Le Havre AC (women)

History

The women's section of Le Havre AC was created in 2010 at the instigation of association president Jean-Michel Kociszewski and his management committee. Initially training young beginners, the club opened to licensed players in 2014 and registered U11 and U13 teams in formal competition. By 2015 the female section had 90 players across all age categories from U8 to seniors. The senior women's team played its first official match on 27 September 2015 against Saint-Nicolas-d'Aliermont.

On 5 May 2016, Le Havre won the Coupe de Normandie against ESM Gonfreville l'Orcher and also defeated the same opponent for the DMF Cup. Le Havre achieved an almost perfect Regional 1 championship with 22 wins and one draw, scoring 146 goals and conceding seven. In February 2018 the club reached the quarter-finals of the French Women's Cup. At season's end, play-off victories over Amien SC and Nice secured promotion to Division 2 for the first time.

For the 2018–19 D2 season, a limit of three non-EU players per match day squad reduced the American contingent to five, with only three eligible per game. The club then signed British players Martha Thomas, Courtney Brosnan, Lois Heuchan, Ellie Leek and Rhian Cleverly, along with French players Aurélie Gagnet, Margaux Huaumé, Élodie Policarpo, Ikram Adjabi and Léa Kergal. After an indifferent start with two wins, three draws and three defeats in eight matches, four consecutive wins followed before Christmas.

After 15 match days the club was fourth with eight wins, three draws and four defeats, trailing leaders Reims by 14 points. Le Havre finished the season in second place.

Training ground

The women's team of Le Havre AC originally practiced at Stade de la Cavée Verte. When that field was renovated in 2016, they used the GASEG grounds in Sanvic thanks to a deal between HAC and the company clubs. Later, the club decided to split the boys and girls, citing that the Cavée Verte was too crowded for both. The female players then trained at the nearby Yuri-Gagarin stadium once a week on its hybrid pitch. In 2020, the move became permanent, with new changing rooms and a weight room built.