Wrexham Ladies F.C.

Wrexham Association Football Club Women ( cy, 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.

Since their reformation in 2018, the club has been affiliated with Wrexham A.F.C., which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth division 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

2003–2018: As ''Wrexham Ladies FC''

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.

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

2018–2020: As ''Wrexham A.F.C. Women''

In 2018, they reformed the club as ''Wrexham A.F.C. 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.

2020–present: New owners, promotion to Adran Premier

In November 2020, Canadian-American actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor Rob McElhenney, through their RR McReynolds Company LLC, bought Wrexham A.F.C. 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. 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. On 27 June, 2023, the club announced that ten players have signed semi-professional contracts, a first in club history.

Players

Current squad

Honours

Domestic

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

Records

Women's Player of the Season

* 2021-22 - Rosie Hughes
* 2022-23 - Rosie Hughes

Women's Young Player of the Season

* 2021-22 - Amber Lightfoot
* 2022-23 - Amber Lightfoot

Women's Players' Player of the Season

* 2021-22 - TJ Dickens
* 2022-23 - Erin Lovett

Women's Top Goalscorer

* 2021-22 - Rosie Hughes
* 2022-23 - Rosie Hughes

Women's Coaching Staff

References

External links

Official Twitter account

{{Wrexham A.F.C.

Women's football clubs in Wales
Association football clubs established in 2003
Sport in Wrexham
Wrexham A.F.C.
2003 establishments in Wales