Notts County Ladies F.C. Explained

Clubname:Notts County Ladies FC
Fullname:Notts County Ladies Football Club
Nickname:Lady Magpies
Founded:1995 (as Lincoln Ladies)
2014 (as Notts County Ladies)
Dissolved:2017
Ground:Meadow Lane
Nottingham
Capacity:20,229[1]
Season:2016
Position:6th

Notts County Ladies Football Club was a women's football club based in Nottingham, England. They played their home games at Meadow Lane.

Notts County Ladies were created in 2014 when Lincoln Ladies were relocated from Lincoln to Nottingham and rebranded. The club were originally formed in Lincoln in 1995 and also spent a period known as Lincoln City Ladies while affiliated to Lincoln City. Sincil Bank and other smaller venues staged the club's matches during their time in Lincoln. The club was named OOH Lincoln Ladies from 2008 until 2010, due to sponsorship from Ray Trew's OOH Media PLC.

The club withdrew from the FA WSL 1, the top tier in the English women's football league system, two days before the start of the FA WSL Spring Series on 21 April 2017.[2]

Lincoln Ladies

Lincoln Ladies FC were founded in 1995 and began playing in the East Midlands Combination League.[3] The club was promoted in each of the following seasons, bar one, until reaching the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division in 2002. This feat was achieved with the same core group of players.[4] The team finished as league runners-up in four successive seasons (2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10) and reached the semi-final of the FA Women's Cup in 2007–08.[5]

A five-year sponsorship deal with former Lincoln City F.C. board member Ray Trew in June 2008 led to the club's change of name to OOH Lincoln Ladies.[6] [7] Trew had previously sponsored the club through his SportsTV company, and made available extra funds for signings such as England internationals Kay Hawke and Amanda Barr to assist the club's promotion bid.[4]

In November 2009 the club announced a bid to join the FA WSL.[8] If successful the club planned to divide home games between Sincil Bank and current home, Ashby Avenue.[9] In 2009–10 they had taken second place in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division to Liverpool LFC, after finishing second to Sunderland WFC, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool LFC in the three previous seasons.[7]

On 22 March 2010 Lincoln were announced as one of the eight FA WSL teams for the inaugural 2011 season,[7] [10] [11] which was televised on ESPN.[7] In August 2010 the club signed Jess Clarke and Sophie Bradley for their FA WSL campaign.[12] In the same week Sue Smith also joined from Leeds United.[13] Weeks before the start of the new competition, Lincoln made another major signing with the capture of Casey Stoney from Chelsea.[14]

Stadia

Lincoln Ladies FC ground-shared with Lincoln United F.C. at Ashby Avenue after summer 2009.[15] Before that the club spent three seasons playing in Collingham, Nottinghamshire at the Station Road ground, which became a "fortress".

In 2002–03 the club played their home games at Sincil Bank and became the first women's club to play a full season at a professional Football League stadium.

On 7 January 2013 the club announced that they would play their fixtures for the 2013 FA WSL at Sincil Bank.[16]

Supporters

Lincoln Ladies FC claimed to have had one of the largest fanbases of any female club in England. The FA Women's Cup semi-final in 2008 attracted 3,000 fans to Sincil Bank, while over 1,500 attended other high-profile home matches. By the last two seasons in Lincoln, 2012 and 2013, average home attendances had slumped to 526 and 269 respectively.

Lincoln City Women

In 2019, Nettleham LFC rebranded to Lincoln City Women F.C. and became the new team affiliated with Lincoln City F.C. They are often mistaken for Lincoln Ladies but held no connection to the original team.

Notts County Ladies

Move to Nottingham

On 26 April 2013, the club said it would become Notts County Ladies from the 2014 season onwards, but did not reveal logistics of the presumed move to Nottingham.[17] [18] This has not been without controversy.[19] [20] There was talk of creating a wholly new team in Lincoln as a consequence; in 2019, Lincoln City F.C. adopted a team in the FA Women's National League.[21] A link with a male club was necessary to meet the criteria for the new two tier FA WSL.[22] Angry supporters in Lincoln compared the move to the 2003 relocation of Wimbledon F.C. to Milton Keynes.[23]

Folding and relaunch of women's team

The club withdrew from the FA WSL 1, the top tier in the English women's football league system, two days before the start of the FA WSL Spring Series on 21 April 2017.[2] [24] [25] The club created a new women's team for the 2018–19 season[26] as Notts County Women F.C.[27] [28]

Colours and badge

The playing colours of Notts County Ladies FC were black and white striped shirts and white shorts.[29] The club also used the same badge as their affiliate club.

Stadia

The rebranding to Notts County for the 2014 season entailed a relocation to Meadow Lane, Nottingham.

Former players

For details of former players, see .

Managerial statistics

Honours

As Lincoln Ladies F.C.:

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Notts County Secure Full Safety Rating. 22 July 2011. nottscountyfc.co.uk. Notts County F.C.. https://web.archive.org/web/20120401140458/http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10426~2399156,00.html. 1 April 2012. dead.
  2. News: Notts County Ladies: WSL 1 club fold on eve of Spring Series season. 21 April 2017. BBC Sport. 21 April 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170421104112/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39667392. 21 April 2017. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: Club History. Ladyimps.com. 9 March 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20090425164329/http://www.ladyimps.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110&Itemid=69. 25 April 2009. dmy-all.
  4. News: Lincoln's original imps still set for the top despite cup defeat. Tony Leighton. The Guardian. 6 November 2006. 18 January 2011. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131215004154/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/nov/06/womensfootball.sport. 15 December 2013. dmy-all.
  5. Web site: Lincoln City Ladies v Arsenal Ladies. BBC Lincolnshire. 9 March 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130207023334/http://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2008/03/11/ladies_streaming_feature.shtml. 7 February 2013. dmy-all.
  6. Web site: OOH Lincoln. Ladyimps.com. 9 March 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20090425164346/http://www.ladyimps.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54:ooh-lincoln&catid=13&Itemid=45. 25 April 2009. dmy-all.
  7. Web site: The OOH Lincoln Ladies. LincsMag.com. 8 April 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20110713210335/http://www.lincsmag.com/Lincolnshire_Sport/007_OOH_Lincoln_Ladies_History.html. 13 July 2011. dmy-all.
  8. Web site: Lincoln Ladies F.C. Super League Bid. Ladyimps.com. 9 March 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20110713181040/http://www.ladyimps.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=407:ooh-lincoln-ladies-fc-super-league-bid&catid=14&Itemid=35. 13 July 2011. dmy-all.
  9. News: OOH Lincoln declare intention to join women's Super League in 2011. The Guardian. 9 March 2010. London. 30 November 2009. Tony. Leighton. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403141118/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/nov/30/lincoln-women-football-super-league. 3 April 2015. dmy-all.
  10. News: Lincoln Ladies FA Women's Super League bid success. BBC. 28 March 2010. 22 March 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20100328195040/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women/8579715.stm. 28 March 2010. dmy-all.
  11. News: Lincoln City the surprise name in newly formed Women's Super League. The Guardian. 28 March 2010. London. 21 March 2010. Tony. Leighton. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20100325105558/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/21/women-football-super-league. 25 March 2010. dmy-all.
  12. News: Double is major coup for Lady Imps. Give me football. 3 August 2010. 3 August 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110613151059/http://www.givemefootball.com/womens-football/double-is-major-coup-for-lady-imps. 13 June 2011. dmy-all.
  13. News: Lincoln Ladies sign England winger Sue Smith. BBC Sport. 1 January 2011. 4 August 2010.
  14. News: Casey Stoney moves clubs ahead of the new Super League . BBC Sport. 16 March 2011 . 21 March 2011. Jessica Creighton.
  15. News: Lincoln Ladies to return to city. BBC. 9 March 2010.
  16. News: Lincoln Ladies in deal to play home games at Sincil Bank. https://archive.today/20130505073926/http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Lincoln-Ladies-deal-play-home-games-Sincil-Bank/story-17781794-detail/story.html. dead. 5 May 2013. This is Lincolnshire. 7 January 2013. 7 January 2013. Barnaby Banks.
  17. News: WSL 2014. Lincoln Ladies. 23 April 2013. 23 April 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130501015453/http://www.lincolnladiesfc.com/news/fawsl_2014.html. 1 May 2013. dmy-all.
  18. News: Fish. Elizabeth. Lincoln Ladies to become Notts County Ladies in 2014. 3 August 2013. The Lincolnite. 26 April 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140116143607/http://thelincolnite.co.uk/2013/04/lincoln-ladies-to-become-notts-county-ladies-in-2014/. 16 January 2014. dmy-all.
  19. News: Lincoln Ladies: Move to Nottingham branded 'own goal'. 3 August 2013. BBC news Lincolnshire. 29 April 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130603122429/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-22335404. 3 June 2013. dmy-all.
  20. News: Lincoln Ladies move to Nottingham will 'kill Forest Ladies'. 3 August 2013. BBC news Lincolnshire. 30 April 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130606230344/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22352456. 6 June 2013. dmy-all.
  21. News: Whiley. Mark. Lincoln City Ladies could be reborn if FA backs proposal to form new women's club. 3 August 2013. Lincolnshire Echo. 23 May 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130713181605/http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Lincoln-City-Ladies-reborn-FA-backs-proposal-form/story-19069474-detail/story.html#axzz2av1NKKim. 13 July 2013. dmy-all.
  22. News: Scotland defender Rachel Corsie signs for Notts County. 15 January 2014. BBC. 15 January 2014. Heather. Dewar. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140116225131/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25748254. 16 January 2014. dmy-all.
  23. News: Lincoln Ladies: Casey Stoney accepts fans' anger over move. 12 April 2014. BBC. 3 May 2013. Alistair. Magowan. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131016224813/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22369525. 16 October 2013. dmy-all.
  24. Web site: Notts County Ladies Folds Following Huge Debts – FC Business. 21 April 2016 . en. 2020-04-22.
  25. News: sport. Guardian. Notts County Ladies 'jobless and homeless' as club folds on eve of season. 2017-04-21. The Guardian. 2020-04-22. agencies. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  26. Web site: Notts County relaunch women's team. 22 May 2018.
  27. Notts County: Owner announces women’s team to be reformed 13 months after folding https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44195466
  28. Web site: Notts County FC - Women's team. www.nottscountyfc.co.uk. 2020-04-22.
  29. Web site: Notts County Ladies F.C.. www.nclfc.co.uk . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006185315/http://www.nclfc.co.uk/team.html . 6 October 2014.

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