The club's bid to join theFA WSL for the initial2011 season was controversially rejected in favour of the relatively newly formed, but big spending, Manchester City. This decision led to the departure of many star players (3 of whom represented England in the 2015 World Cup) and is thought to have damaged the development of the women's game in the North East for years to come. Despite this they responded by winning the Premier League National Division, which had become the second tier, on three consecutive occasions and also collected the2011–12 FA Women's Premier League Cup. In 2014 Sunderland were accepted into the second division of a newly expanded FA WSL. They won the league on the final day of the season and were promoted into FA WSL 1 for2015.
At the end of the2017–18 season, Sunderland A.F.C. Ladies were unsuccessful with their application for a license in bothFA Women's Super League andFA Women's Championship, meaning the Lady Black Cats, were demoted to theFA Women's National League North, for the 2018–19 season. In 2021, the club made a successful application to join the FA Women’s Championship, resulting in their promotion to join the league for the 2021-2022 season.
The club began in 1989 as a five-a-side team calledThe Kestrels.[8] It played its first match in an informal friendly against Darlington Ladies on 26 July 1989[9] and won the WFA Yorkshire and Humberside League in 1990. Over the next decade, they competed in theNorthern Premier asCowgate Kestrels,RTM Newcastle Kestrels andBlyth Spartans Kestrels.[10][11]
In 2000, the club merged with an independent Sunderland Ladies club and theSunderland A.F.C. men's club to becomeSunderland Women's FC after winning promotion to the top tierFA Women's Premier League National Division for the first time.[12][13] The new club was originally financed as part of the established professionalSunderland A.F.C. men's club.
Following financial troubles in 2004, the women's side was forced to become financially independent. Sunderland A.F.C. only provided some kit and the home ground.
In2001–02 Sunderland won one league game all season and were relegated back to the Northern Division.[14] On 10 April 2005, they won promotion from theNorthern Division aschampions. In the 2005–06 season, they finished 9th in the league (then the penultimate position), but stayed up after tying a promotion/relegation playoff against Southern runners-up Bristol City W.F.C. 5–5 onaggregate.
In Season 2007–08 Sunderland finished in 3rd position in The Women's Premier League, Northern Division, behind ChampionsNottingham Forest andLincoln City. The top 3 were almost in a league of their own as Sunderland finished 17 points ahead of 4th placedNewcastle – who only finished 15 points ahead of bottom-of-the-tableCrewe Alexandra.
With team re-building completed, the 2008–09 season began with high hopes for the Wearsiders who had sixEngland youth internationals in their ranks and had recently recruited fullEngland international midfielderKelly McDougall fromEverton Ladies.
On 22 March 2009, Sunderland WFC reached the final of theFA Women's Cup after beatingChelsea 3–0. Goals from Williams (2) and Gutteridge ensured their place in the final against holdersArsenal atPride Park Stadium, home ofDerby County on 4 May. In the final, favourites Arsenal beat Sunderland 2–1. Despite dominating possession and creating several chances, Arsenal found it difficult to convert their opportunities. Arsenal'sKatie Chapman scored in the first half, their second coming in extended 2nd half injury-time fromKim Little. However, Sunderland never gave up and scored a consolation goal fromKelly McDougall just before the final whistle.Lucy Bronze gave a superb display at right-back, earning herself the Player of the Match Award for the Black Cats.
Sunderland won promotion to the National Premier Division after defeatingPreston 4–0 away in the last match of the 2008–09 season.
Back in the top flight, Sunderland exceeded expectations and topped the league for five months. They also handed Arsenal Ladies only their second league defeat in six years.
The club's bid to join the newly establishedFA WSL was rejected on commercial and marketing grounds – leading to the departure of star playersLucy Bronze,Jordan Nobbs,Lucy Staniforth, and Helen Alderson.[16]
Despite the exodus of these players, Sunderland secured the FA Women's National Premier League title with two games to spare, following their victory overMillwall Lionesses on 3 April 2011. They defended the title two further times in 2012 and 2013. In 2013 they were formally integrated into the Sunderland AFC structure.[8]
Sunderland AFC Ladies celebrating after becoming the 2014 champions of the WSL2.
In the 2014 season Sunderland entered the newly createdFA WSL 2. On 26 October 2014, they were crowned inaugural champions of the FA WSL 2, beatingMillwall Lionesses 4–0 on the final day of the season to finish two points ahead of Doncaster Belles.[17] As a result, Sunderland returned to the top division, taking their place in the2015 FA WSL 1. Manager Mick Mulhern, who won more silverware for the Sunderland Ladies than all other combined northern football teams (Men and Women), stepped down after 15 years for work-related commitments. He was replaced by former professionalCarlton Fairweather.[18]
On 5 January 2017, before the 2017FA WSL Spring Series, the club announced they switch to part-time players only after three years of having a mix of part-time and full-time players.[19][20][21] On 16 March 2017,Carlton Fairweather was replaced as head coach by his assistantMelanie Reay.[22][23][24] During the Spring Series, she guided the Lady Black Cats to a creditable 5th place finish with her new assistant and former player, Victoria Greenwell. Results in the Spring Series included victories againstYeovil Town andBristol City WFC and draws againstArsenal W.F.C. andReading F.C. Women.
After the Spring Series, Sunderland A.F.C. Ladies moved from their home venue at theEppleton Colliery Welfare Ground to Mariners Park home ofSouth Shields FC. Prior to the start of the 2018–19 season, the team was demoted two divisions from the WSL1 to the FA Women’s National League – Northern Premier Division after a bid to join the FA Women’s Championship was rejected.[25][26][27] After a season at Mariners Park, the Lady Black Cats decided to return to their Hetton-le-Hole home, for their debut season in theFA Women's National League North.
Sunderland A.F.C. Women players before the start of a match againstLewes F.C. Women in January 2022.
On 8 May 2021, the team applied to join the FA Women's Championship from the Northern Premier Division.[28][29][30] On 2 June 2021, the club announced the FA had accepted this application, resulting in their move into the Women's Championship in the following 2021–22 season.[31][32][33] Prior to the start of the 2022–23 season, the team officially changed its name fromSunderland Association Football Club Ladies toSunderland Association Football Club Women in order to maintain "a contemporary, inclusive outlook as the club further develops into its new era in the women's game".[34][35][1]
Before the start of the 2023–24 season, the team moved back to a hybrid model, signing several new players on full-time professional contracts.[36][37][38] These signings includedMary McAteer,[39]Katie Kitching,[40]Natasha Fenton,[41]Jenna Dear,[42]Amy Goddard,[43] andEllen Jones.[44] Despite the simultaneous departure of key players includingNeve Herron andEmma Kelly,[45] the team were unbeaten in their first nine league games of the 2023–24 season.[46][47] They were top of the table for a considerable portion of the season and were in title contention throughout.[48][49][50] The team ended the season in third place, a vast improvement from the second-bottom finish in the previous season and the their best performance since their two-tier demotion from the WSL in 2018.[51][52]
On 13 October 2024, the team set a new attendance record of 15,387 for theWomen's Championship as they were defeated in theWear–Tyne derby at theStadium of Light.[53] The previous record had been an attendance of 11,137, set in 2022.[54]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
A. ^ TheFA Women's Super League was formed in 2010 for the start of the 2011 season, Sunderland Ladies were not chosen to participate in the newly formed top tier of women's football. Although Sunderland Ladies were not relegated from the top tier ofWomen's football in England in 2010, they found themselves playing in the second tier at the start of their 2011 campaign.
B. ^ The FA Women's Super League was expanded to two divisions in 2014 for the start of that years season with the formation of theFA Women's Super League 2. Sunderland Ladies were one of 10 teams elected to participate in the newly formed second tier of women's football for the start of the 2014 season.
^"Can Grimsby lay claim to a milestone in women's football?".BBC News. 2 February 2012. Archived fromthe original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved15 August 2023.Spurred on by England's 1966 World Cup win - and in the context of the political and social upheaval of the 1960s - the Women's Football Association was formed with 44 member clubs in 1969.
^Sanders, Emma (6 September 2024)."Newcastle's Moan on 'traitor' claims from rivals".BBC Sport.Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved14 October 2024.Moan graduated from Sunderland's academy and signed her first professional contract last summer, before helping them to a third-place finish in the league.
Current season
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