 |
| The early days! |
Cardiff City Ladies F.C. was founded in 1975 as Llanedeyrn Ladies Football Club after a local charity match. After a few years in the South West League and a lot of success gained in 5 side competitions, in 1981 the club decided to change its name to Cardiff. Later that season won the All England five a side trophy, becoming the first club to take the trophy outside of England, a record still held today. In 1984 the club were the South West League champions and have over the years won many domestic cup competitions.
In 1993 Cardiff Ladies linked up with the League of Wales club Inter Cardiff and that same season was the start of an enjoyable association with Cardiff Athletic Stadium which still to this day is the clubs home ground.
In 92/93 the FA of Wales took an interest in women’s football for the first time, by inaugurating the Welsh Women’s Cup. Inter were successful in getting to the final to be held at the prestigious National Stadium as a curtain raiser to the men’s Welsh Cup Final, being the first women’s game ever to be staged there. Inter lost 1-0 to Rhyl in an exciting game supported at the end by thousands of noisy Cardiff City supporters.
The following season Cardiff and Rhyl made it back to the final again at the National Stadium, and again Cardiff came away runners up, this time after a penalty shoot out, after being 2-0 down at half time. The following season fortune was to come Cardiff’s way when in the final, this time against Bangor, and Cardiff’s experience of a shoot out the previous season proved too much for Bangor. Cardiff eventually won the cup that had so much eluded them.
Over the years the club has provided many Welsh International players, at both under 19’s and senior level now they are also the pivotal club at under 17 level.
The club has had many successful tours to Malta, Majorca and are fellowship members of Cardiff twinning cities Nantes and Stuttgart, exchanging visits in 1991 and 1993. Our junior teams continue with the Cardiff County Councils exchange scheme with Nantes every year.
At the beginning of the season 97/98, the club severed all connections with Inter Cardiff and changed their name to Cardiff County, forming links with Cardiff County Council, until 1999 when they changed their name once more to Cardiff City, but remained an independent outfit. The same season they were promoted to the National League for the first time in their history, but unfortunately could only sustain their position for 2 seasons and were relegated in 2001 in the same year that closer links were forged with the men’s club at Ninian Park.
Success in the combination league came in the league cup before they were promoted once again in the 2003/4 season this time with a 100% winning record – the first in the leagues’ history regaining their status in the Premier League Southern Division.
At the beginning of the 2003 season the club severed its connection with Ninian Park when its members voted against the men’s outfit’s proposals for the running of Cardiff City Ladies FC and became a totally independent outfit once more.
More recently City have been unbeaten in the Welsh cup for four seasons, bringing with it entry into the UEFA Club Championships, allowing Cardiff to have played International club football in Poland, Croatia and Portugal against the best club teams from all over Europe.
For the first time in its history this season the club will play at the highest level gaining promotion to the FA Women’s Premier League by becoming champions of the Premier Southern Division in 2005/6, and joining the top twelve women’s teams in the country.
The club owes a lot of their success to the organisation and management of their committee. They have for the past fifteen years run a thriving junior section playing in the South Wales Girls League, recently split up into under 16’s, and two teams at under 14 level, as well as under 12’s This is a sound investment as players stream quite confidentially into the senior squad. The club also runs a reserve section and has had some success winning the South West League Northern Division in 1999 and in 2004 became champions of both the league and the cup, now the reserves play in the Premier Reserve League.
New projects are being worked on all the time with a Dragon Sport project for girls aged 7-11 at leisure centres through out Cardiff. Combined with the council run fortnightly mini festivals the club offers girls from the ages of seven through to senior level the opportunity to play football with Cardiff City LFC, regardless of their ability.
As the oldest and biggest club in Wales, Cardiff City LFC are very proud of its history and last season celebrated its 30th Anniversary, in the same season that they were awarded the FAW Bronze accreditation award making it a “Charter Club” ensuring a better and safer environment for its players and coaches. This combined with closer school links is proving another successful development for the future growth of Cardiff City Ladies and Welsh women’s football.
|
