Crusaders Strikers Football Club is a
women's association football
Women's association football, more commonly known simply as women's football or women's soccer, is a team sport of association football when played by women only. It is played at the professional level in multiple countries and 176 national te ...
club based in
North Belfast,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. The club was founded in
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
as Newtownabbey Strikers and became a member of the
Northern Ireland Women's Football Association
The Northern Ireland Women's Football Association (NIWFA) is the governing body of women's association football in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1977.
History
Prior to 1977, there was no organizing body for women's football in Northern Ire ...
in 1994. In 2009, Newtownabbey Strikers amalgamated with
Crusaders F.C.
Crusaders Football Club is a professional Northern Irish football club, playing in the NIFL Premiership, highest level of the Irish League. The club, founded in 1898, is based in north Belfast and plays its home matches at Seaview.
Crusader ...
to become Crusaders Strikers.
The team has won the
Women's Premier League of Northern Ireland six times
First-team squad
European record
In UEFA competitions the strikers have achieved two draws so far against FC Clujana Cluj and
Maccabi Holon. The club played in the
2010–11 UEFA Women's Champions League
The 2010–11 UEFA Women's Champions League was the tenth edition of the European women's championship for football clubs. The final was held in London, England on 26 May 2011 at Craven Cottage.
French side Olympique Lyon won the competition afte ...
qualifying round hosting the mini-tournament but lost all their games.
UEFA Women's Cup:
*
2003–04: 2nd qualifying round, 4th
*
2004–05: 2nd qualifying round, 4th
*
2006–07: 1st qualifying round, 4th
UEFA Women's Champions League
The UEFA Women's Champions League, previously called the UEFA Women's Cup (2001–2009), is a European women's association football competition. It involves the top club teams from countries affiliated with the European governing body UEFA.
The ...
:
*
2010-11: qualifying round, 4th
*
2011–12: qualifying round, 4th
*
2013-14: qualifying round, 4th
Northern Ireland Internationals
; internationals
*
Julie Nelson
; U19 internationals
* Beth Chalmers
* Faith Johnston
* Maddy Harvey-Clifford
* Jessica Rea
* Sasha Clare
* Holly Otter
* Rachel McLaren
Titles
*
Women's Premiership
The Women's Premiership, also called the RFUW Premiership was the top level of women's rugby union in England until 2017. It was formed in 1990 and was run by the Rugby Football Union for Women. It was superseded in the 2017/18 season by Premier ...
:Winners (6): 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012
*
IFA Women's Challenge Cup
''For the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Women's Cup.''
The IFA Women's Challenge Cup or Irish Women's Cup is the annual cup competition of women's football teams in Northern Ireland. Currently branded as Electric Irel ...
:Winners (2): 2005, 2011
Crusaders Strikers Football Development Centre/Girls Academy
Crusaders Strikers have the most established girls' Football Development Centre in Northern Ireland.
Catering for girls aged 4–18 were the players can develop their football skills in a safe and inclusive environment.
The FDC aims to bring girls through the pathway to senior football, while also promoting lifetime participation.
The FDC has had a lot of success over the years, with a lot of the current first team being made up of academy graduates.
The FDC/academy philosophy is 'to develop good players and good people.'
References
External links
Club's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newtownabbey, Crusaders
Women's association football clubs in Northern Ireland
1992 establishments in Northern Ireland
Crusaders F.C.
Association football clubs established in 1992