Keep The Blue Flag Flying High: About The Ladies

Showing posts with label About The Ladies. Show all posts

Monday, 23 October 2017

New contract for Hayes

Emma Hayes has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea Ladies FC.

The announcement comes with the Blues having made a perfect start to the Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign as well as progressing past Bayern Munich into the last 16 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Hayes said: ‘This is a place which I feel very much a part of and it is very dear in my heart. I couldn’t see myself anywhere else and it makes absolute sense to commit to the club going forward. I couldn’t be happier at this point in my career.’

Technical director Michael Emenalo added: ‘We are delighted Emma has decided to sign a new contract. She is one of the leading coaches in women’s football and she has helped Chelsea grow into one of the most talented and exciting teams in Europe.

‘Her passion for the club and the project we have here is a huge inspiration, and we all look forward to a lot more success together.’

Hayes took over as Chelsea Ladies manager in June 2012, overseeing the transition to full-time professional status and leading us into the Champions League for the first time.

The club’s first major silverware arrived when the Blues lifted the Women’s FA Cup at Wembley in August 2015, and that quickly became a Double as we secured the WSL title three months later.

Hayes was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2016, and led us to the Spring Series title earlier this year.

The Ladies moved to Kingsmeadow ahead of the 2017/18 season, and have won all three games at our new home so far, with a 100 per cent record in the WSL as we prepare to host Yeovil Town on Sunday. We will face Swedish side Rosengard in the next round of the Champions League, with the first leg at home on Wednesday 8 November.

Chelsea Video

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

The Ladies - Centre Of Exellence

The Chelsea Football Club's Girls' Centre of Excellence is designed to help elite female footballers reach their full potential.

Operating out of the heart of the club's training ground, the programme provides world-class facilities for any aspiring young female footballer as well as excellent coaching from a superb team of qualified staff. Our aim is to develop players from our U9 Development Squad through to the Chelsea Ladies first-team in the FA Women's Super League as well as providing appropriate, alternative exit routes for players when necessary. Following the recent submission of a successful application to the Football Association, the Centre of Excellence has been granted a license for both the 2012/13 and 2013/14 season.

Within the centre, training is focussed on long term player development (LTPD) as well as creating a competitive, winning culture from a young age. The club has an excellent record of producing players through the Centre of Excellence to Chelsea FC Ladies' reserve and first team as well as England youth and senior teams. In addition to this the club offers pathways into the Female Academy programmes, which allows players to combine their academic studies with playing competitive college and reserve-team football.

Sunday, 6 April 2014

Club History - Chelsea Ladies

Supporters wishing to have a female section to the club founded Chelsea Ladies Football Club in 1992.

The main football club allowed the use of the Chelsea name and the ladies section continued to run under the guidance of volunteers/supporters up until as recently season's ago.

With ladies football being the fastest growing sport in England and the arrival of Roman Abramovich to Chelsea the main club was now in a position to invest in the women’s game.

A five-year strategy was put in place and the first year target of promotion from the Southern National League as champions was achieved.

Chelsea Ladies have competed in the top flight of women’s football since 2005 when the Blues won promotion to the FA Premier League National Division.

In 2005-06 manager George Michealas left after four years in charge and his first top flight season before Shaun Gore took over. He went on to win a promotion/relegation play-off against FA Northern Division runners-up Liverpool 4–1 on aggregate to stay in the FA Premier League National Division.

After an eighth-placed finish in 2006-07, Gore drafted in England players Siobhan Chamberlain, Casey Stoney and Eniola Aluko. World Cup winner Lorrie Fair, regarded as one of the best midfielders in the women’s game, also signed as Chelsea finished 2007-08 in fifth spot.

Chelsea Ladies introduced a new manager for the 2008-09 season, former Arsenal Ladies reserve team coach Steve Jones. The Blues finished third but Jones departed in January 2009, leaving Casey Stoney as player/manager.

Stoney, now at Lincoln Ladies, played a key role in bringing in manager Matt Beard in 2009 by recommending the former Charlton coach.

Beard took over for the 2009-10 campaign and quickly made an impact, guiding Chelsea to third place in the league and an FA Cup semi-final.

In March 2009 Chelsea were named as one of the eight members of the inaugural FA Women’s Super League to start in March 2011.

Injury problems saw the Blues finish sixth in the inaugural FA Women's Super League season. Before Beard led the club to their first FA Women's Cup Final in 2012 where they lost on penalties to Birmingham City.

Beard left the club months after and was replaced at the helm by Emma Hayes in June 2012. Hayes has brought some top class international players to the club since her appointment in Eniola Aluko, Sofia Jakobsson, Edda Gardarsdottir and Olina Vidarsdottir as the club looks to challenge for honours in the near future.