Athlone Town Association Football Club Ladies (Irish: Cumann Peile Bhaile Áth Luain na mBan) is an Irish association football club based in Athlone. In February 2020 the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) announced the formation of the club as an expansion team for the upcoming 2020 Women's National League season. It is the women's section of Athlone Town. The senior team plays in the Women's National League while a junior team competes at Women's Under 17 National League level.
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| Full name | Athlone Town Association Football Club Ladies | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Town | ||
| Founded | 2020 | ||
| Ground | Athlone Town Stadium, Lissywollen, Athlone | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 (2,500 seated) | ||
| Manager | Colin Fortune | ||
| League | Women's National League[1] | ||
| 2024 | Champions | ||
| Website | http://athlonetownafc.ie/ | ||
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History
editIn July 2018 Athlone Town were among 11 founding clubs in a new Under-17 Women's National League.[2] In November 2019, the club's application to join the senior Women's National League for the following 2020 season was accepted.[3] The first match was originally scheduled for March 2020, however, the team was made to wait until 15 August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland which delayed the start of the season.[4] The first game ended in an encouraging 1–0 defeat by Wexford Youths.[5] On 5 September 2020 the club secured their first goals and first win, beating fellow newcomers Treaty United 3–2 with goals from Katelyn Keogh, Paula Doran and Kellie Brennan.[6] They finished the shortened season joint-sixth of nine teams with a 3–7–1 record.[7]
A separate independent women's football club named Bealnamulla LFC come from the Athlone area. They reached the national FAI Women's Cup final in 2000, but were beaten 7–0 by Shamrock Rovers, the dominant team of the era.[8] Five members of Athlone Town's inaugural squad were former Bealnamulla players.[9]
Athlone Town won the 2023 FAI Women's Cup Final at Tallaght Stadium on 19 November 2023, beating Shelbourne 4–3 on penalties after drawing 2–2.[10][11]
Athlone Town won the 2023-24 Premier Division, with a round of matches to spare, securing a spot in the 2025–26 Champions League preliminary round.[12]
Honours
edit- Women's National League
- Winners (1): 2024
- Runners-up (1): 2022
- FAI Women's Cup
- Winners (1): 2023
- Runners-up (2): 2022, 2024
Players
editCurrent squad
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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References
edit- ^ "Extratime.com - Extratime.com - Fixtures - 2020 Women's National League". Extratime.ie.
- ^ "Teams confirmed for Continental Tyres Women's U17 League". 20 February 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ "Athlone Town join Women's National League". RTÉ Sport. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Steady progress is helping Athlone". Women's National League (Ireland). 21 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Athlone Town Ladies Looking To Back Up Promising Debut". Midlands 103. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ Hooper, Dave (6 September 2020). "Maiden WNL Victory For Athlone Town". Shannonside. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ Fagan, Ronan (19 November 2020). "Athlone Town Ladies complete maiden WNL campaign with positive result". Athlone Advertiser. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ Mooney, Daniel; Hughes, Declan; Schöggl, Hans. "Ireland - List of Women Cup Winners". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Senior Women's Só Hotels National League". Athlone Town A.F.C. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ Brannigan, Peter (19 November 2023). "Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup final recap: Athlone Town win on penalties". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ Cooper, Gavin (19 November 2023). "Laois soccer star to the fore as Athlone Town capture Women's FAI Cup". Laois Live. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ Geraghty, Darryl (5 October 2024). "Athlone Town seal first league title with win over Bohs". RTÉ Sport.
- ^ @AfcAthlone (26 March 2021). "1 more sleep Athlone Town v Shelbourne Fc WNL in Athlone Town Stadium Kick-off 4pm. Unfortunately, no spectators are allowed in due to the current guidelines. All games are free to watch, all you have to do is register on LOITV. Link to the game is below" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "New signings, rising stars, and players to watch - your team-by-team guide to the new WNL season". Irish Examiner. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.