West Bromwich Albion F.C. Women

West Bromwich Albion Women
Full nameWest Bromwich Albion Football Club Women
Short nameWBA
Founded1989 (as West Bromwich Albion Womens F.C.)
GroundAlexander Stadium
Capacity18,000
ManagerMartyn Irvine (interim)
Siobhan Hodgetts-Still (maternity leave)
LeagueFA Women's National League North
2025–26FA Women's National League North, 6th of 12
Websitehttps://www.wba.co.uk/news/womens-team

West Bromwich Albion Football Club Women is an English women's football club affiliated with West Bromwich Albion F.C. The first team currently plays in the FA Women's National League North. In 2010–11, the then named Sporting Club Albion won the Midland Combination Women's Football League promoting them to the FA Women's Premier League.[1]

The club is also closely affiliated with West Bromwich Albion Girls Regional Talent Centre, with the objective of bringing through Youth Players into the first team, as well as the Disability Sports Club and Basketball clubs.

The club appointed manager Siobhan Hodgetts-Still in June 2023, and made her position full-time in February 2025 as part of a broader commitment to bring the Women's side into the club proper.[2]

History

Early years (1989–2008)

The club was founded as West Bromwich Albion Women's F.C. in 1989 playing local and recreational football.[3] In 1995 they joined the Midland Combination Women's Football League, but was not part of West Bromwich Albion F.C.[3] In the 2004–05 season they were incorporated in the WBA Community Programme and committed to developing youth players. They continued in this way for four more seasons.[3]

The Albion Foundation (2009–2011)

In 2009 the club was part of The Albion Foundation and was incorporated into Sporting Club Albion, alongside the Basketball and Disabled Sports teams. Their second season in this format saw them win the Midlands Combination Women's Football League title and gain promotion the FA Women's Premier League in the process. In the summer of 2011 the announcement of the Girls Centre of Excellence brought new promise of improvement in the development of young players.[3]

Recent years (2012–present)

Since 2012, the club has stabilised their position in the Premier League Northern Division.[3]

In the 2015/16 season under the leadership of manager Graham Abercrombie, the club achieved a league and cup double winning both the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division and the Birmingham Ladies County Cup. They narrowly missed out on promotion to the FA Women's Super League Division 2, losing 4–2 in a playoff with FA Women's Premier League Southern Division champions Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. They also made it to the quarter finals of the FA Women's Cup, losing 2–0 to Super League side Manchester City W.F.C.

For the 2016–17 season, the club reverted to the West Bromwich Albion name where they had another successful campaign winning the Birmingham Ladies County Cup for a second year running under new manager Craig Nicholls.

In the 2017–2018 season, the club appointed Louis Sowe as new manager, but despite reaching the Birmingham Ladies County Cup Semi-Final, they suffered relegation to the newly named FA Women's National League Midlands Division One.[4]

In the 2021-2022 season, the club appointed Jenny Sugarman as the new head coach. Sugarman guided West Brom to the Birmingham County Cup final where they played Wolverhampton Wanderers at Walsall FC and finished 8th in the league.

Hodgetts-Still pictured in the dugout for the 2025/26 WNL season opener away at Loughborough Lightning.

Following Sugarman's departure in June 2023, West Bromwich Albion appointed coach Siobhan Hodgetts (later Hodgetts-Still) as Head Coach of the Women's team. Hodgetts had been a coach with The Albion Foundation since 2004 and played for West Bromwich Albion Women between 2005 and 2014.[5]

The side finished 9th in the Women’s National League Northern Premier Division in 2023/24 and climbed to 7th in the 2024/25 season, but impressively won the Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup in April 2025 with a resounding 6-2 win against Rugby Borough at the Poundland Bescot Stadium in Walsall, earning Hodgetts-Still her first silverware as the Women's First Team manager and West Bromwich Albion their first trophy since last lifting the Challenge Cup in 2017.

Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the club announved Hdgetts-Still would be taking a period of maternity leave, with Martyn Irvine appointed as interim manager for the duration.[6]

Colours and badge

Their kits are identical to those of West Bromwich Albion F.C. with navy blue shorts instead of white. [7]

Stadium

As of the 2025/26 season, West Bromwich Albion Women will play home games at the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham, having moved from The Valley Stadium in Redditch which the team had used for two previous seasons.[8] They occasionally play home matches at The Hawthorns, typically making 2-3 appearances per season.

Players

Current squad

As of July 2026[9]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Charlotte Clarke
2 DF  WAL Taylor Reynolds
3 DF  ENG Hannah George
5 DF  ENG Zoe Creaney
6 DF  ENG Isabel Green
7 FW  ENG Simran Jhamat
9 FW  WAL Rhianne Oakley
10 MF  ENG Olivia Rabjohn (Captain)
11 FW  ENG Marli Rhodes-Andrews
12 FW  ENG Asiah Janny
13 GK  WAL Orla Howard
14 FW  ENG Ellie May
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 DF  ENG Naomi Sharp
17 FW  ENG Amya Hammond-McLean
18 DF  ENG Ruby Heselden
19 MF  ENG Monique Robinson
20 MF  IRL Phoebe Warner
22 MF  ENG Kate Evans
23 GK  ENG Lavarna Johnson
24 DF  NIR Ella Haughey
39 MF  CAY Molly Kehoe
— DF  ENG Ellie McFarlane
— FW  ENG Chidubem Arinze
— FW  ENG Lucy Davies
— FW  ENG Renaye Best
— FW  IRL Tara Kirk

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player

Coaching staff

Name Role
Siobhan Hodgetts-Still Head Coach
Charlie Fripp Coach
Rob Elliott Goalkeeping Coach
Charlotte Wear Physiotherapist
Jacob Parsonage Fitness Coach & Sports Science

Records

Honours

Midland Combination Women's Football League

  • Champions 2010–11[1]

FA Women's Premier League Northern Division

  • Champions 2015–16 (As Sporting Club Albion Ladies)

Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup

  • Runners up 2014–15, 2021–22
  • Winners 2015–16, 2016–17, 2024–25

References

  1. 1 2 "Midland Womens Combination League". full-time.thefa.com. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Hodgetts-Still named WBA's women's full-time manager". BBC Football. 21 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ladies". thealbionfoundation.co.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Albion confirm re-signings". Official website of West Bromwich Albion FC Women. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  5. ↑ "Siobhan Hodgetts named new Albion Womens Head Coach". Official website of West Bromwich Albion FC Women. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Martyn Irvine appointed Albion Women Interim Head Coach | West Bromwich Albion". www.wba.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Albion Women switch to navy shorts | West Bromwich Albion". www.wba.co.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "Alexander Stadium named new Albion Women home". www.wba.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  9. ↑ "Women Squad". West Bromwich Albion. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
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