Wrexham A.F.C. Women

Wrexham Association Football Club Women (Welsh: Merched Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Wrecsam), formerly Wrexham Ladies F.C., is a Welsh semi-professional women's football club that competes in the Adran Premier, the first-tier of women's football in Wales.

Wrexham AFC Women
Full nameWrexham Association Football Club Women
Nickname(s)The Red Dragons, The Robins
Founded2003 (2003)[1]
GroundThe Rock,
Rhosymedre, Wrexham
OwnersRR McReynolds Company LLC (Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney)
ManagerSteve Dale
LeagueGenero Adran North
2022–231st (Champions)
WebsiteClub website

Since their reformation in 2018, the club has been affiliated with Wrexham A.F.C., which competes in the National League of English football. Before that, as Wrexham Ladies F.C., they helped found the North Wales Women's Football League in 2003 and the Welsh Premier Women's League in 2009.

History

In 2003, the Wrexham Ladies Football Club was formed, becoming part of the new North Wales Women's Football League. The initial squad drew from players from the North East Wales Institute (NEWI) and Yale College.

In 2008, they reached the finals of the FAW Women's Cup. In 2009, they became part of Wrexham F.C., and helped found the Welsh Premier Women's League as one of four teams in the Northern Division. In the 2011-12 season they won the division but lost the Championship Final against Cardiff Met WFC.[2]

During the 2015-16 season, they had a difficult time maintaining a full roster, and withdrew from the Premier League mid-season.[2]

In 2018, they reformed the club as Wrexham AFC Women, joining the North Wales Women's Football League to compete against teams across North Wales. The League was split into 'Division One' and 'Division Two' in North Wales; Wrexham entered the bottom tier as a new club of 'Division Two'. In that 2018 season, Wrexham won the North Wales Women's Division Two league cup, beating Rhyl Development 3–2 in a cup final hosted at Bala Town's Maes Tegid. They finished the season 4th in the league, and gained promotion into Division One.

In the 2019/20 season, the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short with Wrexham in 8th position in Division One. The Football Association on Wales decided to use a points per game (PPG) calculation to work out the finishing positions for the teams in the league.

Due to the Christmas 2020 second lockdown, the 2020/21 season was canceled with no games being played.

Before the start of the 2021/22 season, the FAW announced a restructure of Women's football in Wales, with a new Tier 2 league split into North and South with specific criteria needed in order to enter. The FAW opened up both tiers to all clubs to apply to join. Wrexham applied for the Tier 2 North, and completed a successful first campaign in that new second tier, finishing runners-up to Llandudno - after losing to the champions in a winner-takes-all game on the final day of the season at Maesdu Park.

On 9 February 2023, Wrexham A.F.C. announced they had applied for a Tier 1 license, and would become semi-professional if promoted to the Adran Premier for the 2023/24 season.[3] They won the Adran North championship trophy on March 26, and earned promotion after winning the playoff game 1-0 against Briton Ferry Llansawel A.F.C., on April 16 in Latham Park.[4]

Players

Current squad
As of 1 February 2023[5]

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 Wales WAL Delyth Morgan
3 DF Wales WAL Mia Roberts
4 DF Wales WAL Erin Lovett
6 MF Wales WAL Lauryn Lyons
7 MF England ENG Rebecca Pritchard
8 MF Wales WAL Kim Dutton
9 FW Wales WAL Rosie Hughes
10 MF Wales WAL Tonicha "TJ" Dickens
11 FW England ENG Amber Lightfoot
12 FW Wales WAL Sophie Hodson
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF England ENG Libby MacKenzie
15 DF Wales WAL Katie Sharp
16 FW Wales WAL Ava Suckley
17 FW Wales WAL Lauren McCaffrey
18 DF Wales WAL Megan Buckley
20 FW Scotland SCO Natasha Spearing
21 MF Wales WAL Lili Jones
22 DF England ENG Ella Clifton-Springer
23 DF Wales WAL Ruby Jones

Honours

League
  • NWWFL Division Two
    • Promoted (1): 2018-19
  • Genaro Adran North
    • Winners (1): 2022–23
    • Runners-up (1): 2021-22

Cups
  • NWWFL Division Two League Cup
    • Winners (1): 2019
  • NWWFL Supplementary Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2019

References
  1. "Wrexham resign from Welsh Premier Women's League". Daily Post. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  2. Jones, Dave (14 January 2016). "Wrexham resign from Welsh Premier Women's League". North Wales Live. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  3. "Wrexham AFC Women to become semi-professional". Wrexham A.F.C. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  4. "REPORT | Wrexham AFC Women 1-0 Briton Ferry Llansawel". www.wrexhamafc.co.uk.
  5. "Women's First Team". Wrexham A.F.C. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
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