London City Lionesses
{{short description|Women association football club based in Hayes, England}}
{{About|the association football club formed under this name in 2019|its origins|Millwall Lionesses L.F.C.}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = London City Lionesses
| image = LCL Crest.png
| image_size =
| upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| fullname = London City Lionesses Football Club
| nickname =
| short name =
| founded = {{start date and age|df=yes|13 May 2019}}
| dissolved =
| ground = Hayes Lane, Bromley
| capacity = 5,150
| coordinates =
| owntitle = Owner
| owner = Michele Kang
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = Jocelyn Prêcheur
| league = {{English football updater-W|LondonCL}}
| season = {{English football updater-W|LondonCL2}}
| position = {{English football updater-W|LondonCL3}}
| website = https://www.londoncitylionesses.com
| current =
| pattern_la1 = _navyborder
| pattern_b1 = _navycollar
| pattern_ra1 = _navyborder
| leftarm1 = 00abc7
| body1 = 00abc7
| rightarm1 = 00abc7
| shorts1 = 172234
| socks1 = 4f556f
| pattern_la2 = _navyborder
| pattern_b2 = _capelli shoulders white
| pattern_ra2 = _navyborder
| leftarm2 = FF91AF
| body2 = FF91AF
| rightarm2 = FF91AF
| shorts2 = 172234
| socks2 = FBAED2
}}
London City Lionesses is a professional women's association football club based in Hayes, Bromley, England.{{cite web |last1=Wrack |first1=Suzanne |title='Equality has to be more than words': London City Lionesses go it alone |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/18/london-city-lionesses-millwall-womens-football |website=The Guardian |date=18 August 2019}} The team competes in the Women's Super League the first tier of English women's football. The club was founded in May 2019, as an independent breakaway club from Millwall Lionesses.{{cite news |title=London City Lionesses: Millwall Supporters Club "saddened" by women's team breakaway |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48260221 |accessdate=14 May 2019 |publisher=BBC News |date=13 May 2019 |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031114821/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48260221 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49483717|title=London City Lionesses: Can a women's team thrive independently?|work=BBC Sport|date=19 September 2019|archive-date=20 September 2019|access-date=20 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920112339/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49483717|url-status=live}}
History
On 13 May 2019, a statement was released by Millwall F.C. announcing that the board of directors and senior management at the team's official women's affiliate, Millwall Lionesses, had declared their intentions to split from the club, becoming an independent entity and operating under a new name.{{cite web |title=Club Statement: Millwall Lionesses |url=https://www.millwallfc.co.uk/news/2019/may/club-statement/ |website=www.millwallfc.co.uk |language=en-gb}}{{cite web |last1=McElwee |first1=Molly |title=Millwall women's team to split from club and form new London City Lionesses outfit |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/05/13/millwall-womens-team-split-club-form-new-london-city-lionesses/ |website=The Telegraph |date=13 May 2019}} The breakaway was already agreed in principle by the FA.{{cite news |title=London City Lionesses: FA Women's Football board approve Millwall switch |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48267470 |accessdate=14 May 2019 |publisher=BBC News |date=14 May 2019 |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415115507/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48267470 |url-status=live }} The transfer of Millwall's Championship licence was officially approved by the FA on 29 June 2019.{{cite web |title=London City Lionesses |url=https://womenscompetitions.thefa.com/en/Article/london-city-lionesses-290619 |website=womenscompetitions.thefa.com |language=en}} The newly-independent club's operations were funded from 2019 by blockchain entrepreneur Anthony Culligan and his wife Diane, with Diane Culligan serving as chairwoman and running the club's operations.{{cite web |title=The New Lionesses |url=https://fcbusiness.co.uk/interviews-features/the-new-lionesses/ |website=FC Business |access-date=23 January 2024 |date=2020-01-08}}
The start of the 2022-23 season saw considerable optimism from club management after England's triumph in the 2022 Euros drove an increase in club season-ticket sales.{{cite web |last1=Staunton |first1=Peter |title=Meet the three-year old London football club ready to write more Lionesses history |url=https://www.football.london/womens-football/london-city-lionesses-womens-football-24788448 |website=Football London |date=19 August 2022 |access-date=23 January 2024}} The Lionesses hit challenges later that season, however, with their manager Melissa Phillips resigning in January 2023 to take an assistant manager role with Angel City FC, despite the club sitting in first place.{{cite web |title=Melissa Phillips: London City Lionesses manager leaves Women's Championship leaders |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64380216 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=23 January 2024 |date=23 January 2023 |archive-date=23 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123180331/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64380216 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Lacey-Hatton |first1=Jack |title=Women's Championship league leaders lose manager to club owned by Hollywood A-listers |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/womens-championship-london-city-lionesses-29035278 |website=The Mirror |date=24 January 2023 |access-date=23 January 2024}} In June 2023, all 20 of the club's players sent a collective message to owner Diane Culligan asking her to sell the club or raise additional investment, citing financial instability, a lack of players signed for the upcoming season and the lack of a permanent manager.{{cite web |last1=Schoninger |first1=Charlie |title=London City Lionesses ask owner to sell: No manager and only four players under contract |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/womens_football/london-city-lionesses-owner-players-sale-b2366504.html |website=The Independent |access-date=23 January 2024 |date=2023-06-29 |archive-date=23 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223120358/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/womens_football/london-city-lionesses-owner-players-sale-b2366504.html |url-status=live }} On 15 December 2023, the Culligans sold the club to entrepreneur and Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang for an undisclosed price.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/39119912/washington-spirit-owner-kang-buys-london-city-lionesses |title=Washington Spirit owner Kang buys London City Lionesses |date=November 20, 2021 |access-date=December 15, 2023 |work=ESPN |agency=ESPN News Services}}
On 27 June 2024 Kang announced{{cite news |last1=Garry |first1=Tom |title=London City Lionessesstart new era with Asllani signing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/27/london-city-lionesses-kosovare-asllani-jocelyn-precheur-michele-kang |access-date=23 August 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=27 June 2024}} the signing of Kosovare Asllani, captain of the Sweden national side, and the appointment of Jocelyn Prêcheur, formerly of Paris St Germain, as the new manager. The signing of Asllani, who has previously played for Manchester City, Real Madrid and AC Milan, was described as "a statement of intent that will have raised eyebrows around the global women's game." It was also announced that the club would move from Princes Park (Dartford) to Hayes Lane in Bromley under a ground-sharing agreement with Bromley F.C. The club also purchased Cobdown Park, a 28-acre site in Aylesford, Kent with the aim of developing a world-class training facility there.{{cite news |title=Investment in training facilities at Cobdown Park, January 2025 |url=https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/post/investment-in-training-facilities-at-cobdown-park-january-2025 |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=London City Lionesses |date=23 January 2025}}
On 27 July 2024, Kang announced the launch of Kynisca Sports International Ltd., a worldwide multi-team organisation to provide the infrastructure to support the development of London City Lionesses alongside sister clubs Washington Spirit and Olympique Lyonnais Féminin.{{cite news |title=MICHELE KANG ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF KYNISCA SPORTS INTERNATIONAL, LTD |url=https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/post/michele-kang-announces-launch-of-kynisca-sports-international-ltd |access-date=23 November 2024 |work=London City Lionesses |date=27 July 2024}}{{cite web |title=Kynisca |url=https://www.kynisca.com/ |access-date=27 November 2024 |archive-date=26 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126204328/https://www.kynisca.com/ |url-status=live }} Under Kynisca, it was intended that each club would retain its own established identity, but that there would be a shared, central capability for aspects such as performance science and technology, data analytics, global scouting, and sporting staff development.
On 4 May 2025, London City Lionesses became the first fully independent team to be promoted to the top women’s league (Women's Super League), after drawing with Birmingham City in the final game of the season.{{Cite web |title=Birmingham City 2-2 London City Lionesses: WSL promotion for independent club |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c15v1v9v1v0t |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}} The promotion-deciding final match was the first time a game in the Women's Championship, the second tier of the WSL, was broadcast live on Sky Sports as well as being available on YouTube.{{cite web |title=Final match broadcast live on Sky Sports|url=https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/post/final-match-broadcast-live-on-sky-sports|access-date=19 May 2025 |work=London City Lionesses |date=29 April 2025}}
Players
=Current squad=
{{updated|16 May 2025}}.{{Cite web|url=https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/first-team|title=First-Team Squad | London City Lionesses|website=Lionesses}}
{{fs start}}
{{fs player|no=2|nat=NZL|pos=DF|name=Grace Neville}}
{{fs player|no=5|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Teyah Goldie|other=on loan from Arsenal}}
{{fs player|no=7|nat=CHN|pos=MF|name=Shen Mengyu}}
{{fs player|no=8|nat=JPN|pos=MF|name=Saki Kumagai}}
{{fs player|no=9|nat=SWE|pos=FW|name=Kosovare Asllani}}
{{fs player|no=10|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Gesa Marashi}}
{{fs player|no=11|nat=SRB|pos=FW|name=Miljana Ivanović}}
{{fs player|no=12|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Hermione Cull}}
{{fs player|no=13|nat=CMR|pos=MF|name=Charlène Meyong}}
{{fs player|no=14|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=María Pérez}}
{{fs player|no=15|nat=SWE|pos=MF|name=Sofia Jakobsson}}
{{fs player|no=16|nat=SWE|pos=MF|name=Julia Roddar}}
{{fs mid}}
{{fs player|no=18|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Danielle Carter}}
{{fs player|no=19|nat=FIN|pos=FW|name=Lotta Lindström}}
{{fs player|no=20|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Maddi Wilde}}
{{fs player|no=22|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Cerys Brown}}
{{fs player|no=23|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Isobel Goodwin}}
{{fs player|no=24|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Freya Godfrey|other=on loan from Arsenal}}
{{fs player|no=25|nat=NGA|pos=MF|name=Rofiat Imuran}}
{{fs player|no=27|nat=USA|pos=DF|name=Corrine Henson}}
{{fs player|no=28|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Sophie Hillyerd}}
{{fs player|no=32|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Emily Orman}}
{{fs player|no=35|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Sophia Poor|other=on loan from Aston Villa}}{{Cite web |date=27 January 2025 |title=Sophia Poor arrives at Hayes Lane. |url=https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/post/sophia-poor-arrives-at-hayes-lane |access-date=27 January 2025 |website=London City Lionesses Football Club}}
{{fs end}}
=Out on loan=
{{Fs start}}
{{fs player|no=21|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Amelia Ajao|other=at AFC Wimbledon Women until 30 June 2025}}
{{Fs end}}
=Former players=
{{for|details of current and former players|Category:London City Lionesses players}}
Club staff
{{updated|26 June 2024}}.{{cite web | url=https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/club-staff-members | title=Club Staff | London City Lionesses }}
{{Fb cs header}}
{{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Director of football |s={{Flagicon|ENG}} Ronald Thompson}}
{{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Head coach |s= {{Flagicon|France}} Jocelyn Prêcheur}}
{{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Goalkeeper coach |s= {{Flagicon|ENG}} Darren Smith}}
|}
Managerial history
Information correct as of 4 May 2025.
Seasons
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Results of league and cup competitions by season |
| rowspan="2" scope="col"|Season
!scope="col"|Division !width="20" scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|P|Games played}} !width="20" scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|W|Games won}} !width="20" scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}} !width="20" scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}} !width="20" scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|F|Goals for}} !width="20" scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|A|Goals against}} !width="20" scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|Pts|Points}} !scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{Tooltip|Pos|Final position}} !rowspan="2" scope="col"|FA Cup !rowspan="2" scope="col"|League Cup !scope="col"|Name !scope="col"|Goals |
|---|
| class="unsortable"
!colspan="9" scope="col"|League !colspan="2" scope="col"|Top goalscorer{{refn|group=nb|name=first|Goals in all competitions (Championship, FA Cup and League Cup are counted.)}} |
| scope="row"|2019–20
|{{sort|2|Championship}} |15||8||2||5||25||24||26||{{sort|04|4th}} |2019–20 Women's FA Cup#Fourth round proper |2019–20 FA Women's League Cup#Group B |{{sortname|Elizabeta|Ejupi}} |4 |
| scope="row"|2020–21
|{{sort|2|Championship}} |20||6||6||8||19||19||24||{{sort|06|6th}} |2020–21 Women's FA Cup#Fourth round proper |2020–21 FA Women's League Cup#Group B |{{sortname|Atlanta|Primus}} |4 |
| scope="row"|2021–22
|{{sort|2|Championship}} |22||13||2||7||35||22||41||{{sort|02|2nd}} |2021–22 Women's FA Cup#Fourth round proper |2021–22 FA Women's League Cup#Group E |{{sortname|Karin|Muya}} |7 |
| scope="row"|2022–23
|{{sort|2|Championship}} |22||14||3||5||49||20||45||{{sort|03|3rd}} |2022–23 Women's FA Cup#Fourth round proper |2022–23 FA Women's League Cup#Group C |{{sortname|Sarah|Ewens}} |14 |
| scope="row"|2023–24
|{{sort|2|Championship}} |22||7||4||11||26||36||25||{{sort|08|8th}} |2023–24 Women's FA Cup#Fifth round proper |2023–24 FA Women's League Cup#Quarter-finals |{{sortname|Chantelle|Boye-Hlorkah}} |8 |
| 2024–25
|{{sort|2|Championship}} |20 |13 |4 |3 |38 |17 |43 |1st | | | | |
{{reflist|group=nb}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.londoncitylionesses.com/}}
{{Women's Super League}}
Category:2019 establishments in England
Category:Association football clubs established in 2019
Category:Women's Super League 2 teams
Category:Women's Super League teams