Lewes F.C. Women

Lewes Football Club Women is a women's football club affiliated with Lewes F.C. The club compete in the FA Women's National League South and play at The Dripping Pan. The team's highest ever league finish was 5th place in the second-tier FA Women's Championship in 2020–21.

Lewes F.C. Women

Full name	Lewes Football Club Women
Nickname(s)	The Rooks
Founded	2002^[1]
Ground	The Dripping Pan, Lewes
Capacity	3,000 (600 seated)
Manager	Scott Booth
League	FA Women's National League South
2023–24	Women's Championship, 11th of 12 (relegated)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

History

 

"Equality FC" badges on Lewes kit in 2020

Lewes Ladies FC was established in 2002 as the women's affiliate of Lewes FC, a not-for-profit club helping pioneer 100% fan and community ownership. The team started playing in the South East Counties football league and within a ten-year period climbed through the pyramid, winning promotion to the fourth-tier FA Women's Premier League in 2012 following an unbeaten season.^[2]

In 2017, Lewes became the first professional or semi-professional football club to pay its women's team the same as its men's team as part of their Equality FC initiative.^[3]

In 2018, the team was awarded a place in the FA Women's Championship.^[4] In September 2019 club director Barry Collins resigned, frustrated at the board's preoccupation with equality campaigning: "I joined a football club and feel like I'm leaving a political party".^[5]

Managerial history

Name	Nationality	From	To	Ref.
Jacquie Agnew	England	2002	June 2014	^[6]^[7]^[8]
John Donoghue	England	June 2014	November 2018	^[9]^[10]^[11]
Fran Alonso	Spain	December 2018	January 2020	^[12]^[13]^[14]
Simon Parker	England	January 2020		^[15]
Scott Booth	Scotland		Present

Current squad

As of 24 September 2023.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   IRL Sophie Whitehouse 2 DF   ENG Grace Riglar 3 MF   WAL Rhian Cleverly 4 MF   ENG Amelia Hazard 5 DF   ENG Grace Garrad 6 DF   ENG Ellie Hack 7 MF   NIR Caragh Hamilton 8 MF   ENG Grace Palmer 9 FW   ENG Valentine Pursey 10 FW   MLT Maria Farrugia 11 MF   ENG Anna Grey

No. Pos. Nation Player 12 DF   ENG Shauna Vassell 14 MF   ENG Reanna Blades 15 MF   ENG Hollie Olding 16 FW   ENG Kate Oakley 18 MF   IRL Lois Roche 19 FW   IRL Kate Mooney 20 FW   ENG Eve Clarkson 21 MF   ENG Sarah Brasero-Carreira 25 FW   NZL Jacqui Hand 26 GK   CAN Emily Moore 36 FW   ENG Chelsea Ferguson (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion)

Season summary

Key

• QF = Quarter-finals
• SF = Semi-finals

Champions

Runners-up

Promoted

Relegated

Results of league and cup competitions by season

Season	Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos	FA Cup
	League
2002–03
2003–04	SEC^[16]	16	7	6	3	26	21	27	3rd
2004–05	SEC^[17]	18	10	5	3	35	14	35	3rd	R2
2005–06	LSEWRFL^[18]	22	18	1	3	85	20	55	2nd
2006–07	LSEWRFL^[19]	20	18	1	1	68	15	55	1st
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10										R3
2010–11										R1
2011–12										R2
2012–13	WPL South^[20]	18	7	2	9	23	24	23	5th	R2
2013–14	WPL South^[21]	20	9	4	7	31	32	31	6th	R3
2014–15	WPL South^[22]	22	6	3	13	31	37	21	7th	R3
2015–16	WPL South^[23]	22	8	1	13	30	42	25	7th	R3
2016–17	WPL South^[24]	20	7	4	9	31	36	25	7th	R3
2017–18	WPL South^[25]	22	14	2	6	45	25	44	5th	R5
2018–19	Championship	20	5	2	13	23	47	17	9th	R4
2019–20	Championship	12	2	3	7	10	18	9	8th	R5
2020–21	Championship	20	8	4	8	19	22	28	5th	R4
2021–22	Championship	22	9	2	11	23	24	29	8th	R3
2022–23	Championship	22	7	5	10	20	29	26	9th	QF
2023–24	Championship	22	4	4	14	22	39	16	11th	R3

See also

• Category:Lewes F.C. Women players
• Football in Sussex

References

1. . Lewes F.C. 24 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
2. "History". lewesfc.com.
3. Christenson, Marcus (12 July 2017). "Lewes FC become first professional club to pay women and men equally". The Guardian.
4. "Lewes FC Women win a place in the new FA Women's Championship". lewesfc.com.
5. "'I joined a football club and feel like I'm leaving a political party' – Collins explains Lewes exit". Nonleaguedaily.com. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
6. "Donoghue switches from Brighton to Lewes". ProTalent Sports. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
7. "Marrs leaves Gillingham for Brighton Super League challenge". Lewes FC. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
8. "Donoghue switches from Brighton to Lewes". Sent Her Forward. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
9. "Donoghue switches from Brighton to Lewes". Sent Her Forward. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
10. "Thanks and goodbye to John Donoghue". Lewes FC. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
11. "Lewes Women part company with Donoghue after poor run". Sussex Express. 14 November 2018.
12. "Fran Alonso: Ex-Everton and Southampton coach named new Lewes Women manager". BBC. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
13. "Alonso departs as Parker takes up the reins". Lewes FC. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
14. "Fran Alonso to manage Celtic Women after Lewes exit". BBC. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
15. "Alonso departs as Parker takes up the reins". Lewes FC. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
16. "South East Counties Womens League 2003–04". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
17. "South East Counties Womens League 2004–05". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
18. "London & South East Regional Women's League 2005–06". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
19. "London & South East Regional Women's League 2006–07". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
20. "FA Women's National League South 2012–13". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
21. "FA Women's National League South 2013–14". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
22. "FA Women's National League South 2014–15". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
23. "FA Women's National League South 2015–16". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
24. "FA Women's National League South 2016–17". fulltime-league.thefa.com.
25. "FA Women's National League South 2017–18". fulltime-league.thefa.com.

External links

• Official website