Wem Town L.F.C.
Wem Town Ladies Football Club is a women's semi-professional association football club from Wem, and affiliated to the men's team of the same name. They play in the FA Women's National League Division One Midlands. The club are a part of The New Saints F.C. foundation and share close links with the other sections of the club. Until 2020, they were known as The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Ladies Football Club due to their partnership with the Cymru Premier side.
| Full name | Wem Town Ladies Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Town |
| Short name | Wem |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Ground | Butler Sports Centre, Wem |
| Chairman | Mary Harris |
| Manager | Lawrence Wilson |
| League | FA Women's National League Division One Midlands |
| 2019–20 | FA Women's National League Division One Midlands (season abandoned) |
| Website | Club website |
History
The club was originally formed in 2002 as a Women's section for The New Saints F.C., who wished to diversify their footballing profile, home games have always been held at the same venue as the men's side. Following the side's success and development a youth set up was formed for the beginning of the 2011-12 season. The club has enjoyed unparalled success in Shropshire, winning the last 11 Shropshire Women's Challenge Cups as well as achieving their current league standing in the FA Women's National League - Midlands Division One.
For the 2013-14 season the club entered the West Midlands Regional Women's Football League - Premier Division with the club finishing 4th in the league and winning their 7th Shropshire Women's Challenge Cup. The following season (2014–15) saw a second-placed finish, another Shropshire Women's Challenge Cup win and saw Emily Ridge finish the season as the league's top goalscorer with 24 goals in 18 league games. In their third season in the league TNS finished the season as champions and claimed promotion to the FA Women's National League - Midlands Division One, the season also saw another Shropshire Women's Challenge Cup and Ridge again claimed the league's golden boot with an impressive 38 goals in 18 games.
TNS's first season in the FA Women's National League saw a 6th-placed finish, thanks to impressive performances from Emily Ridge (24 goals in 18 games) and new signing Charlotte Canlett who had joined the club from Everton L.F.C. in the summer, the club also added to their Shropshire Women's Challenge Cup haul. The 2017-18 season saw TNS improve on their position securing a 5th-placed finish and another Shropshire Women's Challenge Cup win (their 11th in a row), matched with a spectacular performance in the Women's FA Cup where they reached the 4th round proper for the first time in the club's history.
For the 2018-19 season, TNS hired former Assistant Manager, Lawrence Wilson, as the club's new manager, following a number of player and staff retirements, the club went on a stage of rebuilding, bringing in a large number of young players. Wilson's first game was a 4-1 away loss to Nettleham FC, Nettleham, Lincolnshire. Wilson's first win was a home match at Park Hall (football ground) against Solihull Moors Ladies which finished 3-0, with goals from Emily Ridge, Laura Morris and a Solihull own goal. Saints ended the 18-19 campaign in eight place beating Burton Albion LFC, 9-1, following that Wilson’s side secured an eleventh Shropshire Cup with a 9-1 victory and a Ridge hat trick over Shifnal Town.
For the beginning of the 2019-20 season, Saints brought in a number of new players, including Helen Evans from Aberystwyth Town F.C. and Jess Jennings from Wolverhampton Wanderers W.F.C., the club also entered a Development team into the FAWNL Reserve League, where the team were entered into the Reserve Midland Division 2 and managed by former Burton Albion LFC coach, Dave Warner. Saints started the season with a 5-1 loss to Birmingham & West Midlands LFC, which saw Saints fall towards the bottom of the league, however a quick upturn in form saw Saints climb to 2nd in the league after a number of wins over league rivals. Saints reached the 1st round proper of the Women's FA Cup, beating Long Eaton United F.C. and Peterborough United F.C. before being knocked out at home to Chorley F.C..
In August 2020, the women's side was disbanded by TNS, with the squad forced to affiliate with Wem Town in order to stay alive. In a statement announcing the relaunch of the team, the club criticised TNS's commitment to women's football, and for keeping the prize money won by the women's team the previous season.[1]
Current squad
- As of 20 January 2020
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Lawrence Wilson |
| Assistant Manager | Thomas Albutt |
| First Team Coach | Jordan Ambris |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Sam Stokes |
| Physiotherapist | Vacant |
League history
| Season | League | Final position |
|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | Midland Women's Combination League | 8th |
| 2009-10 | Midland Women's Combination League | 7th |
| 2010-11 | Midland Women's Combination League | 11th |
| 2011-12 | Midland Women's Combination League | 11th - Transferred |
| 2012-13 | West Midlands Regional Women's Football League - Premier Division | 5th |
| 2013-14 | West Midlands Regional Women's Football League - Premier Division | 4th |
| 2014-15 | West Midlands Regional Women's Football League - Premier Division | 2nd |
| 2015-16 | West Midlands Regional Women's Football League - Premier Division | 1st – Champions |
| 2016-17 | FA Women's National League - Midlands Division 1 | 6th |
| 2017-18 | FA Women's National League - Midlands Division 1 | 5th |
| 2018-19 | FA Women's National League - Midlands Division 1 | 8th |
Honours
- League
West Midlands Regional Women's Football League:
- Champions (1): 2015-16
- Cup
The Tom Farmer Women's Cup (Shropshire FA Women's Challenge Cup):
- Champions (11): 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018-19
Records
- Best Women's FA Cup performance: Fourth round, 2017–18
- Record League Win: 14 - 0 v Steel City Wanderers LFC on 24 March 2019
- Record Cup Win: 18 - 0 v Bishops Caste Town LFC on 22 January 2020
- Fastest Goal: Emily Ridge (11 Seconds) against Bedworth United LFC in January, 2019
References
- The New Saints Ladies split from parent club to become Wem Town LFC BBC Sport. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.