London Bees is an English women's football club affiliated with Barnet F.C. They play in the FA Women's National League South. The club has been in existence under several names since 1975, originally being called District Line Ladies F.C.. The team were re-branded as London Bees after joining the new WSL 2 for the 2014 season. The club have a first team and a youth academy; both train and play at the Hive Stadium.
| Full name | London Bees | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Bees | ||
| Founded | 1975 (as District Line Ladies F.C.) | ||
| Ground | The Hive Stadium, Canons Park | ||
| Capacity | 6,500 (5,419 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Anthony Kleanthous | ||
| Manager | Daniel McKimm | ||
| League | FA Women's National League Division One South East | ||
| 2023–24 | FA Women's National League South, 12th of 12 (relegated) | ||
| Website | https://www.londonbeesfc.com/ | ||
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History
editThe club began in 1975 as District Line Ladies FC, then merged with Wembley FC in 1993 to become Wembley Ladies FC. In 1997 the club moved to play at Hanwell Town FC but kept the Wembley Ladies name. In 1998, the club became affiliated with Barnet FC, amalgamating with the existing Barnet Ladies FC from the Greater London League to form Barnet FC Ladies.
In March 2010 Barnet F.C. Ladies were announced as an unsuccessful bidder for the FA Women's Super League.[1][2] In 2013, they were successful in their bid to join the WSL under their new name of London Bees for the 2014 season.
In the 2016 FA WSL summer season, London Bees became the first WSL 2 club to reach the semi-finals of the FA WSL Cup, after notable wins against Chelsea Ladies on penalties and Sheffield Ladies in their quarter-final fixture. They were later defeated in the semi-final by Birmingham City Ladies.
In the 2020–21 season, London Bees finished bottom of the Championship and were relegated to the third tier of English women's football.
Current squad
edit- As of 1 January 2023.[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current technical staff
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| First Team Coach | Gavin Murphy
Tim Abramyan |
| Goalkeeping Coach | James McKimm
Michelle Breezley |
| S & C Coach | |
| Lead therapist | Dusan Panic |
| Performance Analyst | |
| Sports Psychologist | |
| Media & Communications |
Notable former players
editPlayers who played for District Line Ladies, Wembley Ladies, Barnet FC Ladies or London Bees and received recognition at full international level
Evdokia Popadinova
Natasha Dowie
Emma Beckett
Ayala Liran
Naz Ball
Former managers
edit| Manager | Dates |
|---|---|
| Lee Burch | May 2019 – February 2021 |
| Rachel Yankey | February 2019 – May 2019 |
| Luke Swindlehurst | July 2017 – February 2019 |
| David Edmonson | February 2016 – May 2017 |
| Julian Broomes | August 2014 – October 2015 |
Honours
edit- FA Women's Premier League Southern Division:
- Winners (2): 1992–93 (as District Line), 2009–10 (as Barnet F.C. Ladies)
- FA Women's Premier League Cup:
, 2010–11
- FA WSL Cup:
- Semi-Finalist: 2016, Continental Cup
Player honours
edit- FA WSL 2 Golden Boot Award
- Winner: Jo Wilson with 10 League goals in 2016
- FA WSL 2 Player of the Month (April 2017/18)
- Winner: Katie Wilkinson
- FA Championship Player of the Month (January 2019/20)
- Winner: Sarah Quantrill
Manager honours
edit- LMA Women's Championship Manager of the Month (September 2019/20)
- Winner: Lee Burch
- LMA Women's Championship Manager of the Month (January 2019/20)
- Winner: Lee Burch
References
edit- ^ "Lincoln Ladies FA Women's Super League bid success". BBC. 22 March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ^ Leighton, Tony (21 March 2010). "Lincoln City the surprise name in newly formed Women's Super League". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ^ Rowe, Adam (21 August 2019). "Confirmed squad numbers 2019/20 season!". London Bees Official Website.
- ^ Pete Davies (11 March 1996). "Wembley's flair rewarded in shoot-out". The Independent.