ltd | |||
| Chairman | Andrew Cavenagh | |||
| Head coach | Vacant | |||
| League | SWPL 1 | |||
| 2024–25 | SWPL 1, 3rd of 12 | |||
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Rangers Women's Football Club is a professional women's football team from Scotland. They play in the Scottish Women's Premier League, which is the top league for women's football in Scotland. This team is the women's section of the famous Rangers football club.
Contents
History of the Team
The story of Rangers Women's Football Club began with a team called Paisley City Ladies. This team started playing in the 1999–2000 season. They began in the third, which was the lowest, division. By 2001–02, they had moved up to Division One, just below the Premier League. They stayed in that division until 2008.
Founding of Rangers L.F.C.
In 2008, Rangers decided to create their own women's team. Other big Scottish clubs like Celtic and Hibernian had already done this. Rangers partnered with Paisley City Ladies to form the new team.
Drew Todd, a former coach from the Rangers youth academy, became the team's first coach. Scotland player Jayne Sommerville was chosen as the first captain. Many players from Paisley City Ladies joined the new Rangers team. In their very first season, Rangers won their league! They also reached the final of the Scottish Women's Cup, but they lost to Glasgow City. It was a big achievement because they were the first team from a lower division to reach that final.
Changes and Challenges
In 2010, Scott Allison became the new manager. The team reached the Scottish Cup final again but lost to Hibernian. In May 2011, Alana Marshall made history by becoming the first Rangers female player to be called up to the senior Scotland national team.
Around 2012, the main Rangers club faced some financial challenges. This also affected the women's team. However, the team kept playing, even with a smaller budget. They hired Angie Hind as coach, who helped improve the squad. In the 2014 season, they finished second in the league. This was their best result at that time.
Becoming Professional
Before the 2018 season, the team's official name changed from 'Rangers Ladies' to 'Rangers Women'. In July 2019, the club announced a big plan to support women's football even more. They wanted the women's team to become fully professional.
Amy McDonald became the Women's Manager, and former player Grégory Vignal was appointed head coach. The team also moved their home games to the Rangers Training Centre in Milngavie. This was after improvements were made to the training facilities. Before this, they played at New Tinto Park in Govan, near Ibrox Stadium.
In January 2020, Malky Thomson joined as a coach alongside Vignal. Vignal left in June 2020, and Thomson became the head of the women's first team. In 2022, the team started playing some home games at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld. This was because of space and parking issues at the training ground.
Recent Success and New Coach
Jo Potter took over as head coach before the 2023–24 season. Under her leadership, Rangers won two cups in that season. They won both cups again in the 2024–25 season. Jo Potter left Rangers in June 2025 to join Crystal Palace.
For the 2025–26 season, Rangers announced that Ibrox Stadium became the main home venue for the women’s team. If there is a clash with the men’s team's schedule, they will still use Broadwood Stadium.
Current Squad
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Coaching Staff
The team has a dedicated coaching staff to help the players.
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Vacant |
| Assistant Coach |  Andy Thomson |
| Assistant Coach | Craig McPherson |
European Competitions
Rangers Women's team has also played in the UEFA Women's Champions League. This is a major competition for top clubs across Europe. They competed in the 2022–23 and 2024–25 seasons.
Honours and Trophies
Rangers Women's Football Club has won several important trophies:
- Scottish Women's Premier League: They were champions in the 2021–22 season.
- They finished as Runners-up (second place) in 2014 and 2023–24.
- Scottish Women's First Division: They won this league in 2008–09.
- Women's Scottish Cup: They won this cup in 2023–24 and 2024–25.
- They were Runners-up in 2008–09, 2010, and 2022–23.
- Scottish Women's Premier League Cup: They won this cup three times in a row: 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25.
- City of Glasgow Women's Cup: They won this local cup in 2022 and 2023.
See also
