The Story of Arsenal Ladies Football Club
Most Successful Team in English Women's Soccer
Aug 4, 2009
Arsenal Ladies Football Club was formed in 1987 under the tutelage of Vic Akers, the man who would guide the women’s team to unprecedented honours over his 22 year tenure.
When Akers retired from the management post in May 2009, his team had amassed an amazing 32 trophies, including eleven FA Women’s Premier League Titles and ten FA Women’s Cups, as well as the coveted UEFA Women’s Cup, which in 2007 made Arsenal the first British women’s team to win the top European championship.
Women’s Soccer in England
The history of women’s soccer in England is marked by a long period of struggle when the national governing body, the Football Association, actually banned the women’s game from its grounds in 1921. The official ban was not lifted until 1971, when a slow process of integration began, culminating finally in the formation of a national league in 1991 followed by the launch of the Women’s FA Challenge Cup and the FA Women’s Premier League in 1993.
Arsenal Ladies, the women’s representatives of the famous North London club, imposed themselves immediately, winning a treble of domestic honours in 1993 with the League Cup, FA Cup and inaugural Premier League championship.
Record-Breaking Results in Women’s Soccer
Since that inaugural season, Arsenal have racked up record-breaking results to become the most successful team in English women’s soccer. In 2009, despite losing key players mid-season to the new professional league in the USA, Arsenal Ladies completed their third domestic treble of league championship, League Cup and FA Cup.
Their most successful season was in 2007, when they accomplished the unprecedented feat of winning the quadruple: Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. Astoundingly, they did so without losing a match.
Arsenal Ladies Football Academy and Development
As with the men’s team, a strong youth development programme has been a crucial part of Arsenal Ladies FC. The club is home of one of the FA’s 20 Centres of Excellence for girls from the age of five to hone their skills and work towards elite player status. For ages 16-22, the Arsenal Ladies Youth Academy was founded in 2000 to combine academic studies and day-to-day football training.
The Academy provides reserve players who train and develop under the guidance of accomplished senior players like Wales captain Jayne Ludlow and England star striker Kelly Smith. Both the U16s and Reserves have also enjoyed tremendous success in their respective competitions.
Arsenal Ladies Players in International Soccer
Arsenal boasts several players with impressive international credentials. Several of the current England squad hail from Arsenal, including captain Faye White, winger Rachel Yankey and midfielder Katie Chapman. Wales, Scotland and Ireland are also represented in the squad, most notably by Scotland captain and all-time top scorer Julie Fleeting.
Of the five English players who were recruited in 2009 for the first season of America’s elite professional league, Women’s Professional Soccer, three came from Arsenal: Kelly Smith; Karen Carney; and Alex Scott.
Julie Fleeting, Kelly Smith and Rachel Yankey have all been awarded MBEs by the Queen for their contribution to sport.
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