Burnley FC Girls & Ladies
| Full name | Burnley FC Girls & Ladies | |
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| Nickname(s) | The Clarettes | |
| Founded | 1995 | |
| Ground | Barden Sports Ground | |
| Capacity | 1,000 | |
| Chairman | Kris Jones | |
| Manager | Kris Jones | |
| League | North West Women's Regional Football League Premier Division | |
| 2014–15 | North West Women's Regional Football League Premier Division, 4th. | |
| Website | Club home page | |
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Burnley FC Girls & Ladies is a women's only football club from Burnley in north east Lancashire and is affiliated with Burnley F.C..
For the 2015/16 Season the clubs First Team will be managed by Kris Jones and play in the North West Women's Regional Football League Premier Division. Home games are played at Barden Sports Ground, the home of Burnley United F.C. who play in the West Lancashire Football League Premier Division.
History
Burnley FC Girls & Ladies was founded in 1995 by John Lister, just too late for hometown girl and former England international goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis to join as a child.[1] The club initially consisted of 15 ladies, who trained in the old sports barn at Turf Moor and played their home games at the clubs training facility at Gawthorpe.[2] Following the demise of the Lancashire League, the team joined the North West Women's Regional League, where it continues to play to this day.[3]
The 2015 Season was a successful one for the clubs two open age teams. The First Team finished fourth in the North West Women's Regional League Premier Division,[4][5] whilst the newly formed Senior Development Squad, played in the Lancashire County Football Association Division 2, where they finished as runners-up and secured promotion in their first full season.
The club has had a strong junior set-up from the outset. An Under 10s side was formed by Grahame Meeks and Peter Cooper shortly after the First Team was founded.[6] In 2016, with almost 160 registered players, the club is one of the largest female only football clubs in the North West.
The junior set-up is not part of the Elite Player Performance Plan, a long-term strategy introduced in 2012 to take Premier League youth development to the next level. By deliberately avoiding 'Academy Status' girls of all ages and abilities are encouraged to take-up football. Of the clubs eight junior teams, six play in the West Lancashire Girls Football League, which was named Charter Standard League of the Year by the FA in 2013,[7] with the Under 9s and Under 15s teams electing to play in the North Valley and Burnley Unity Youth League for the 2015/16 Season.
The 2015/16 Season marks the clubs 20th Anniversary of playing competitive football.
In recent years an increasing number of junior players have won scholarships to play soccer in the North American college system. At the end of the 2014/15 Season Sophie Greenwood and Hannah Till signed to play for Indian Hills Community College in Iowa.[8] Natalie Bell will be heading to the States at the end of the 2015/16 Season to play for Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina, whilst First Team defender Taylor Gregson will be coaching in New Jersey.
Club Management
- Chairman: Kris Jones
- Vice Chairman: Bryan Tunstill
- Secretary: John Halton
- Joint Treasurers: Catherine McCartney & Justine Lee
- First Team Manager: Kris Jones
- First Team Assistant Manager: Michael Flannery
- First Team Physio: Jack Hindle
- Senior Development Squad Manager: Marvin Heys
- Open Age Teams Secretary: Martin Smith
First Team Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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References
- ↑ Geldard, Suzanne (8 September 2014). "England International Rachel Brown-Finnis wants to see the Burnley girls on the up". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ↑ Milne-Redhead, Tim. "Club History". Burnley FC Girls & Ladies. Pitchero. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ↑ "North West Womens Regional League". Full-Time League Administration. The Football Association. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ↑ "Burnley FC Ladies guarantee top four finish with draw". Hartlepool Mail. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ↑ "North West Womens Regional League". Full-Time League Administration. The Football Association. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ↑ Milne-Redhead, Tim. "Club History". Burnley FC Girls & Ladies. Pitchero. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ↑ Warham, Noel. "WLGFL Named Charter Standard League of the Year". West Lancashire Girls Football League. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ↑ Gale, Stephanie. "Sophie Greenwood Signs With IHCC". Indian Hills Soccer. Indian Hills Community College. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
External links
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