Loughborough Lightning F.C.

Loughborough Lightning
Full nameLoughborough Lightning Football Club
Nickname(s)Lightning
Founded1999 (as Shepshed Foxes)
GroundLoughborough University Stadium, Loughborough
Capacity3,300
ManagerCharles Baxter
LeagueFA Women's National League Division One Midlands
2023–24FA Women's National League Division One Midlands, 2nd of 12
Websitehttps://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/performance/lightning/football/

Loughborough Lightning Football Club (formerly Loughborough Foxes) is a football club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. They are currently members of the FA Women's National League Division One Midlands and play at the Loughborough University Stadium.

History

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The club was founded in 1999 as Shepshed Foxes by Gail and Paul Fox, who wanted to give girls in the surrounding area an opportunity to play football, before becoming Loughborough Foxes in 2002.[1]

After playing in local leagues for much of the first 15 years of their history, Loughborough were promoted to the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division (the 3rd tier of women's football) for the first time in 2015 from the Midlands Division One but would suffer relegation back to the 4th tier after just one season. The Foxes returned to the now renamed FA Women's National League in 2018 having secured promotion and the Midlands Division One title with a record of 21 wins and 1 draw from 22 games.[2]

In January 2019, Loughborough Foxes player and junior team coach Molly Webb died aged 25, with Director of Football Steve Wilkinson describing her as "a joy to spend time with; she was vibrant, enthusiastic, a motivator and someone you want in your team whatever the situation.".[3] The Foxes would end their first season back at the third tier of women's football in 7th place in the 2018–19 FA Women's National League Southern Division before being realigned to the Northern Division for the following season.

In June 2021, the club merged with the Loughborough University performance team to become Loughborough Lightning F.C.[4]

Players

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Current squad

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As of 15 October 2022[5]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK England ENG Kiya Webb
— GK England ENG Sophia Poor (on loan from Leicester City)
— DF England ENG Ciara Albas-Martin
— DF England ENG Ella Smith
— DF England ENG Emily Sharpe
— DF England ENG Grace Walters
— DF England ENG Harriet Petley
— DF Scotland SCO Katrena Morrison
— DF England ENG Lauren Taft
— MF England ENG Abbey Hateley
— MF Scotland SCO Chloe Young
— MF England ENG Ella Powell
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF England ENG Jessica Richardson
— MF England ENG Kayleigh Hines
— MF England ENG Laura Steele
— MF England ENG Melissa Turton-Burrell
— MF England ENG Monique Robinson (on loan from Leicester City)
— MF England ENG Sophia Bonser
— FW England ENG Anna Renken
— FW England ENG Georgia Stevens
— FW England ENG Katie Middleton
— FW England ENG Nicki Russell
— England ENG Mikayla Wild-Goose

Recent seasons

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Year League Lvl Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Position FA Women's Cup League Cup
Res Rec Res Rec
2006–07 Leicestershire Women's Senior League 7 12 9 0 3 51 17 +34 27 2nd of 7[6]
Promoted 		PR 0-0-1 1R[7] 0-0-1
2007–08 East Midlands Regional Women's Football League
Division One South 		6 16 8 7 1 50 23 +27 31 2nd of 9[8]
Promoted 		1Q 0-0-1 1R[9] 0-0-1
2008–09 East Midlands Regional Women's Football League
Premier Division 		5 20 14 4 2 62 21 +41 46 1st of 11[10]
Promoted 		1Q 0-0-1 QF[11] 2-0-1
2009–10 Midland Combination Women's Football League 4 22 2 3 17 23 78 -55 9 12th of 12[12]
Relegated 		2R 1-0-1
2010–11 East Midlands Regional Women's Football League
Premier Division 		5 20 16 2 2 81 23 +58 50 1st of 11[13]
Promoted 		3Q 1-0-1
2011–12 Midland Combination Women's Football League 4 20 8 2 10 35 39 -4 26 6th of 11[14] 2R 2-0-1 QF[15] 1-0-1
2012–13 Midland Combination Women's Football League 4 20 6 1 13 32 46 -14 19 9th of 11[16] 2R 2-0-1 QF[17] 1-0-1
2013–14 Midland Combination Women's Football League 4 20 8 2 10 48 63 -15 25[18] 7th of 11[19]
Transferred 		1R 1-0-1 1R[20] 0-0-1
2014–15 FA Women's Premier League
Midlands Division One 		4 22 16 4 2 69 26 +43 52 1st of 12
Promoted 		1R 1-0-1 1R 0-0-1
2015–16 FA Women's Premier League
Northern Division 		3 22 3 2 17 26 58 -32 11 12th of 12
Relegated 		4R 2-0-1 QF 2-0-1
2016–17 FA Women's Premier League
Midlands Division One 		4 22 18 0 4 111 31 +80 54 2nd of 12 3QR 0-0-1 3R 3-0-1
2017–18 FA Women's Premier League
Midlands Division One 		4 22 21 1 0 91 9 +82 64 1st of 12
Promoted 		2R 2-0-1 2R 2-0-1
2018–19 FA Women's National League
Southern Division 		3 22 10 4 8 48 32 +16 34 7th of 12
Transferred 		4R 2-0-1 SF 5-0-1
2019–20 FA Women's National League
Northern Division 		3 Season abandoned 3R 1-0-1 1R 0-0-1
2020–21 FA Women's National League
Northern Division 		3 Season abandoned 2R 0-0-1 Not held 0-0-0
2021–22 FA Women's National League
Northern Division 		3 24 6 5 13 35 63 -28 23 10th of 13 3R 2-0-1 2R 3-0-1

Records

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References

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  1. ^ "Billericay Town v Loughborough Foxes". Women's Soccer Scene. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  2. ^ "Loughborough Foxes clinch league title". Loughborough Echo. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Outpouring of grief for 'kind and caring' footballer Molly Webb who died suddenly aged 25". Leicester Mercury. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Loughborough football merger creates new Lightning team". Loughborough University. 28 June 2021.
  5. ^ "FIRST TEAM". Loughborough Foxes. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  6. ^ "2006–07 Leicestershire Womens Senior League".
  7. ^ "2006–07 Leicestershire Senior Womens League Cup".
  8. ^ "2007–08 East Midlands Regional Women's Football League Division One South".
  9. ^ "2007–08 East Midlands Womens Regional Football League League Cup".
  10. ^ "2008–09 East Midlands Regional Women's Football League Premier Division".
  11. ^ "2008–09 East Midlands Womens Regional Football League League Cup".
  12. ^ "2009–10 Midland Womens Combination League".
  13. ^ "2010–11 East Midlands Regional Women's Football League Premier Division".
  14. ^ "2011–12 Midland Womens Combination League".
  15. ^ "2011–12 Midland Womens Combination League Cup".
  16. ^ "2012–13 Midland Womens Combination League".
  17. ^ "2012–13 Midland Womens Combination League Cup".
  18. ^ 1 point deducted
  19. ^ "2013–14 Midland Womens Combination League".
  20. ^ "2013–14 Midland Womens Combination League Cup".
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52°45′7.301″N 1°14′3.156″W / 52.75202806°N 1.23421000°W / 52.75202806; -1.23421000

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