Brighton & Hove Albion WFC have definitely come a long way since the Brighton GPO team which was formed by Post Office workers at the telephone exchange in 1967.
In 1969 they were founder members of the Sussex Martlet League and reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1976, but were beaten 8–1 by Southampton. The club scooped a sponsorship deal with sports retailer Clapshaw and Cleave Sports, becoming known as C&C Sports during the ahead of the 1979/80 season and briefly became known as C&C Sports.
In 1990 they linked up with Brighton and Hove Albion men’s club and changed their name again before joining the inaugural National League in 1991, competing in Division One (South). Now the club is competing in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division- the highest level in the women’s winter football pyramid.
The club applied to join the newly-expanded Women’s Super League for the 2014 season, but were unsuccessful in their bid. Despite that setback and the inevitable exodus of players to WSL clubs, Brighton remain highly ambitious and still aim to compete alongside the top womens’ sides in the country.
Albion’s elite women and girls’ football manager, Tracy Doe, had been an England international and an excellent striker in the successful Maidstone and Howbury Grange sides of the early 1980s.
Since her arrival in June 2013, the women’s club has become fully integrated into the men’s set-up. They have moved into the new state-of-the-art training ground officially titled the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre in July 2014 which has taken the women and girls set-up at the club to new levels.
“The women and girls section is part of the club like all other areas and we are structured in all aspects of our operations to take advantage of the resources of the wider organisation; from community programmes, to youth development, scouting, coaching, sports science, digital coverage and first-team football operations.”
The new training and teaching facility includes 16 full and smaller sized natural grass and artificial pitches, plus a ¾-size covered indoor pitch, ensuring players can train in all weather conditions. The unique Y-shaped building provides two accommodation wings for the club’s academy, women and girls and men’s first-team players. The third wing is shared by all players and includes a gymnasium, media center and medical facilities. The training facility provides the perfect platform to inspire the next generation of players and coaches both male & female. Integrating the women’s set up into the main club further demonstrates the commitment which chairman Tony Bloom, CEO Paul Barber and the board have towards the women’s game.
Brighton & Hove Albion WFC will be holding trials for their Centre of Excellence on 13th & 20th June.
For more information contact Tracy Doe on 07880 037 639 or e: [email protected]
Photos – Paul Hazlewood
SHE KICKS – the online community for women’s football
