# Glentoran W.F.C.

Glentoran Women Football Club is a women's football club from Belfast, Northern Ireland and a subsidiary of Glentoran Football Club.
The team holds the record as the most successful women's team in the Irish League, having won the Women's Premiership on ten occasions, most recently in 2023. Having won all four major trophies in the 2020 season, the team was victorious again in the 2021 season, retaining the Irish League, Irish Cup, County Antrim Shield and League Cup to become the first team to ever hold all four trophies, and the first team to retain all four.

## 2022 Season

As the Northern Ireland Women's Premiership season runs from April to October, the 2022 season was disrupted by the Women's International European Championships held in England during the summer. For the first time in their history, Northern Ireland qualified for the tournament, with a squad including four Glentoran players. This resulted in the players being unavailable for club selection from the start of the season until the tournament had ended in July.
Glentoran suffered two major setbacks, losing forwards Caragh Hamilton through injury and Lauren Wade who signed for Reading in the English Women's Superleague following an impressive European Championship. Despite beating Cliftonville in the final game of the league season, Glentoran struggled to regain the fluidity that had brought success in previous seasons, with Cliftonville going on to win the first league title in their history.
Having won the County Antrim Cup against Crusaders at the Danny Blanchflower stadium a few weeks earlier, Glentoran faced Sion Swifts in the Irish Cup Final on 5 November 2023. Glentoran captain Jessica Foy put the East Belfast side ahead with a free kick that dipped over the goalkeepers head, before Joely Andrews was played through to make the final score 2-0 to Glentoran. Speaking after the game, Glentoran forward Kerry Beattie said that 'whilst we're pleased to retain these two trophies, after the success of the last few seasons we end this season disappointed'.

## 2023 Season

During the off-season the club expanded its support team to include a specialist strength and conditioning coach, nutritionist, head of media and match day coordinator. On the field the club signed Northern Ireland internationals Demi Vance in defence and Emily Wilson in attack. With days to go before the opening league game of the season, the club announced Northern Ireland U17 international goalkeeper Ellie Scott had also signed for Glentoran. Glentoran started the season strongly and with Cliftonville's participation in the All Ireland final and UEFA Champions League, Glentoran move six points clear at the top of the Christmas over the summer month. Cliftonville were then defeated by their North Belfast rivals and when Glentoran beat their rivals Linfield at Midgley Park, the team from East Belfast moved 9 points clear at the top of the table. Glentoran could have won the league season outright with two games to spare had they beaten Cliftonville at home, but a 1-1 draw meant the league title was secured less than a week later at Seaview with a 0-3 win over Crusaders. Glentoran went on to finish an unbeaten league season at home to rivals Linfield in the final game of the season, two Demi Vance goals the difference on the night. And so Glentoran added another league title to their collection, with Northern Ireland Kerry Beattie winning the league's golden boot award with twenty eight goals in eighteen games.

## European record

In UEFA competitions Glentoran went without a win in their first three attempts. In the 2009–10 Champions League qualifying round they won their first game 2–0 against Roma Calfa but failed to qualify from their group. In the 2024 edition of the competition held in Paphos, Cyprus, Glentoran drew Slovenian champions ZNK Mura Nona. The team conceded two soft goals in the first half and went further behind early in the second half when Mura Nona converted a penalty kick to make it 3-0. This was the catalyst for Glentoran to spark to life and goals from Chloe McCarron and a calmly slotted penalty from Demi Vance put Glentoran back into the tie with 10 minutes remaining. It was too little too late however as the game finished 3-2 to the Slovenians.
In the second game of the round 1 mini tournament Glentoran played Armenian champions Pyunik. A first half goal from Emily Wilson, playing in her first European tournament was enough for Glentoran to win the tie 1-0.
UEFA Women's Cup:
* 2005–06: 1st qualifying round 4th
* 2007–08: 1st qualifying round 4th
* 2008–09: 1st qualifying round 4th
UEFA Women's Champions League:
* 2009–10: qualifying round 3rd
* 2012–13: qualifying round 3rd
* 2014–15: qualifying round 3rd
* 2015–16: qualifying round 3rd
* 2021–22: Round 1
* 2022–23: Round 1
* 2013–24: Round 1

## Titles

* Women's Premiership
    Winners (10): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2023
* IFA Women's Challenge Cup
    Winners (11): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
* NIFL Women's Premiership League Cup
    Winners (1): 2019
* County Antrim Cup
    Winners (6): 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024

## Current squad

The squad for the 2024 season was announced on the club's social media channels and is below.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | NIR | Ashleigh McKinnon |
| 2 | DF | NIR | Annie Timoney |
| 3 | DF | NIR | Jessica Foy |
| 4 | DF | NIR | Emma McMaster |
| 5 | DF | NIR | Sofie Keenan |
| 6 | MF | NIR | Nadene Caldwell |
| 7 | DF | NIR | Aimee Kerr |
| 8 | FW | NIR | Demi Vance |
| 9 | DF | NIR | Rachel Rogan |
| 10 | FW | NIR | Ellie Butler |
| 11 | FW | NIR | Emily Wilson |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 12 | GK | NIR | Ellie Scott |
| 14 | DF | NIR | Aimee Neal |
| 18 | FW | NIR | Kascie Weir |
| 20 | FW | NIR | Rachel McIntyre |
| 21 | DF | NIR | Kelly Bailie |
| 22 | DF | NIR | Megan Neill |
| 23 | MF | NIR | Jenna McKearney |
| 24 | DF | NIR | Sarah Tweedie |
| 26 | DF | NIR | Kelly Crompton |
| 97 | MF | NIR | Chloe McCarron |