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| Full name | Manchester City Women's Football Club | |||
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| Nicknames | The Citizens, The Blues, City, Man City | |||
| Founded | November 1988; 37 years ago (1988-11) | |||
| Ground | Joie Stadium,Manchester | |||
| Capacity | 7,000 (5,000 seated) | |||
| Director | Therese Sjögran | |||
| Manager | Andrée Jeglertz | |||
| League | Women's Super League | |||
| 2024–25 | WSL, 4th of 12 | |||
| Website | mancity.com/mcwfc | |||
 Current season | ||||
| Active departments of Manchester City | ||||||||||||
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Manchester City Women's Football Club (formerlyManchester City Ladies F.C.) is an Englishwomen's football club based inManchester who play in theWomen's Super League. It is affiliated withManchester City which plays in thePremier League.
Manchester City Ladies Football Club was formed in November 1988, the brainchild ofManchester City Community Officer Neil Mather – who would become the side's first manager – plus several others involved in the club's community scheme.[1] Their first match was a friendly againstOldham onBoundary Park'sartificial pitch, which City won by a score of 4–1.[2] Only able to play friendlies in their first season due to the late formation of the club, the team joined theNorth West Women's Regional Football League the following year.[3] Their first competitive league match took place on Sunday September 3rd 1989, where they played Chorley Ladies FC (now known as Chorley Women FC) at Astley Park and lost 11-0.[4] In the hopes of increasing publicity for women's football, the Manchester City's men's first team defenderColin Hendry was appointed Club President in March 1990 during a period when it was receiving plaudits for being one of the first league clubs in north-west England to create an affiliated women's side.[5]
Manchester City Ladies initially struggled with the strength of the opposition in their first league fixtures, having been immediately placed in the second division of four due to the strength of the club's name alone, but managed to improve results enough to finish mid-table.[6] In their second season, they improved further and consequently achieved their first promotion.[7]
Although Manchester City Ladies established itself in the top division of the North West Women's Regional Football League, a lack of financial independence meant that the club's fortunes were tied to the men's side, resulting in a first relegation in 1996–97, the season after the men's team themselves were relegated from thePremier League. The club's support for their ladies' team was reduced, poor conditions atPlatt Lane caused a series of fixture postponements and a shortage of players resulted in discussions on whether to merge the ladies' team intoStockport County Ladies.[8]
Manchester City's relegation coincided with the reorganisation of the club spearheaded by Derek Heath, a Stockport County Ladies coach who had transferred to the Manchester club owing to Stockport County Ladies' reluctance to affiliate with the male side of the same name.[9] Heath brought in a raft of new players – many directly from Stockport – and created the first-ever junior side when he arranged for Manchester City to adopt the Stockport under-14 team which his former club were no longer in a position to support.[10] Although Heath was to die after a brief battle with cancer barely a year after joining the club, Manchester City went unbeaten in the league throughout the 1997–98 season to win the second division title at the first time of asking – their first official silverware.[11]
Promotion in 1998 would start a period of success for Manchester City. After narrowly missing out on a second promotion in 1999,[12] they won the Premier Division in 1999–2000 and beatBarnsley in the promotion play-off to lift themselves above the North West Regional Football League for the first time.[13] The following season they won theNorthern Combination and joined theWFA National League (renamed theWomen's Premier League in 1992) Northern Division.[14] The step up to the WPL proved to be a large one, however, and the club narrowly avoided relegation on several occasions, never finishing outside of the bottom half for the first seven seasons. Only the appointment of Leigh Wood to the managerial position in 2007 was able to change the club from relegation battlers to title hopefuls.[15]
The Englishwomen's football pyramid was shaken up again in 2010 when theFA Women's Super League was created as a new top-tier competition to sit over the top of the Women's Premier League. The FA announced that entry would be based on application rather than promotion and that all members of the WPL National Division plus the top two finishers in the two regional leagues would be eligible to apply. Manchester City would miss out on the opportunity, instead finishing fourth,[16] but would seize their next opportunity to join the WSL some three seasons later when it was expanded into an 18-team, two-tiered league system - by which time the club had won the Northern Division and were contesting the National Division. To some surprise and controversy[17] on 26 April City Ladies were announced to have been given direct entry to the first division of the enlarged competition, at the expense of established teamDoncaster Rovers Belles who were downgraded to the second division and were the only team to lose their top division status.[18]
In anticipation of their first WSL season the club began a complete renovation of the playing squad, signing a number of England internationals and promising players, including the likes ofEngland goalkeeperKaren Bardsley,[19] 74-times capped midfielderJill Scott[20] and new club captainSteph Houghton,[21] intending to make an impression on the league from the start. On 23 January 2014, the club was relaunched with a minor renaming to Manchester City Women's Football Club, ready for the new season.[22] Nick Cushing was appointed first team manager, with Leigh Wood moving to first team head coach.
Their first season of professional football would see Manchester City finish fifth of eight teams, at the same time winning their first-ever major trophy when they defeatedArsenal in the2014 FA WSL Cup Final.[23] The following season would start poorly, but City Women returned from the summer break for theWomen's World Cup a different side, withEngland's third-place finish seemingly rejuvenating both players and fans. Recording twelve wins in their remaining thirteen league games[24] the club entered a title challenge which they only lost on the final day of the season.[25] Although it brought them no silverware, their runners-up position was enough to secure themEuropean football for the first time in their history.[25] As they embarked on their late-season surge, City also broke the league attendance record not once[26] but twice.[27]
The following seasons would see Manchester City become one of the dominant sides of English women's football, winning the league in 2016[28] and claiming twoWomen's FA Cup[29] and two further WSL Cups[30] by the end of the decade.
Nick Cushing left his role as manager to become assistant coach toRonny Deila atMLS sideNew York City, with his last match being againstArsenal on 2 February 2020.[31]Gareth Taylor took over as manager,[32] having a good start in his first year with the squad.[33]
The side saw various injuries to many of its first-team players from 2021 and into the 2021–22 season, struggling at times domestically and particularly in Europe.[32][34] It has been compared to the 2015 injury crisis that saw City under Cushing spring a late comeback and then dominates in 2016.[33]
Over the summer of 2022, Manchester City saw nine[35] of its high-profile and established players leave: Bardsley, Scott, andEllen White through retirement;Janine Beckie toPortland Thorns;Karima Benameur Taieb toMarseille;Lucy Bronze andKeira Walsh toBarcelona;Caroline Weir toReal Madrid; andGeorgia Stanway toBayern Munich.[32][34] Described as an exodus from the club,[36][37] sports journalists questioned if the draw of European football was the only factor in big name departures, as well as debating the resilience of a club with so many new faces arriving at once and the "entire, world class starting midfield three" leaving.[34][38][39][33] The last to leave was Walsh, for aworld-record transfer fee on 7 September; her departure from Manchester City (after the retirements of Bardsley and Scott) meant that Houghton was the last remaining 2014 season player at the club.
Sources close to the club cited byThe Athletic felt that reasons for most of the departures were not individually concerning, besides that "last season's results were below what the club expected, and some players were not happy with the feedback received from the backroom staff". However, the high number of departures at once and the club's seeming lack of sufficient recruitment to cover the calibre of these players were seen as potential matters of concern, with fans decrying the management on social media.[35]The Sportsman also worried that losing so many starting players would make the club's evolution under Taylor less visible and effective.[40]
After a rough start to the 2022–23 season,[34] including a first-ever loss toAston Villa in their first league match,[41] Manchester City re-found their footing and took enough wins to end 2022 fourth in the league, unable to defeat any of the other "Big Four" (the Big Three and newly improved rivalsManchester United) teams but holding strong to retain a position among the title contenders, with the new signings said to have gelled surprisingly quickly.[34] Despite the regained form, following Manchester City defeatingLeicester City by the usual wide margin in October 2022,ESPN felt that the team had "a certain sparkle lacking from their football, and the unquenchableje ne sais quoi the top teams manage to cultivate through their star-studded teams remained absent", again asking if Taylor would be able to bring the team silverware.[33]
The following 2023–24 season, Manchester City finished equal in points with long-standing champions Chelsea, losing the title to them on goal difference alone.[42]
Since the opening ofAcademy Stadium directly across the Ashton New Road and Alan Turing Way from theCity of Manchester Stadium, Manchester City Women have been based at the training complex's 7,000-capacity stadium in tandem with the men's academy's senior side. The stadium has on three occasions since the middle of 2015 set an attendance record for aFA WSL league game.
Prior to moving into Academy Stadium, the women's side was based in theManchester Regional Athletics Arena.
On 14 September 2023, Manchester City announced Joie as the official stadium naming partner.[43]
Throughout their history, MCWFC has had an affiliation with Manchester City, being established within its corporate structure in 1988. Replica kits of the men's team were still worn and the professional side financially supported the team, yet organisationally it managed itself for much of its existence. They were established as part of City in the Community in 1988 with its development during the 1990s and beyond relying on the dedication of a number of Manchester City Ladies officials, individuals and volunteers.
Following an announcement on 28 August 2012, Manchester City Ladies' position as an official part of the club became formalised under a new agreement. Consequently, the women's side shares not only corporate links and resources with the male team but also their training facilities, as well as being included in the marketing and social media of thePremier League side.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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For details of current and former players, seeCategory:Manchester City W.F.C. players.
| Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Top scorer(s) | Goals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division (tier) | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Competition | Result | ||||||
| 2014 | WSL 1 (1) | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 5th | QF | W | Toni Duggan | 11 | |||
| 2015 | WSL 1 (1) | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 11 | 30 | 2nd | SF | QF | Toni Duggan | 12 | |||
| 2016 | WSL 1 (1) | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 4 | 42 | 1st | SF | W | SF | Jane Ross | 13 | ||
| 2017 | WSL SS (1) | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 2nd | W | Lucy Bronze Jill Scott Toni Duggan | 4 | ||||
| 2017–18 | WSL 1 (1) | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 51 | 17 | 38 | 2nd | SF | RU | SF | Nikita Parris | 18 | ||
| 2018–19 | WSL 1 (1) | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 53 | 17 | 47 | 2nd | W | W | Ro32 | Nikita Parris | 24 | ||
| 2019–20 | WSL 1 (1) | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 9 | 40 | 2nd | W | SF | Ro16 | Pauline Bremer | 22 | ||
| 2020–21 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 65 | 13 | 55 | 2nd | SF | QF | QF | Community Shield | RU | Chloe Kelly Ellen White | 15 |
| 2021–22 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 60 | 32 | 47 | 3rd | RU | W | 2QR | Lauren Hemp | 10 | ||
| 2022–23 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 25 | 47 | 4th | QF | SF | 1QR | Khadija Shaw | 31 | ||
| 2023–24 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 61 | 15 | 55 | 2nd | QF | SF | Khadija Shaw | 22 | |||
| 2024–25 | WSL 1 (1) | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 49 | 28 | 43 | 4th | SF | RU | QF | Khadija Shaw | 19 | ||
| Champions | Runners-up |
All results (home, away and aggregate) list Manchester City's goal tally first.
| Season | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Round of 32 |  Zvezda Perm | 2–0f | 4–0 | 6–0 |
| Round of 16 |  Brøndby | 1–0f | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Quarter-final | Fortuna Hjørring | 1–0 | 1–0f | 2–0 | |
| Semi-final |  Olympique Lyon | 1–3f | 1–0 | 2–3 | |
| 2017–18 | Round of 32 |  St. Pölten | 3–0 | 3–0f | 6–0 |
| Round of 16 |  Lillestrøm | 2–1 | 5–0f | 7–1 | |
| Quarter-final |  Linköping | 2–0f | 5–3 | 7–3 | |
| Semi-final | Olympique Lyon | 0–0f | 0–1 | 0–1 | |
| 2018–19 | Round of 32 |  Atlético Madrid | 0–2 | 1–1f | 1–3 |
| 2019–20 | Round of 32 |  Lugano | 4–0 | 7–1f | 11–1 |
| Round of 16 | Atlético Madrid | 1–1f | 1–2 | 2–3 | |
| 2020–21 | Round of 32 | Kopparbergs/Göteborg | 3–0 | 2–1f | 5–1 |
| Round of 16 |  Fiorentina | 3–0f | 5–0 | 8–0 | |
| Quarter-finals | Barcelona | 2–1 | 0–3f | 2–4 | |
| 2021–22 | Second qualifying round | Real Madrid | 0–1 | 1–1f | 1–2 |
| 2022–23 | First qualifying round |  Tomiris-Turan | 6–0 | ||
| Real Madrid | 0–1 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Second qualifying round | Paris FC | 3–0 | 5–0f | 8–0 |
| Group D | Barcelona | 2–0f | 0–3 | 2nd | |
| St. Pölten | 2–0 | 3–2f | |||
| Hammarby | 2–0f | 2–1 | |||
| Quarter-finals |  Chelsea | 2–0f | 0–3 | 2–3 | |
f First leg
| Name | Job Title |
|---|---|
| Charlotte O'Neill | Managing Director |
| Nicky Ajose | Assistant Manager |
 Diego Restrepo | Goalkeeper Coach |
| Dates | Name |
|---|---|
| 1988–? | Neil Mather |
| 1997 | Derek Heath |
| 2007–2013 | Leigh Wood |
| 2013–2020 | Nick Cushing |
| 2020 |  Alan Mahon (interim) |
| 2020–2025 |  Gareth Taylor |
| 2025 | Nick Cushing (interim) |
| 2025– | Andrée Jeglertz |
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