Middlesbrough Football Club Women ( ) is an English

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. Founded in 1976, they currently play in the , with home games played at Bishopton Road West, Stockton. Middlesbrough were founding members of the Northern Combination in 1998, and spent much of their early history in the third and fourth tiers of woman's football, aside from a brief spell in the second tier FA Premier League Northern Division from 2002 to 2006. The club officially became affiliated with the men's team in 2023. Middlesbrough also have a reserve side competing in the FA Women's National League Reserve Northern Division. Their home games are played at

Middlesbrough College Middlesbrough College, located on one campus at Middlehaven, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, is the largest college on Teesside. Admissions It provides predominantly further education, but also selected higher education provision, and ...

History

Formation and early years (1976–2010)

Middlesbrough Football Club Women was formed in 1976. Originally known as Cleveland Spartans, they played in the Nottinghamshire Ladies League, and were coached by

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

players Mark Proctor and David Hodgson. The club reached the 1982 WFA Cup Final, losing 2–0 to

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the List of extreme points of the United Kingdom, most easterly UK se ...

. Middlesbrough later played in the Yorkshire and Humberside Ladies League. In 1996 Marrie Wieczorek became full time manager. Under her guidance Middlesbrough won the 2001–02 Northern Combination, and were promoted to the

FA Women's Premier League Northern Division The FA Women's National League North is a football league at the third tier of women's football in England. Together with the National League South, the two leagues form the highest division of the National League. Established in 1991 as the WFA ...

. They remained in the Northern Division for four seasons, returning to the Northern Combination following relegation at the end of the 2005–06 season.

Ups and downs (2010–present)

In September 2010, Middlesbrough travelled to North Korea and played two friendly matches against

April 25 Events Pre-1600 * 404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion. * 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against th ...

, losing 6–2, and Kalmaegi, losing 5–0. In 2012 Gemma Grainger was appointed manager, and the club finished the 2012–13 season in fourth place. Grainger left the club in 2013 due to commitments to the England U19 team, and was replaced by player-manager Samantha Leigh. As a result of the restructuring of the

FA Women's Premier League The FA Women's National League is a group of six Association football, football divisions which sit at the third and fourth tiers of women's football in England. Founded in 1991 as the WFA National League, the league was run by the Women's Footba ...

for the 2014–15 season, Middlesbrough competed in the newly formed FA Women's Premier League Northern Division One. Under new manager and owner Lindsey Stephenson, the club finished the season in fourth place. Middlesbrough won the 2015–16 Northern Division One, and were promoted to the Northern Premier Division. In their first season back in the third tier of woman's football, Middlesbrough achieved a second-place finish. In June 2017 the club unveiled a new crest. In January 2020, Ben Fisher was announced as new chairman, while Marrie Wieczorek returned to the club as an ambassador. Middlesbrough reached the semi-finals of the 2019–20 FA National League Plate, losing 2–0 to

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

. On 24 August 2021, former Middlesbrough player

Andy Campbell Andrew Paul Campbell (born 18 April 1979) is an English football manager and former player. He managed Middlesbrough Women, and is now is the football director of Thornaby FC. Campbell played as a striker, notably for Middlesbrough, Cardiff ...

was appointed manager. Middlesbrough were relegated to the National League Division One North at the end of the 2021–22 season. On 26 May 2023, the club officially became affiliated with the men's team, and Michael Mulhern was announced as manager. Middlesbrough played their first game at the

Riverside Stadium The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough since its opening in 1995. It has an all-seated capacity of 34,742, although provisional planning permission is in place to expan ...

on 17 September, a 0–0 draw against

Stockport County Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton ...

. The club won the 2024–25 Division One North, and were promoted back to the National League North after three seasons.

Kits

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Stadium

During the 2000s, Middlesbrough played their home games at Central Avenue, Billingham Synthonia, before moving to Teesdale Park, Thornaby Football Club, in 2010. In July 2018, the club moved to Bedford Terrace, Billingham Town. Since June 2022, Middlesbrough have played their home games at Bishopton Road West, Stockton Town. The stadium underwent a £1 million redevelopment in 2015, and now includes modern facilities and a 3G pitch. With affiliation into Middlesbrough Football Club in 2023, the team have select matches at the

Players

Current squad

Reserves

Middlesbrough operate a

reserve team In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players who are under contract to a club but who do not regularly play in matches for the club's primary team. Reserve teams usually include players who are part of the larger first-team squad but ...

who compete in the FA Women's National League Reserve Northern Division, and play home games at

. The club also operate a development team, who play in the North Riding Women's Premier League.

Former players

Club staff

Managerial history

Honours

League * Northern Combination Football League (level 3) ** Champions: 2001–02 * FA National League Division One North (level 4) ** Champions: 2015–16, 2024–25

References

External links

Official website
{{coord, 54, 36, 7.780, N, 1, 17, 8.452, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Middlesbrough F.C. Women's football clubs in England Football clubs in North Yorkshire Association football clubs established in 1976 1976 establishments in England FA Women's National League teams