Crystal Palace Football Club Women, formerly known as Crystal Palace Ladies Football Club, is a women's association football club based in south-east London which competes in the Women's Super League, the highest level of English women's football, after gaining promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2023–24 season. The club, known as the "Eagles", is affiliated with the men's equivalent Crystal Palace F.C.. The women's section encompasses the under-9 age group through to senior level, including an academy at The Priory School in Orpington.
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| Full name | Crystal Palace Football Club Women | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Eagles | |||
| Founded | 1992 | |||
| Ground | Gander Green Lane | |||
| Capacity | 5,032 | |||
| Chairman | Steve Parish | |||
| Manager | Laura Kaminski | |||
| League | Women's Super League | |||
| 2023–24 | Women's Championship, 1st of 12 (promoted) | |||
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The club has played its home matches at Gander Green Lane, Sutton, since the start of the 2023–24 season, as well as select matches at Selhurst Park stadium. They previously played at Hayes Lane, the home ground of Bromley F.C., between 2014 and 2023.
History edit
The club was formed in 1992 as Crystal Palace Ladies F.C.. Since 2003, the club has risen up England's football pyramid, winning the South East Combination Women's Football League in 2003–04, and they later achieved their first cup success defeating Chelsea in the Surrey FA County Cup Final in 2011. Palace reached the FA Women's Premier League in 2013–14. The club won the Division One title in 2015–16 after going the whole season undefeated and also won the Surrey FA County Cup that same season against AFC Wimbledon in the final.
In 2018, Palace's application to join the second highest tier of women's football, to become a semi-professional club and a founding member of the FA Women's Championship was successful.[1]
On 10 June 2019, the club announced it would play as "Crystal Palace FC" instead of "Crystal Palace Ladies F.C." following the growing trend within the women's game to move away from the term "Ladies".[2]
After mixed results in their first three years in the Women's Championship, Palace recorded back-to-back top-five finishes in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons.[3]
In the summer of 2023, the club appointed Grace Williams[4] as Head of Women’s Football and Laura Kaminski[5] as Head Coach.
At the end of the 2023–24 Championship season, the club was promoted to the Women's Super League as champions, scoring 55 goals – and conceding just 20 – in 22 matches. This marked Palace’s inaugural promotion to the top-flight of women’s football.[6] The promotion was sealed with a final-day draw against Sunderland at Selhurst Park, in front of a record crowd of 6,796.
Players edit
Current squad edit
- As of 1 February 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Former players edit
Club staff edit
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  Steve Parish[7][8]
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| Head of women's football | Grace Williams[4]
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| Head Coach | Laura Kaminski[5]
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| Assistant Coach | Adam Jeffrey[9]
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| Goalkeeping Coach | Daniel Matrazek
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| Physical Performance Coach | Chico Lyons
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| Physiotherapist | Tadej Citti
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Honours edit
Leagues edit
- FA Women's Championship: Champions 2023–24
- FA Women's Premier League Division One: Champions 2015–16
- South East Combination Women's Football League: Champions 2003–04
Cups edit
- Surrey County Cup: Winners 2011, 2016
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "CLUB STATEMENT: FA Women's Championship - News - Crystal Palace Ladies FC". web.archive.org. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "A new identity for Crystal Palace Ladies Football Club". CPFC Official Site. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Crystal Palace Women announce 22/23 squad – with 15 additions - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Crystal Palace appoint new Head of Women's Football - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Palace Women appoint Laura Kaminski as head coach". cpfc.co.uk. Crystal Palace FC. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ 'No-one expected this' - Crystal Palace reach WSL, Emma Smith, BBC Sport, 28 April 2024
- ^ "Why I'm backing the Premier League's Project Restart". 9 May 2024. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "Parish urges women's league overhaul to build on Euro 2022 - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "Adam Jeffrey joins Palace Women as Assistant Coach". cpfc.co.uk. Crystal Palace FC. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.