Bronte L.F.C. was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

women's football Women's football most often refers to: * Women's association football Women's football may also refer to: * Women's gridiron football * Women's Australian rules football * Ladies' Gaelic football * Women's rugby league * Women's rugby union ...

club based in

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...

. Founded by

Bradford City FC Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional Association football, football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The club competes in , the third tier of English football league system, English football, and is managed by ...

director Bill Roper in 1968, the club began playing in the Yorkshire League before joining the North West Women's League in 1973. Bronte were invited to join the new Division One (North) in 1991 and won promotion into the national

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

at the first attempt. However, Bronte finished bottom of the League with seven points in 1992–93. After a disastrous Northern Division campaign in 1995–96 which yielded only two points, Bronte folded during 1996–97.

History

When the

Women's Football Association The Women's Football Association (WFA) was the governing body of women's football in England. It was formed in 1969 and was disbanded in 1993, as responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the game of women's football in England passed to t ...

formed a

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

in 1991–92, North West Women's Regional Football League Bronte were admitted to the new Northern Division. The club narrowly beat

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...

to the title and took their place in an enlarged 10-team National Division for 1992–93. However Bronte's stalwart defender and

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Clare Taylor Clare Elizabeth Taylor (born 22 May 1965) is an English sportswoman, the first woman to have played on a World Cup team in both cricket and football. She represented England at both cricket, as a member of the winning World Cup cricket team in ...

left for Knowsley United in the

close season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...

and without her the team performed poorly in the top division. A violent altercation on the team bus saw

Chantel Woodhead Chantel Marie "Channy" Woodhead (born 17 September 1974 in Leeds, England) is a former English international football player. She played as a left back for clubs including Doncaster Belles and Everton Ladies. Woodhead won a single cap for the se ...

being throttled and

Samantha Britton Samantha Britton (born 8 December 1973) is an English retired footballer, and former England international player. An extremely versatile performer, Britton was equally at home playing in defence, midfield or attack. Britton played for England ...

punching Punching is a forming process that uses a punch press to force a tool, called a '' punch'', through the workpiece to create a hole via shearing. Punching is applicable to a wide variety of materials that come in sheet form, including sheet me ...

the assailant. The club were

relegated Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...

and in the subsequent player exodus Woodhead signed for

Doncaster Belles Doncaster Rovers Belles Ladies Football Club, previously Doncaster Belles, is an England, English women's association football, women's football club that currently plays in the , the fourth tier of women's football in England. The club's admi ...

, Britton and Rebecca Lonergan signed for

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

and

Issy Pollard Isobel "Issy" Pollard (born 2 December 1975) is an English former footballer who played for the England women's national football team. She played for several clubs at FA Women's Premier League level and for Betsele IF in Sweden. Club career Pol ...

joined

Millwall Lionesses Millwall Lionesses Football Club is an English women's football club based in Rotherhithe, south-east London, that plays in the , the fifth tier of English women's football. Founded in 1973, the group of women who made up the Lionesses were at ...

Former players

''For details of all former players with a Wikipedia article, see :Bronte L.F.C. players.''

References

;General references * Defunct women's football clubs in England Association football clubs established in 1968 Association football clubs disestablished in 1997 1968 establishments in England 1997 disestablishments in England Defunct football clubs in West Yorkshire {{England-footyclub-defunct-stub