London City Lionesses

Women association football club based in Hayes, England

This article is about the association football club formed under this name in 2019. For its origins, see Millwall Lionesses L.F.C.

Football club

London City Lionesses

Full name| London City Lionesses Football Club
Founded| 13 May 2019; 5 years ago (13 May 2019)
Ground| Hayes Lane, Bromley
Capacity| 5,150
Owner| Michele Kang
Head coach| Jocelyn Prêcheur
League| Women's Championship
2023–24| Women's Championship, 8th of 12
Website| Club website

Home colours

Away colours

|

London City Lionesses is a professional women's association football club based in Hayes, Bromley, England.[1] The team competes in the Women's Championship, the second tier of English women's football. The club was founded in May 2019, as an independent breakaway club from Millwall Lionesses.[2][3]

## History

[edit]

On 13 May 2019, a statement was released by Millwall F.C. announcing that the board of directors and senior management at the team's official women's affiliate, Millwall Lionesses, had declared their intentions to split from the club, becoming an independent entity and operating under a new name.[4][5] The breakaway was already agreed in principle by the FA.[6] The transfer of Millwall's Championship licence was officially approved by the FA on 29 June 2019.[7] The newly-independent club's operations were funded from 2019 by blockchain entrepreneur Anthony Culligan and his wife Diane, with Diane Culligan serving as chairwoman and running the club's operations.[1][8]

The start of the 2022-23 season saw considerable optimism from club management after England's triumph in the 2022 Euros drove an increase in club season-ticket sales.[9] The Lionesses hit challenges later that season, however, with their manager Melissa Phillips resigning in January 2023 to take an assistant manager role with Angel City FC, despite the club sitting in first place.[10][11] In June 2023, all 20 of the club's players sent a collective message to owner Diane Culligan asking her to sell the club or raise additional investment, citing financial instability, a lack of players signed for the upcoming season and the lack of a permanent manager.[12] On 15 December 2023, the Culligans sold the club to entrepreneur and Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang for an undisclosed price.[13]

On 27 June 2024 Kang announced[14] the signing of Kosovare Asllani, captain of the Sweden national side, and the appointment of Jocelyn Prêcheur, formerly of Paris St Germain, as the new manager. The signing of Asllani, who has previously played for Manchester City, Real Madrid and AC Milan, was described as "a statement of intent that will have raised eyebrows around the global women's game."[14] It was also announced that the club would move from Princes Park (Dartford) to Hayes Lane in Bromley under a ground-sharing agreement with Bromley F.C.

## Players

[edit]

### Current squad

[edit]

As of 22 September 2024.[15]

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

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

1  | GK |  IRL | Grace Moloney
2  | DF |  NZL | Grace Neville
3  | DF |  SCO | Emma Mukandi
4  | DF |  ENG | Georgia Brougham
5  | DF |  ENG | Teyah Goldie (on loan from Arsenal)
6  | DF |  IRL | Megan Campbell
7  | MF |  CHN | Shen Mengyu
8  | MF |  ENG | Connie Scofield
9  | FW |  SWE | Kosovare Asllani
10  | MF |  ENG | Gesa Marashi
11  | FW |  SRB | Miljana Ivanović
12  | GK |  ENG | Hermione Cull
13  | MF |  CMR | Charlène Meyong
15  | MF |  SWE | Sofia Jakobsson
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

16  | MF |  SWE | Julia Roddar
17  | MF |  ENG | Lucy Fitzgerald
18  | FW |  ENG | Danielle Carter
19  | FW |  FIN | Lotta Lindström
20  | DF |  ENG | Maddi Wilde
22  | DF |  ENG | Cerys Brown (on loan from Chelsea)
23  | FW |  ENG | Isobel Goodwin
27  | DF |  USA | Corrine Henson
28  | GK |  ENG | Sophie Hillyerd
31  | MF |  IRL | Ruesha Littlejohn
32  | GK |  ENG | Emily Orman
33  | FW |  ENG | Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah
-- | MF |  ESP | María Pérez

### Out on loan

[edit]

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

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

21  | FW |  ENG | Amelia Ajao (at AFC Wimbledon Women until 30 June 2025)

### Former players

[edit]

For details of current and former players, see Category:London City Lionesses players.

## Club staff

[edit]

As of 26 June 2024.[16]
Position  | Staff

|

Director of football  |  Ronald Thompson
Manager  |  Jocelyn Prêcheur
Goalkeeper coach  |  Darren Smith

## Managerial history

[edit]

Information correct as of 27 June 2024. Only competitive matches are counted.

List of London City Lionesses managers  Name  | Nationality  | From  | To  | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win%[nb 1] | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Chris Phillips |  England | 13 May 2019 | 15 October 2019 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 057.14 | [17]
John Bayer (interim)  |  England | 15 October 2019 | 27 May 2020 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 27 | 028.57 | [17]
Lisa Fallon |  Ireland | 27 May 2020 | 9 October 2020 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 000.00 | [18][19]
Melissa Phillips |  United States | 9 October 2020 | 24 January 2023 | 61 | 31 | 12 | 18 | 92 | 65 | 050.82 | [20][21]
Nikita Runnacles (interim)  |  England | 24 January 2023 | 4 July 2023 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 18 | 058.33 | [21]
Carolina Morace |  Italy | 4 July 2023 | 7 February 2024 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 29 | 28 | 035.00 | [22][23]
Darren Smith (interim)  |  England | 7 February 2024 | 2 March 2024 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 000.00 | [23]
Remi Allen |  England | 2 March 2024 | 9 May 2024 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 066.67 | [24][25]
Jocelyn Prêcheur |  France | 27 June 2024 | present  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !—  | [26]

1. ^ Win% is rounded to two decimal places

## Seasons

[edit]

Results of league and cup competitions by season  Season  | Division  | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | FA Cup | League Cup | Name  | Goals

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

League  | Top goalscorer[nb 1]
2019–20 | Championship | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 4th | R4 | GS | Elizabeta Ejupi | 4
2020–21 | Championship | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 6th | R4 | GS | Atlanta Primus | 4
2021–22  | Championship | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 35 | 22 | 41 | 2nd | R4 | GS | Karin Muya
Amy Rodgers | 7
2022–23  | Championship | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 49 | 20 | 45 | 3rd | R4 | GS | Sarah Ewens | 14
2023–24  | Championship | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 26 | 36 | 25 | 8th | R5 | QF | Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah | 8

1. ^ Goals in all competitions (Championship, FA Cup and League Cup are counted.)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Wrack, Suzanne (18 August 2019). "'Equality has to be more than words': London City Lionesses go it alone". The Guardian.
2. ^ "London City Lionesses: Millwall Supporters Club "saddened" by women's team breakaway". BBC News. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
3. ^ "London City Lionesses: Can a women's team thrive independently?". BBC Sport. 19 September 2019.
4. ^ "Club Statement: Millwall Lionesses". www.millwallfc.co.uk.
5. ^ McElwee, Molly (13 May 2019). "Millwall women's team to split from club and form new London City Lionesses outfit". The Telegraph.
6. ^ "London City Lionesses: FA Women's Football board approve Millwall switch". BBC News. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
7. ^ "London City Lionesses". womenscompetitions.thefa.com.
8. ^ "The New Lionesses". FC Business. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
9. ^ Staunton, Peter (19 August 2022). "Meet the three-year old London football club ready to write more Lionesses history". Football London. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
10. ^ "Melissa Phillips: London City Lionesses manager leaves Women's Championship leaders". BBC Sport. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
11. ^ Lacey-Hatton, Jack (24 January 2023). "Women's Championship league leaders lose manager to club owned by Hollywood A-listers". The Mirror. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
12. ^ Schoninger, Charlie (29 June 2023). "London City Lionesses ask owner to sell: No manager and only four players under contract". The Independent. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
13. ^ "Washington Spirit owner Kang buys London City Lionesses". ESPN. ESPN News Services. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
14. ^ a b Garry, Tom (27 June 2024). "London City Lionessesstart new era with Asllani signing". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
15. ^ "First Team Squad". Retrieved 23 January 2024.
16. ^ "Club Staff | London City Lionesses".
17. ^ a b "London City Lionesses sack manager Chris Phillips". 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
18. ^ "Lisa Fallon and Melissa Phillips announced as new London City Lionesses coaching team". London City Lionesses. 27 May 2020.
19. ^ "Lisa Fallon: London City Lionesses head coach steps down for family reasons". BBC Sport. 9 October 2020.
20. ^ "Phillips named London City head coach". BBC Sport.
21. ^ a b "Melissa Phillips departs as London City Lionesses head coach". London City Lionesses. 24 January 2023.
22. ^ "Italian legend Morace appointed head coach of London City Lionesses". FAWSL Full-Time. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
23. ^ a b "London City Lionesses part company with Carolina Morace & Nicola Williams". London City Lionesses. 7 February 2024.
24. ^ "London City Lionesses appoint Remi Allen as First Team Head Coach". London City Lionesses. 2 March 2024.
25. ^ "Remi Allen departs". London City Lionesses. 9 May 2024.
26. ^ "Jocelyn Prêcheur agrees to become London City Lionesses Head Coach". London City Lionesses. 27 June 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Women's Super League and Women's Championship

Seasons|

| Women's Super League|

* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* Spring Series
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

|

Championship|

* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

Clubs|

| 2024–25
Women's Super League|

* Arsenal
* Aston Villa
* Brighton & Hove Albion
* Chelsea
* Crystal Palace
* Everton
* Leicester City
* Liverpool
* Manchester City
* Manchester United
* Tottenham Hotspur
* West Ham United

|

2024–25
Championship|

* Birmingham City
* Blackburn Rovers
* Bristol City
* Charlton Athletic
* Durham
* London City Lionesses
* Newcastle United
* Portsmouth
* Sheffield United
* Southampton
* Sunderland

Competition|

| WSL|

* Clubs
* Records and statistics
* Hat-tricks
* Managers
* Foreign players
* English women's champions

|

Awards|

* Golden Boot
* Golden Glove
* Player of the Season
* Manager of the Season
* The FA Women's Football Awards
* PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year
* PFA Women's Young Player of the Year
* Hall of Fame

Associated
competitions|

* Women's FA Cup
* FA Women's League Cup
* UEFA Women's Champions League
* FA Women's Premier League National Division (defunct)

* Categories: WSL/Championship
* Portal

*[No.]: Number
*[Pos.]: Position
*[GK]: Goalkeeper
*[DF]: Defender
*[MF]: Midfielder
*[FW]: Forward
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template