Arsenal Women Football Club

Arsenal Women Football Club are the most successful team in the women’s game in England and a founding member of the Women’s Super League. The club also has origins dating back to 1987 when founded by their longest-serving and most-successful manager yet, Vic Akers.

Club name

Akers now holds the role of honorary president of Arsenal WFC after establishing the club in 1987. He founded the women’s side while the head of the community section of their men’s team. The Islington native also served as the kit man for the men’s team from 1996 to 2018.

Arsenal originally named their female side as Arsenal Ladies Football Club. But the club took on the name of Arsenal WFC from July 2017 in a move aimed at bringing the team closer to the male side. It was also chosen to better reflect the female team with a modern-day view.

But while the team is officially named Arsenal Women Football Club, it is commonly referred to only as Arsenal. The full name is only used if differentiating the club from the men’s team.

Founded as: Arsenal Ladies FC (1987-2017)

Current name: Arsenal Women FC (2017-present)

Nicknames: The Gunners

Arsenal WFC founding year

Akers founded Arsenal’s women’s side as an amateur club in 1987 and it did not become a semi-professional outfit until 2002. The Women’s Super League later forced all competing teams to become full-time professional sides in 2018 ahead of its 11-team 2018/19 season.

Home stadium

Arsenal play most of their matches at Boreham Wood’s Meadow Park stadium. But the club has often played several games at Emirates Stadium since the start of the WSL in 2011. They also set a WSL attendance record of 47,367 against Tottenham Hotspur in September 2022.

Other stadiums: Emirates Stadium (2011-present)

Meadow Park capacity: 4,500

Training ground

Arsenal’s training ground, the Arsenal Training Centre, in London Colney is the base for their men’s and women’s teams. The club also opened The Hub ahead of the 2016 season for the women’s team. It was aimed at reflecting the men’s training schedule for the women’s side.

The Hub featured a new changing room with meeting rooms, a physio room, an ice bath and offices. It also provided the side with a new restaurant and a gym which the club share with Arsenal’s academy team. They also had access to the facilities at the training ground before.

Location: Bell Lane, London Colney, Shenley, Radlett, AL2 1DR

Arsenal WFC current league

Arsenal are a founding member of the Women’s Super League and have never fallen out of the division. The WSL replaced the FA Women’s Premier League in 2011 as the top-flight of the female game in England. Arsenal had been members of the Premier League since 1992.

The Gunners first entered a league in 1991/92 with the FA Women’s National League South and won that season’s title. Arsenal would then win their first FA Women’s Premier League title at the first time of asking in 1992/93. They would also take the debut WSL title in 2011.

Current league: Women’s Super League (2011-present)

Previous league: FA Women’s Premier League (1992-2011)

Arsenal WFC current manager

Arsenal appointed Jonas Eidevall as the latest manager of their women’s side in August 2021 to replace Joe Montemurro. He had led Swedish team Rosengard to the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League the previous term. He also won league titles in 2013 and 2014.

Eidevall led Arsenal to a second-place finish in the WSL during his debut season at the helm. The Gunners also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the League Cup and Champions League. Arsenal won their only women’s European title during 2006/07.

Current manager: Jonas Eidevall (2021-present)

Arsenal WFC contact details

Website: www.arsenal.com/women

Contact numbers: Full details here

Address: Meadow Park, Broughinge Road, Borehamwood, WD6 5AL

Arsenal WFC tickets

Tickets for Arsenal WFC matches are sold through the club’s official website for matches at Meadow Park and Emirates Stadium. Fans attending games at Meadow Park can also select from a seat in the Main Stand or unreserved seating/standing in the north and south stands.

The club uses two separate websites for games at Meadow Park and Emirates Stadium. Also, Arsenal offer a discount of up to 25% for tickets bought before 23:59 the day before a game. While fans can also purchase a season ticket for their WSL schedule, plus two home cup ties.

Meadow Park tickets: embed.futureticketing.ie/c/arsenal-women/

Emirates Stadium tickets: www.eticketing.co.uk/arsenal/Events