Chelsea L.F.C.



Chelsea Ladies Football Club are an English women's football club based in Fulham, England. Since 2004, the club has been affiliated with Chelsea F.C., a men's team in the Premier League. Chelsea L.F.C. was a founding member of the FA WSL in 2010, the top level of women's football in England since 2011. From 2005 to 2010, the side competed in the Premier League National Division, the top tier of women's football in England at the time.

Establishment
Chelsea Ladies Football Club was formed in 1992 after supporters of Chelsea FC expressed demand for a women's side. In June 2004, Chelsea Ladies voted to be taken over and funded by Chelsea FC's Football in the Community department. The club then won promotion as champions from the Southern Division in 2004–05 to the Premier League National Division and have participated at the top level ever since.

FA Premier League National Division, 2005–2010
After starting 2005–06 with one point from six games, manager George Michealas was fired in September after four years in charge. They finished bottom of the league that season under Shaun Gore, but won a promotion/relegation play-off against Northern Division runners-up Liverpool 4–1 on aggregate to stay in the Premier League National Division. During the season the club had been linked with a transfer bid for North American star players Tiffeny Milbrett and Christine Sinclair.

After an eighth-placed finish in 2006–07, Gore drafted in England players Siobhan Chamberlain, Casey Stoney and Eniola Aluko that summer. American World Cup winner Lorrie Fair, regarded as one of the best midfielders in the women's game, joined in January as Chelsea finished 2007–08 in fifth position.

Chelsea Ladies introduced a new manager for the 2008–09 season, former Arsenal Ladies reserve team coach Steve Jones. On 2 July 2008 Chelsea surprisingly signed Lianne Sanderson and Anita Asante from Arsenal Ladies, in addition to veteran Mary Phillip. Then Arsenal Ladies manager Vic Akers criticised his former players as disrespectful, while pursuing players from other clubs to bolster his own squad.

Chelsea Ladies finished the 2008–09 season third behind Arsenal and Everton. Mary Phillip retired a month into the new season, Eniola Aluko and Anita Asante left for the new WPS in March 2009, while Lorrie Fair missed the whole campaign with a cruciate ligament injury sustained in May 2008. Jones departed as manager in January 2009, leaving Casey Stoney to act as player/manager.

At Casey Stoney's recommendation, Matt Beard became manager for 2009–10. Cuts to the Ladies club's funding were offset by financial assistance from John Terry and other Chelsea FC players. A further blow arrived when Lianne Sanderson left for the 2010 WPS season.

FA Women's Super League (FAWSL), 2011–present
The club bid successfully to be one of eight founding teams in the FA Women's Super League in March 2011. Beard led the club to the FA Women's Cup final for the first time in 2012, but Chelsea were eventually beaten by Birmingham City on a penalty shootout after twice taking the lead in a 2–2 draw. In July 2012 Matt Beard resigned as manager after three years in the post, to be replaced by Emma Hayes.

In May 2013, Edda Garðarsdóttir revealed that club rules prevent Chelsea Ladies players from talking to their male clubmates, unless the male player initiates the conversation.

The 2014 season was successful for Chelsea, as they finished second in the FA Women's Super League behind Liverpool on goal difference, after eight wins, two draws and four losses. A final day win would have clinched them the league title, but they lost 2–1 away to Manchester City. Their second-place finish meant that they qualified for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time in the club's history. They also reached the semi finals of both the FA and Continental Cups, where they lost to both eventual winners, Arsenal and Manchester City respectively.

In 2015, it was announced that many of Chelsea's players would be becoming full professionals for the first time.

On 1 August 2015, Chelsea won their first ever FA Women's Cup. They beat Notts County Ladies at Wembley Stadium. Ji So-yun scored the only goal at the 39th-minute while Eniola Aluko won the player of the match award. The team then beat Sunderland 4–0 in October 2015 to secure the FA WSL title and a League and Cup "double".

Former players
For details of former players, see Category:Chelsea L.F.C. players.

Stadium
Chelsea L.F.C. play their home games at Wheatsheaf Park, the home of the Staines Town F.C.. The stadium is located in Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex and features capacity for 3,002 spectators.

The team previously played at Imperial Fields during the 2011-12 season, the home ground of Isthmian League club Tooting & Mitcham United.

Domestic Competitions

 * FA Women's Super League 1
 * (1): 2015
 * FA Women's Cup
 * (1): 2014–15
 * Premier League Southern Division
 * (1): 2004–05
 * Surrey County Cup
 * (9): 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013

UEFA Champions League record
All results (home and away) list Chelsea's goal tally first.