Cardiff City Ladies FC History

Cardiff City Ladies FC 2007-08 Season

National Premier League: 11th (relegated)
League Cup: 1st round; Arsenal h. 0-4
FA Cup: 6th round; Leeds United h. 1-5

Highlight:
3-2 win at Leeds United

Low Spot:
0-6 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on the opening day.

Good:
Loren Dykes
Dykes is a clever, skilful ball player whose abilities were not shown to advantage in a struggling side but caught the eye nonetheless. Quick and an adept dribbler Dykes is capable of making a name for herself at the top level despite her clubs‘ relegation.
Rhian Nokes
The strain looked to be telling on Cardiff’s over worked keeper by the end of the season but she was still a pillar of strength for the most part. Big, imposing and a good shot stopper she has been outstanding for Cardiff in both their seasons in the top flight.

In Brief:
Having survived by the skin of their teeth last season Cardiff were always likely to struggle having lost two of their best players in Jess Fishlock and Gwennan Harries. So it proved. Other than against Charlton they failed to win a league game until an unlikely triumph at Leeds in their final game but by then it was too late anyway.
There are still talented players at the club but an immediate return will not be easily achieved even if the current squad is kept intact.

The present day Cardiff City Ladies club has been in existence, in various guises, since 1975.

The club originally formed as Llandeyrn Ladies after a local charity match had been played and quickly became a formidable side in the region.

The club were particularly noted for their 5-a-side prowess and in 1981, the same year that the club changed its' name to Cardiff Ladies, they carried off the All England 5-a-side title.

The club became more recognisable as the one it is today in 1993 when Cardiff Ladies merged with Inter Cardiff and began playing in the League of Wales at the Cardiff Athletic Stadium.

In this year the club reached its' first Welsh Cup final only to lose by the only goal to Rhyl and they would also lose to the same opponents the following year on penalties.

In 1995, however, the club claimed its' first Welsh Cup with a penalty shootout victory over Bangor City.

The past decade has seen the club forming and breaking partnerships with other bodies but they are now completely independent and throughout this period the club have developed profoundly from a playing point of view.

In 1997 the club severed their ties with Inter Cardiff to become Cardiff County, so named to recognise their links with the cities' council.

Two years later the club changed its' name again to Cardiff City although it would be another two years before they actually became linked with Cardiff City FC.

After another two years, in 2003, the womens' branch decided to break away from the mens' team and have been an independently run club ever since.

Notable events on the field during this time have been their promotion to the National Premier League South in 1999 which was followed by relegation in 2001.

When the club returned to the Premier League South in 2004, however, they did so on a much stronger footing. They had won promotion with a 100% record and two years later, in 2004, Cardiff were crowned champions of the Premier League South to take their place in the National Premier League for the first ever time, an outstanding achievement.

This dramatic improvement has seen the club become totally dominant in the Welsh Cup having won it four times in succession from 2003 after victories over Bangor City (1-0), Newtown Ladies (4-0), Cardiff City Bluebirds (4-1) and Caernarfon (5-0).

As well as a thriving senior team the club also have successful teams in the under 12, 14 and 16 age groups and a reserve team through which talented youngsters can progress into the first team.

The club now gain regular European football through their monopoly of the Welsh Cup and provide Wales with a good proportion of their squads at all levels.