Nottingham Forest W.F.C.
English women's football club affiliated with Nottingham Forest.
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Nottingham Forest Women is the women’s football club linked to Nottingham Forest Football Club. They compete in the Women’s Super League 2, the second tier of English women’s football.
The first known Forest women’s side played in the Notts and Derby League during the early 1970s. The current club was set up in 1990, started by the NFFC Community arm and then shaped by the players themselves. A small group of young women put out a call in the men’s official match programme against Everton, asking for new players.
Forest won their first FA Women’s Premier League title in the 2007–08 season, taking the Northern Division after a 5–1 final-day victory over Sheffield Wednesday. They tried to join the Women’s Super League for its first season in 2011 but were turned down. That rejection meant they missed out on £70,000 of FA funding for infrastructure and the TV exposure from ESPN’s league coverage. Their best finish in the FA Women’s Premier League came in 2010–11, when they came second behind Sunderland. That same season they reached the FA Women’s Premier League Cup final, losing to Barnet on penalties.
Another attempt to enter the WSL in 2012, as the league restructured into two tiers, also failed. This meant losing out on either £70,000 (for WSL 1 clubs) or £25,000 (for WSL 2 clubs), and the club faced a £20,000 shortfall that raised fears it might fold. Financial troubles continued into the 2013–14 season. After five years of support—including a £10,000 donation from former owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi in August 2012—Nottingham Forest announced it would no longer fund the women’s side or provide the kit ordered in November 2012. A short-term sponsorship from e-cigarette company E-Lites kept the team going, and they finished 4th in the Northern Division that season.
The club then operated as a self-funded outfit until the 2017–18 season. They could not improve on that 4th-place finish; their best result in that period was 6th in 2015–16. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Women’s Premier League Cup that year, losing 1–0 to eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur. Sponsorships from the No More Page 3 campaign, Ryley Wealth Management, and Inc. London kept them afloat. In April 2016, the club was awarded a tier three license to run a Regional Talent Centre, offering better coaching and support for elite female players through the FA’s talent pathway.
- Founded
- 1990
- Field
- Women's association football
- Nationality
- English
- Known for
- First FA Women's Premier League title in 2007–08; league and cup double in 2022–23; integration into Nottingham Forest under Evangelos Marinakis
Lore & Background
Nottingham Forest Women was officially founded in 1990 by the NFFC Community arm and then developed by the players. A small group of young women advertised in the men's official programme against Everton for players to join them. The club picked up its first FA Women's Premier League title in the 2007–08 season, winning the Northern Division following a 5–1 victory in their last game against Sheffield Wednesday. Nottingham Forest Women submitted unsuccessful applications to join the Women's Super League for the inaugural 2011 season and again in 2012, missing out on Football Association funding. The club's financial concerns continued, leading to Nottingham Forest ceasing financial support for the 2013–14 season, with short-term survival secured by a sponsorship from E-Lites. The club continued as self-funded until the 2017–18 season, sustained by partnerships with No More Page 3, Ryley Wealth Management, and Inc. London.
Reader's Guide
Nottingham Forest Women's significance lies in their long history as a women's football club affiliated with a major men's club, their resilience through financial difficulties, and their eventual full integration into Nottingham Forest under owner Evangelos Marinakis. The club achieved its highest league placing in the top division by finishing 2nd in the 2010–11 FA Women's Premier League and reached the FA Women's Premier League Cup final that same season. After the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, Forest won the FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division in 2022–23, completing a league and cup double, though they were denied promotion to the Women's Championship. In July 2023, the club moved to a professional hybrid model, with players under contract for the first time and training at the Nigel Doughty Academy. Their partnership with Nottingham Trent University has provided a pathway for players to the first team. The club's legacy includes developing elite female players through a Regional Talent Centre and navigating the transition from an independent, self-funded club to a fully integrated part of Nottingham Forest.
Did You Know?
- Nottingham Forest Women was officially founded in 1990 by the NFFC Community arm and developed by players who advertised in the men's programme against Everton.
- The club submitted unsuccessful applications to join the Women's Super League in 2011 and 2012, missing out on FA funding of £70,000 or £25,000.
- In the 2013–14 season, Nottingham Forest ceased financial support, and the club's short-term future was secured by a sponsorship from E-Lites.
More in Club History & Eras
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